Welcome to Savoie!

I have to say, though the process of travelling was an absolute cunt, this is all worth it. I have never been so physically desirous of wanting to not be on an airplane. Or in a car, for that matter. I actually threw up on my up here from Geneva. It wasn't that Tim wasnt't being nice, as a RAV4 only goes so quickly, but rather that I was at the limit of the level of stress my body could contemplate taking.

The village above is Les Allues, (sp); it's on the road up to Meribel, where I am staying and skiing for the next several days. Three and a half days of skiing in the Alps? I'd be crazy not to! Tonight, we had dinner with the other guests of Penny and Lester, who were my neighbors in England and who own the Chalet in which I am staying. It took a couple of moments, but I rediscovered how to conversate with upper crust English. Yes, they want to know about Bush, and about New Orleans, but mostly the key is to give the proper grunts and huffs at the right times. I won't pretend to be one of them, and please shoot me should I try, but I can at least hold my own in their conversation - who knows where that came from.

About the travelling itself, I flew from Portland, OR to Minneapolis to Amsterdam to Geneva today. I was physically ill from all that. Maybe if I hadn't rolled straight from a bitchy finals week, I'd have been alright. I dunno. But the flight from AMS to GVA was hell. I felt like I was suffering from heat stroke, mostly.

It hasn't fully registered to me that I am in Meribel again. Much less France. Like my other jet-lagged moments, nothing seems entirely real. On the upshot, no one really expects much of you on your jet-lag days, so you can get away with being less than brilliant.

Oh dear, I've just rattled on about myself. I must mention that it is wonderful to see my Friend, Tim, again. I know he's been through quite alot since I've last seen him, and I think I've grown and changed a fair bit since then as well. It'll be nice to get back to normal with a dear friend of mine. For those who have never understood the dynamic at work with he and I, I think it works like this: He is a mentor to me and constantly pushes me to do it bigger and better.

Anyway, if you're seeing this, it is likely because I wanted you to know how and what I am doing. Please feel free to send any postcard requests along to my e-mail adress, and as always I'd love to here from you.

B