excelsior!

HAH! After a half hour, I've managed to trick this place into accepting all my profile info! Take that! Nya Nya Nya-Nya Nya Nyaaa! phhhhhhhhhht! Sorry, it was being contrary. :-) I expect I will add more to the thing as time goes on. On to introductions!

Grrrrrrrreetings,

I am the noble sphinx, known by many names. My dreams call me Aldarriel Litharriel. The Silver Elves have named me Eriadyn. And I won't tell you what my mother named me, not on the first date :-P I am a pagan, artist, elf, music-lover, poet, libertine, pacifistic anarchist, traveler, spiritualist and sensualist. I am also possibly quite mad and comfortable with the prospect. At least I'm not bored.
My job requires late hours, and often presents me with little to do during them. So, here I am. You get to keep me company. Don't you feel lucky? :-)

Ooooooh!

I just discovered the bit where you decide your colors and all. Quite lovely dontcha think?

*sighs*

There's a program talking bout England on the History Channel. I wish I could visit it again. When I was 13 I got to go to Europe (with other kids in foreign language classes at my school) for 2 weeks and visit 5 (unofficially 6) countries. England, France, Switzerland, Leichtenstein, Germany, and a day trip to Austria. Incidentally, I studied Spanish.
I still don't understand how I was able to go. I grew up in a very frugal house (my grandparents), didn't see a lot of money being spent, so I assumed we didn't have much. My Dad worked in a lumber yard at the time, my Mom was in the National Guard. My Grandpa worked for some company, but I had no idea what position he held. *shrugs*
We got 3 days in England, when we visited. Saw Madame Tussaud's, the Tower, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle. The Underground stank, but not as bad as Paris' Metro. I almost got run over by a lorry. We tried to go into Harod's, but aparently the doorman thought cutoff's and a Snoopy t-shirt weren't appropriate attire--I'd never heard of department stores with dress codes, aside from the obligatory no shirt no shoes no service. How was I supposed to know???? It was hot as hades the first two days, no pea soup fogs. Then, the last day, mind you, in late June: cold, foggy, and rainy as an early winter's day. *shrugs* Go fig.
Some of the best (some kind of curried chicken) and some of the worst (funky meat paste) food I've ever had was in Germany. Munich was beautiful. We ate at an Ale Hall that had been built in 1492. So was a little town called Rothburg that still had it's medieval wall around it. Lucerne in Switzerland was very pretty too. Paris had nice architecture and good museums, but didn't inspire me like I'd expected it to. There were too many people packed into Notre Dame for me to hear God. I think I liked Germany best.
You know how people talk about culture shock? You know what was most shocking to me? Aside from the language and some of the architecture, it really wasn't as different as I thought it'd be. The grass was just as green (maybe a ~little~ greener in Germany), the cities still sprawled and smelled funny, and people were still people. Contrary to popular belief, the French were no ruder than any American I've met.
I'd like to go back, now that I'm older. I wonder if I would see it differently, appreciate it more? I thin I probably would.
Of course, it'll be a good long time before I'll get to go again. It's my little sister's turn to be pampered by the family, which is how it should be... I expect when the trip's offered her Freshman year, she'll go, if she asks to. I hope she does.