The future is bright.
When we meet in real life, don’t believe my “plans for the future”. My plans will blow you away. They’re grand! Nod politely and ignore them. It’s not that I’m trying to put something over on you. Nor am I trying to impress you. I’m simply trying to talk myself into action. The latest scheme involves moving the family to France for 6 weeks. I have my reasons. Are my kids learning anything in school? Unlikely. I certainly didn’t. But travel has a way of opening eyes and softening the hardest know-it-all. France will shake the foundation of a suburban, strip-mall shopping, video game playing, reality TV watching American to his core. And don’t forget the cheese. The cheese is alive! Layer upon layer of subtle flavors. Our cheese? Dead! The USDA killed it with pasteurization. It’s dead! I’ve spent thousands of dollars buying cheese in the US, and for all that money I’ve found exactly two pasteurized cheeses (this and this) worth consuming. Wait, where was I? I get excited trying to talk myself into this nonsense.
Check this out. It’s Zach and Asia’s great-uncles/aunt/grandfather in Eugene, Oregon, August, 1963. Beat that monsieur!
France is a great idea! I wish our family had traveled like that. I have come to understand that sightseeing vacations are more stressful than no vacation. Trying to pack culture into one week is too much. My family packed like 6 cities into 6 days. When we got back we need a vacation from vacation.
I had a friend in college – her father moved the family to France for 2 years. School is just not that important.
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Go for it. Even a six week change in context could change like, everyone in the fam, like, forever. And, I didn’t know our cheese was dead. No wonder it all tastes so awful. Bon Voyage! Post all your revelations since I am stuck in Oklahoma and am always on the prowl for people through whom I can vicariously live.
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Go! Go! GO I SAID!
I’m headed back to the UK early in February (it was supposed to be early in January, but damn if I can make things in this town move fast enough). Anyway, you know how I feel about Europe and it would be fantastic for your kids. Stay away from Disneyland, though I believe that’s a given.
Give me a holler if you’re near Calais and we’ll do the ferry thing.
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