When I mentioned my Running Away To France fantasy to N. she excitedly exhorted me to "Go to France! Go to France and paint! I'll pay you my fee if you'll go to France!"

I've never seen her quite that way before. I just may have mentioned this fantasy once or twice previously in the past 15 years.

I e-mailed G.K. about it and she replied with a three-word message: "GO TO FRANCE!!!"

G.C. told me I had to go so she could live vicariously through me. As far as I know or suspect, that is the first time anyone has ever felt such a desire. I haven't been living the kind of life, so far, that is likely to set anyone's imagination on fire.

S. used the last minutes on her phone card to call me and say, "Last week you couldn't get off the couch and now you're going to Paris?" She told me she always thought I should do that.

M. says she thinks she shrieked, and she certainly got light-headed. I haven't seen so many exclamation points in a message since Grandma died.

P.S. is always supportive and enthusiastic about all my endeavors, and hasn't let me down on this one.

P.R. said, "It's about fucking time."

You guys are so great! You've helped transform a wall of fear into a disgusting little beast that I just kick out of my way. I don't even have an airline ticket yet, and already this trip has been an enlightening experience.

Around the Ides of March, I will be in Paris looking for an internet connection, and will start posting photos soon after. This won't be a fancy-schmancy web page. I don't want to waste precious Paris time honing HTML or striving for Photoshop perfection. It's just a way to show you pictures without jamming up your in-box.

I'll have the same e-mail addresses and I can still write to you individually.