Fluent French: Experiences of an English speaker

What would it be like to speak fluent French? Is there a single moment when the language finally clicks and you understand it? When can you speak it? How long does it take? Once you can understand and speak it, does it feel as natural as English? The author wanted to find out the answers to these questions, so he moved to Paris. As he learned to speak French fluently, he kept this record of his experiences and perceptions. Included are French words and expressions, comparisons between French and English, fine points of French, and answers to the above questions.