Well, I'm officially in countdown mode. In 5 days I will be "leaving on a jet plane" to begin my European Adventure 5 years in the making.
I've had a whirlwind few weeks with getting into grad school, packing up all my belongings into a PODS, couch surfing for the last little bit of my time in Atlanta, quitting my job, coming home to TN, traveling to Chicago and then packing for the adventure.
But let's back up a bit......
In 2006 I had just started my job in the "real world". As I began getting a steady pay check, I realized that I should set up some financial goals to work towards. I set short and long term goals for myself. Some I accomplished: pay off car early, some however I did not: never have a running balance on my credit cards. Oops! But the longest term goal I set for myself was to set a little money aside every month for my "European Adventure".
At the time I had no idea when the trip would be, where I'd go, or how long I'd be able to stay, I just knew that (like any good 20-something) my self-imposed timeline to travel was BEFORE my 30th birthday.
So, every month (before I
And ya know what? It actually grew! Through the help of a smart financial advisor, the small monthly contribution is now going to take me on my GRAND ADVENTURE.
So, now that I had the funds, when would I have the time to take this big ole trip??? 10 little vacation days just don't stretch through the year like one might hope. Added to the fact that my mom and sis are teachers with entire summers off, those 10 days seemed even smaller.
Enter my desire to pursue my MBA full-time. As I was looking at opportunities for the Fall, I realized if I knew early enough that I was accepted into a program and would be headed back to school, I would also be able to make a summer break for myself.
Thankfully, that is EXACTLY how it worked out. As soon as I had my offer letter from UT in hand, I was able to share the news with my boss that I was giving my 4.5 weeks notice, and trip planning went into overload.
So, here I am, 6 weeks later and 5 days out and the adventure has shaped up to look like this:
June 21st - July 2nd: ITALY
I'm so excited to head back to Italy for the 2nd time and see much more of this amazing country.
I'm even MORE excited that my mom and sister will be joining for this leg of the journey.
We'll be visiting Rome, Sorrento, Pompeii, Siena, Cinque Terre, Florence & Venice on our whirlwind two week tour.
As my mom and sister head back to Rome to fly home, I will be by myself for a small portion (5.5 days of the journey). I'm nervous and excited for the opportunity to travel a bit by myself and get lost immersed in a (few) new cultures. The next leg of my journey looks like this:
July 2nd - 4th: MUNICH
I can't wait to see the city, meet the locals and make a friend or two over a hometown brew :)
July 5th - 7th: VIENNA
At this point in the story, I have to be completely honest with you....I don't REALLY know very much about Vienna. I just know that: A. It's on my way to Prague B. It's beautiful C. And according to Billy Joel, It "waits for me".
This is also the point in the trip where I will be staying at my first hostel!!! Gotta say, again, I'm super excited and nervous about this. I found an adorable 10 person "apartment" style Hostel, where the hostess Lilly makes breakfast every morning for the group, will play tour guide, stocks the kitchen AND does your laundry while you are out enjoying your day. WOO HOO hot breakfast AND clean socks??? Yes, please.
As I leave Vienna, I head to meet two girlfriends that just happen to be in Europe at the same time, so I then tag along with them for 8 days.
Meet my next travel companions: Brooke and Lauren (You'll be seeing them a LOT on the blog in the coming weeks).
July 7th - 11th: PRAGUE
At this point in the trip, I know I will be glad to have travel buddies again, and I can't wait to have fun with the two above.
July 12th - 16th: PARIS
Ahhhh, the city of love...
Well, that may not be the case when you are there with a group of girlfriends, but I know we will enjoy ourselves nonetheless :)
At this point in the trip, I'm so excited because my friend Misty will be coming to complete my journey with me!!!! She and I traveled to Italy summer before last with a group and had a marvelous time. We'll just call this part of the trip "Rock the Box Part Duex"
July 16th - 24th: SPAIN
Barcelona, Madrid, Coastal cities, I can't wait to soak up the sun and culture. I also can't wait to have authentic paella, tapas and some great Spanish wines. And there is also the opportunity to test my RUSTY Spanish skills. So what if I haven't used Spanish in 7 years, I'm sure after a few "Como estas" I'll be right back up on that proverbial bike :)
July 24th - 26th: AMSTERDAM
And like any great journey, this one will also come to an end...in Amsterdam. I personally think it is a perfect way to wrap an unforgettable trip.
Now you know the plan, and the itinerary. I have vowed to fully document this trip and share the pictures, funny stories and memories along the way, so I hope you'll join me in the adventure. So, Ciao! (For now....)
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