Allo!

Bonjour from France!

I've been here for almost a week, and I'm so in love with it! Montpellier is so clean and beautiful, although a little confusing. I've definitely gotten lost a few times. The woman I'm living with, Claudine, is very sweet. She has the tendency to get fed up with my poor French, but we get along fine. She is an interesting cook to say the least! Not only have I eaten liver and burnt toast, I think I have qualified for Fear Factor: she served me fried cow brains.

I knew what they were the second she put them down. I was praying to God that it was chicken. I cut into the gray mush and tasted it. Definitely brains. She asked, after I took the bite, if I knew what part of the cow it was. I pointed to my head and said, "brain?" "Oui, oui!" she shouted. I must've turned as white as the table cloth. I ate it all so as to not be thought rude, but I piled on the salt and potatoes. Probably the most adventurous eating experience I've had. I just hope she doesn't think I liked them! Who serves an American student brains? Seriously.

Reason #46 I shouldn't drink: I make a fool of myself on a public French beach.

We went to the beach yesterday. So, so beautiful. The water was very cold but nice. I had a little too much fun... three glasses of wine and a little Malibu goes a long way when it's hot outside and you haven't eaten lunch. Luckily, I survived. I hope I didn't make any enemies in the process because I had to be watched. Apparently, I was screaming "Je suis Americainne!" and "C'est bon!" ("I am American" and "It's good"). I'm interested to see everyone's perception of me today. Almost all of us were tanning topless, too. So free, so French.

I've been working on my single French-inspired dread. I think it looks cool. Mother-bear will probably kill me but my hair, my choice.

Here it is:

I think it's pretty groovy.

We are visiting St Guilleme today. Should be interesting!

Au revoir, mes amis <3

Leavin' on a jet plane

Here I am in the George Bush International Airport getting ready to board a plane to a country where I do not speak the language very well, and I couldn't be more excited. Loving this airport (I'm one of the few people who loves airports. People, food, magazines, heaven.)!

I should be arriving in Paris around 8:15 a.m., or 1:15 a.m. Texas time. Awesome.

I have had my iPod ringing in my ears since I started my journey. Tallest Man on Earth, the Black Keys, the Raconteurs, Damien Rice, and Oasis have all accompanied me through this journey. What great company!

Q Magazine's "Man on the Run" article about Paul McCartney was phenomenal. It's interviews and writing like that article that makes me want to become a writer. The journalist, Paul Rees, followed McCartney around for a month to get a complete story. How much of a dream would it be to follow Sir Paul around for four weeks! I think I would die of a heart attack.

The next blog you read from me will be posted from France! Au revoir!

Destiny! Destiny! No escaping that for me!

I have come to a core-ripping revelation: I do not want to live the life my parents have planned out for me.

Yesterday, my mother said: "When you get back to school, I want you to start going on dates." I laughed, rolled my eyes, and changed the subject, naturally. I find it uncomfortable to talk about such matters with her; I am happy in my current situation (More than happy, really. Gobsmacked is a much better word.). I am not going to school to get my MRS degree, thank you Mother. That is not the ultimate goal of my college education.

It is a defining moment in one's life when they realize they are being led down the wrong path. I believe I had that eye-opening experience tonight:

My brother had a little league baseball game, and while sitting there, I realized I did not belong in such a typical setting. I should've been in some hazy basement, sharing philosophical beliefs with fellow pessimists, aggravated with the current system.

And if I continue this planned course, I would be living a mundane life: carpooling kids, same people at the same cocktail parties, trading the latest gossip from coop to coop like squalling hens... It makes my stomach hurt to think I could end up like this. I know I am much smarter than what suburbia has in store for those fallen to it's gilded ease. Green Peace, perhaps? Or maybe a Pulitzer.

Definitely a Pulitzer.

Yet, it could be my destiny-- ending up like one of the many suburban housewives, cooing over their honor students and lamenting their absent husbands, lost at the hands of the mistress of their doctoral or legal practice.

Could this really be my destiny?

...nah. I'm better than that.

Hopefully Maybe

Six days until France! It's getting closer, and my anxiety is rising. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited, but I am worried about not being able to communicate well enough with the people. I'm sure it will all work itself out.

In the meantime, I've been sitting in Tyler, bored out of my mind. I've tanned and shopped and played some bass, but I'm ready to be around people that aren't my family. Love 'em, but they make me crazy.

On that note, I have started drafting my ideas for a teleportation device. I am missing Estelline's show at Blue Light in Lubbock tonight. I need to have the pad ready to go for Thursday's show at the Foundation. Man, oh man! I hate missing good music.

Austin City Limit's Line-Up was released today. Oh wow-- excitement to the max. I will need to dedicate a full blog to that some other time.

Here are some photos I took this evening. I needed to show off my bass and my record collection:

140 some odd records. Love, love, love them all.

This bass is HUGE.

On another note, cool hat, huh? And what about those sunglasses! Ah.

The seven and a half hour drive from Lubbock to Tyler was the closest to Hell I've ever been. Torrential downpours and the Mini Cooper do not get along well. A 20 minute panic attack and roughly 100 oz of Diet Coke later, I was okay. But serious, can someone PLEASE remind me to never drive in rain that bad again?

When I'm home from school, I feel like I'm in rehab. I get to run in the park, paint, play music, shop; but all I really want to do is get out. I love doing these things and having a week or so of relaxation, but I'm already bored of it all. Someone please save me before I get in trouble by my own devices. My idle mind may soon become Satan's playground.

FINALLY read the article about the making of Exile on Main Street in the latest Rolling Stone today. I've been anxiously awaiting it to be released since Tuesday. But it was a great article. It made me want to become a rockstar... well, maybe. Mick McSexy Jagger is on the front with his flowing hair and puckered lips. See?

Ah. He is crazy and perfect.

I picked up a bass for the first time today. Not going to lie, I love it. I think I enjoy playing more than guitar (that's not saying much... I stink at guitar). The one we own is an acoustic Jasmine by Takamine. It's beautiful. Maybe I should sell my guitar, an Epiphone Dove, and buy a bass. Hmm. Anyhow, I think I find it easier because there is no strumming, just a simple rhythm. I even figured out Seven Nation Army without tabs, so I felt accomplished.

In nine days, you will be receiving this blog from Montpellier, France. I will be studying abroad there for 5 weeks. The woman I will be living with has a dog and lives within 10 minutes walking distance from the school. It will be perfect! I couldn't be more excited.

But for now, I will be blogging from stinky, old Tyler. Poo.