In the words of '80s hairband Whitesnake...

...here I go again on my own.

Ooh, I get to fly to Montreal, Canada, today before the overnight flight to Paris, so technically that's another country I get to visit. :) Yes, I realize I'm quite liberal about my list of countries visited (see right panel: if I'm in a country for more than 2 hours, I've "been" there. Hee...I'm such a cheater!). From Paris, I have to take a 4 hour train to Bordeaux. I have a horrible feeling that I will get lost on my way to the train and become a prime target (hello, Asian tourist!) for Parisian pickpockets.

What's worrying me more is my host family. I'm just hoping that I won't be a complete ass during my 3 weeks with them and that they will be nice. The family who I'll be staying with is an older couple - a civil servant and a housewife. The information sheet described my pamily as "very nice and caring," but I guess I'm still wary/slightly delusional from my Ghana trip. I'll keep my fingers crossed! According to my information sheet, they also like movies (SCORE!), opera (neat), antiques (ah, I love "Antiques Roadshow"!) and "flee markets" (cute!).

Here's to hoping that I learn a little something and to eating a lot of good food. So it'll be cold and I'll miss ya, but I'll drink a glass of wine in everyone's honor to keep warm!