Places I've Been and I'm Going

Heather and I have been updating our "Places I've Been" maps. I cannot wait to add all of European countries to "visited" instead of "want to visit"!! I really hope to make it to all of the other places I've marked as well. Someday, we will. :)

Donations

A huge thanks to the following people who have donated towards our trip:

Lorrie & Bill H
Terry G
Erin P & Chelsea M
Martha L
Joy & Chris P
Monique G
Rachel G
Lindsey J

We truly are gratful for your contributions! And look forward to sending you a post card or two from Europe!

You too can contribute to our Europe fund!

Raise Money Online

Every donation helps! And For every $10 you donate we'll send you a postcard from the trip. :D

Safe Travels,
- Kit

28 days and counting!

Well we're in the homestretch! Only 28 days until we depart to Madrid! Its so exciting that it's so close!

We are in the final stages of planning. We are figuring out what trains need reservations, what attractions we could get tickets in advance and so forth.

With less than a month until our great adventure its easy to start stressing over the little details. It seems like there are so many things we still need to do to maximize the ease of our trip.

I guess its normal to fret before a big trip. I have been having bizarre dreams the last week or so about stupid things like forgetting my passport or not remembering to have someone take care of our pets while we're away. Its ridiculous.

All in all, I am unexplainably excited! This is truly going to be the trip of a lifetime. I'm so excited that Heather and I get to take this trip together.

Its funny because when we tell people about our trip their first reaction is usually "BY YOURSELVES!?" And I guess for most early 20-somethings a 6 week expedition across Europe with nothing but a backpack and a train pass would seem daunting. But Heather and I share a love of travle and our Anthropology backgrounds make us interested in visiting other cultures. I actually feel really proud to be taking this trip. We have been planning and saving for abnout 2 years and we are really making this happen. There is nothing sadder to me than people who talk about traveling but never do. People use so many excuses, but when it comes down to it...the only thing holding you back is yourself. Its not like we had the money to do this, but we saved. We will have some struggles when we get back and have been unemployed for 6 weeks, but we'll overcome. I already have a job lined up upon our return! Its all about planning.

Actually, we have already started discussions about our next great adventure. Looks like 2017 we'll be going on a tour of the UK. Why 2017? Because that is the year that Harry Potter's kids will embark to their first year at Hogwarts. So there is a massive gathering planned at Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross. :) in the meantime we want to go to Orlando (Wizading World of Harry Potter), Hollywood, the Grand Canyon, Washington DC and possible Cancun.

All I'm saying is, life is too short NOT to travel!!

Safe Travels,
- Kit

Itenerary!

Well, as I briefly mentioned in my last post...our plan to get to Europe and trek around aimlessly did not work out to our benefit. We had to plan things out a lot more than expected. Mainly, because a couple of the things we want to see are time sensitive.

The main two things that are "musts" are Oktoberfest in Munich and this amazing cheese market in Amsterdam! We wanted to also go to Tivoli Gardens (Copenhagen), but they close the amusement park on Sept 25th for the down season.

Our first draft itinerary looks like these are the cities we'll be staying in. There are others we will be visiting on day trips.

Madrid, Spain
Barcelona, Spain
Lyon, France
Bern, Switzerland
Munich, Germany
Frankfurt, Germany
Paris, France
Brussels, Belgium
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Hamburg, Germany
Copenhagen, Denmark
Stockholm, Sweden
Oslo, Norway
Berlin Germany
Prague, Czech Republic
Vienna, Austria
Salzburg, Austria
Venice, Italy
Florence, Italy
Rome, Italy
Patras, Greece
Athens, Greece

Other cities we will be visiting:

Tarragona, Spain
Vienne, France
Interlaken, Switzerland
Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Bruges, Belgium
Norrkoping, Sweden
Verona, Italy
Milan, Italy
Bologna, Italy
Pisa, Italy
Vatican City
Capri, Italy
Brindisi, Italy


We have A LOT planned, but we are good on budgeting our time. Plus we will have time to rest on the trains and in the sweet hostels we've found. While Heather has been researching day-trips and sight-seeing opportunities, I have been living on Hostel World, reading reviews and comparing prices/locations/accommodations/etc

Ironically, in some cities it's cheaper to stay in a hotel for a night than a hostel! Which will be nice, because a private shower will be few and far between. Not to mention getting to sleep in the same bed. I mean most of the trip we'll be sleeping in twin sized bunk beds!

I'm really excited! There is just over a month until we depart, and although I know 1 million things could go wrong.... I'm really not worried. We have rail passes, a guide book, a loose plan and 6 weeks in EUROPE! No matter what, this is going to be an amazing trip. Besides, if we don't see everything we wanted to on this trip, we will just have to go back again. :)

Safe Travels,
- Kit