So I'm a day early...I can't wait!! Things are coming along swimmingly =] I'm pretty much ready to go, except for packing. Ryan still has to get some bus passes and hotels, but hopefully he'll get that done this week =] My parents are getting our hotels booked for the rest of the trip as well as getting the car rental all arranged. I have some free time this week and then next week I'm nannying, and then I'll be down to my last week! I can't wait!
As for the Africa giveaway trip I had mentioned, turns out that the foundations and individual that were hosting it missed a few steps that would get them in trouble with the IRS and therefore had to cancel the giveaway and refunded us our money =[ I'm super bummed because that would have been an incredible trip to win =[ Someday though, I will go to Africa as well!!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
One Month!!!
Well I am down to the wire (sort of =] )! Saturday marked one month till I leave! This last week flew by because it was the last week of classes for the semester, and so now I just have to get through finals this week and I'll be in the home stretch!! So this week, T-4 weeks, is deemed finals week, next week, T-3 weeks, is free week (though I have an online class I have to work on!), T-2 weeks is nanny week (I'm nannying all week so the parents of the kids I nanny for can get a vacation before I go on vacation =]) then I have T-1 week where final preparations occur, and then its here!!! Can't wait!!
Today is also my friend Ryan's (he is going with me =] ) birthday!! Happy 22nd Birthday Ryan!! We will celebrate when we get to Amsterdam =]
I'm trying to not think about going this week, as I need to study, but as you can tell, that isn't really happening, as I'm blogging instead =]
Also kind of neat to think about is I have a 1/100 (or possibly greater!) chance at getting to go on an all expense paid trip to Africa this summer as well! It would be a humanitarian trip, but that would be absolutely incredible if I won. I'm not holding out any hope, but I'll find out next Monday if a miracle happens and I win =] Who knows, this blog might go from Blogging in Europe to Blogging in Africa =] Wouldn't that be neat!
And I know these posts are boring without any pictures, but I have no pictures to post yet, seeing as where I live is so much more boring compared to where I am going =]
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Itinerary!
Well,
I'm obviously not going to say exactly where we will be on what dates and such, just in case there are any stalkers out there =] But here is where I will be going for 5 weeks!!!
Start:
Netherlands
Belgium
Netherlands
Germany
Czech Republic
Austria
Italy
France
Spain
France
Netherlands
England
End =]
So that is 9 countries in 5 weeks, but mainly 8 countries in 3 weeks. Yes, we are crazy, but it is going to be so much fun!! I'm really excited about the few additions that I wasn't expecting =]
And that is a lot of driving.....but again, so worth it! I can't wait to go!! Now if I can just get through finals =]
I'm obviously not going to say exactly where we will be on what dates and such, just in case there are any stalkers out there =] But here is where I will be going for 5 weeks!!!
Start:
Netherlands
Belgium
Netherlands
Germany
Czech Republic
Austria
Italy
France
Spain
France
Netherlands
England
End =]
So that is 9 countries in 5 weeks, but mainly 8 countries in 3 weeks. Yes, we are crazy, but it is going to be so much fun!! I'm really excited about the few additions that I wasn't expecting =]
And that is a lot of driving.....but again, so worth it! I can't wait to go!! Now if I can just get through finals =]
Monday, April 11, 2011
Time sped up...
Well, today is actually 5 weeks...not 4 like I thought. I some how got ahead of myself last week, and thought last week was 5 weeks. Oh well, it will still come soon!! Saturday will be one month!!
I also found out today that I am going to a lot more places than I thought I was! Turns out my family is flying into Amsterdam, and from there we will go to Germany, then Austria, Italy, Spain, France and England. It will be so awesome!!! I can't wait! So glad I haven't bought my train ticket to England. I almost did today, and so glad I didn't =]
I also found out today that I am going to a lot more places than I thought I was! Turns out my family is flying into Amsterdam, and from there we will go to Germany, then Austria, Italy, Spain, France and England. It will be so awesome!!! I can't wait! So glad I haven't bought my train ticket to England. I almost did today, and so glad I didn't =]
Friday, April 8, 2011
Wow, its really happening!
So it kind of hit me while at work today that I am really actually going to Europe, and like next month!!! Last summer (2010) I had planned to go to Europe at this same time, and for some reason, I thought that I would magically have money after paying tuition...yeah right, that didn't happen. So sadly, I had to decide I wasn't going to be able to go =[
And then some family friends of ours said they were going this summer, and that we should meet them there! My parents decided that, yes, it was time we go to Europe. When my parents said yes, my first question was, do I get to go visit my friends in the Netherlands as well, since that was why I was trying to go last summer, and they said that yes, they would make sure I get to visit them! So here I am, getting to go for two weeks to see them and travel around the Netherlands, and then spend 3 weeks with my family travelling to other countries in Europe!
It just all kind of blew my mind away today...that I was really, actually going to Europe.
What also makes this really neat is that I just spent two semesters taking Humanities classes where we focused on the art, architecture, literature, music, all of it mainly in Europe, from early BC up through the present day. So many of the artist and architectural buildings that I studied I am going to get to see! While I was studying them, I would think about how, one day, I would get to see all these famous, ancient places, and now, in just over a month, I will get to see a great deal of them. This is an experience that not many people get the opportunity to experience, and I am very grateful that I am one who gets this opportunity =]
And then some family friends of ours said they were going this summer, and that we should meet them there! My parents decided that, yes, it was time we go to Europe. When my parents said yes, my first question was, do I get to go visit my friends in the Netherlands as well, since that was why I was trying to go last summer, and they said that yes, they would make sure I get to visit them! So here I am, getting to go for two weeks to see them and travel around the Netherlands, and then spend 3 weeks with my family travelling to other countries in Europe!
It just all kind of blew my mind away today...that I was really, actually going to Europe.
What also makes this really neat is that I just spent two semesters taking Humanities classes where we focused on the art, architecture, literature, music, all of it mainly in Europe, from early BC up through the present day. So many of the artist and architectural buildings that I studied I am going to get to see! While I was studying them, I would think about how, one day, I would get to see all these famous, ancient places, and now, in just over a month, I will get to see a great deal of them. This is an experience that not many people get the opportunity to experience, and I am very grateful that I am one who gets this opportunity =]
Monday, April 4, 2011
5 WEEKS!
The countdown is really coming along!!
5 MORE WEEK!!!!turns out it was really 4....
Here is my to do list as it currently stands:
-Book hotel in Belgium!
-Figure out how to get from Amsterdam to London
-Figure out bus/train routes in Belgium
-Figure out bus/train routes in the Netherlands
-Plan things to do in Belgium (though my friend Margaretha is pretty much taking care of this =] )
-Buy a museum card for the Netherlands
-Pack! (and make a packing list =] )
I am not taking suitcases, but a camping backpack, a school backpack and my camera backpack =] It will be great fun!
I also have somewhat of an itinerary =]]
I leave the US May 16th, arrive in Amsterdam May 17th, and will wait for my friend Ryan get into Amsterdam as well, and then we will most likely go to his hotel, and then I will go meet up with the family I am staying with! (All the people I am seeing in Europe I haven't seen in 3 years, so its going to be a glorious reunion with them all!!!) Then Ryan and I will spend the week in the Netherlands, and that Friday, May 20th, we leave in the morning to go to Belgium where we will spend the weekend with our good friend from high school! So Friday is in Brussels, Saturday is in Bruges, and Sunday is in Leuven. I might try to go to church on Sunday in Leuven, but they don't have an English branch, and I don't know how much time I will have because our bus leaves in the late afternoon, so we can get back to Amsterdam without it being too late. And then Ryan and I have the next week in the Netherlands again, and I will go to church on Sunday in Leiden, and there is an English branch there! Then on May 31st I head out to London to meet my family! (Not sure what Ryan will be doing then =] )
I probably won't be planning out what we will do what day until we get there and Ryan and I can talk it over and decide what we want to do, what day. I do have my list of things I have to do before I leave (Anne Frank House, Rembrandt Museum, Temple in The Hague, and a few other things =] )!
Its going to be a fantastic trip! I seriously can't wait!!!!!!
Here is my to do list as it currently stands:
-Figure out bus/train routes in Belgium
-Figure out bus/train routes in the Netherlands
-Pack! (and make a packing list =] )
I am not taking suitcases, but a camping backpack, a school backpack and my camera backpack =] It will be great fun!
I also have somewhat of an itinerary =]]
I leave the US May 16th, arrive in Amsterdam May 17th, and will wait for my friend Ryan get into Amsterdam as well, and then we will most likely go to his hotel, and then I will go meet up with the family I am staying with! (All the people I am seeing in Europe I haven't seen in 3 years, so its going to be a glorious reunion with them all!!!) Then Ryan and I will spend the week in the Netherlands, and that Friday, May 20th, we leave in the morning to go to Belgium where we will spend the weekend with our good friend from high school! So Friday is in Brussels, Saturday is in Bruges, and Sunday is in Leuven. I might try to go to church on Sunday in Leuven, but they don't have an English branch, and I don't know how much time I will have because our bus leaves in the late afternoon, so we can get back to Amsterdam without it being too late. And then Ryan and I have the next week in the Netherlands again, and I will go to church on Sunday in Leiden, and there is an English branch there! Then on May 31st I head out to London to meet my family! (Not sure what Ryan will be doing then =] )
I probably won't be planning out what we will do what day until we get there and Ryan and I can talk it over and decide what we want to do, what day. I do have my list of things I have to do before I leave (Anne Frank House, Rembrandt Museum, Temple in The Hague, and a few other things =] )!
Its going to be a fantastic trip! I seriously can't wait!!!!!!
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