Let me go, she said

Let me go, and I will want you more -- right?
Or is that just another Cake-ism?

Au Revoir, St. Louis!
Yes, I had to leave you for Lyon- but it will be better for the both of us! May the clarity that a year in Europe is sure to afford me bring you much good fortune, my USA, upon my return...For my sake, eh? I will still read my St. Louis blogs, and I will still long for some mississippi love, but for now, my rivers new rivers for the year are the Rhone, the Saone, and the Beaujolais - however I choose to spell them on any given day.
And what a valley it is that I live in!
It will take some time for me to find a real appartment (not in the semi terrifying arab rioting ghetto...though it is not without its cultural vibrancy and colorfulness during the daytime, of course...but I'm a young non-arab foreigner, and a woman at that? I mean, I'm tough, but hello, I am not (yet) a kung fu master/sniper type lady). It will take some time to complete my paperwork, get my bank account, get internet access, Skype (best internet phone ever, and yes Mer, they pronounce it Skyp-EE in France. How'd you know!?) figure out the bus, metro and bike (! yes the city has a bike system where you rent a bike to get from place to place and then drop it off...hello good idea) systems, and make a petit life for myself in french. I figure on that taking tops 2 months, and then its travel, live, drink, and explore this groovy city and others, entertain my multitudes of visitors, and just do etc, etc, etc... perhaps find somewhere to dance, too, of course, and gents to dance with. One is silver and the other's gold, but whatever metal they're made of, I'm happy to wear the rings of all my friends, be they people, bars, shoes or cars, in my heart. aw.
Other writing (namely Testimos) becons....this may as well be a temporary farewell to the Mississippi River Valley girl (on more than one level, whoa) - but expect her back every once in a while, and in full force come next September.
Don't forget to vote, and in the meantime, check out the french Lori, as I try my best to be my own doppelganger (merci Blythe), at the new blog, aptly punned (and penned!) - Fleur de Lori, in the meantime!
I hope to post well and often, much in the way I aim to live and laugh and love. Hey o!