Paris has been wonderful. A bit rushed and I haven’t had a lot of time to write but I promise I will update soon. Right now I have a lot of weird things going on in my head. I’ll admit I feel a little bit out of character for me but Paris has seemed to bring out some buried feelings both good and bad and I’m really not sure what to make of it. I wish I didn’t have to leave but I’m off to try to catch a train since I’m supposed to meet someone today and it would be rude of me to change plans so late if I can help it. Hopefully I haven’t waited too late. It’s raining and I have a strange feeling this day is not going to go as smoothly as I wish.
That’s all…I just love it. I love the people I meet and the things I can do. I love it even when things don’t go well and I sort of wish for my bed at home. But I love it.
Well…time goes so quickly…I can hardly believe I’m leaving tomorrow, well actually today. I’ve been dreaming and thinking and planning, I guess now is the time to do! People are impressed and scared at the same time to hear I’m going to Europe alone with a backpack containing one pair of pants and only a sample of shampoo. I mean I know I’m a girly girl but a girl can get by on very little and still be girly; besides, I like a challenge and I like to surprise people.
I leave tomorrow and my parents have been great about letting me do this all on my own the way I like but still being supportive and helping me out where I need it. I’m excited but scared and sort of scared to be too excited….a strange feeling, I must admit. Maybe, I’m just excited to be scared?
The timing for this trip is just amazing, my youngest brother just graduated high school tonight/last night and I’ve spent the week helping mom get his scrapbook, display board ready, etc and so forth as well as grading papers for her class as she finished up her last year of teaching. Plus I’ve been working some and planning and purchasing, you know how preparations go. It will be a welcome rest to step on a plane and embark on an adventure all my own. Plus a six hour and some flight sounds like a great naptime! So here it goes…perhaps next time I write I’ll be somewhere else…BLASTOFF!
Alright! Plans are back in action…I finally got money to buy my train pass and make hostel reservations…I am so excited! Finances are all worked out, school is done, and I’m caught up on life etc. All that’s left is to do is purchase the passes and pack up…whoo-hoo!
I’m two weeks out and I’m exhausted. I just finished finals and moved back from college, I haven’t been able to look at travel plans for almost a week. But now that the pressure is off and I’m catching up on some sleep (and regaining my sanity) I’m back to being excited. I feel like I have so much to do in the next two weeks, it’s freaking me out just a little but I know everything will be fine. I’m still traveling alone but I’m becoming more and more comfortable and excited about it. There are people in my life who are not at all thrilled with the idea of me alone across the world and I admit I have some reservations especially about bars and walking at night. Even meeting people locally or in hostels doesn’t mean I know or can trust them. But I know I’m probably just being over concerned and as long as I’m careful and aware of my situation I should be just fine. Anyway, I have nothing at all to do today so I’m going to get right on that. 
Travel plans are coming along really nicely. I called a friend’s parents in the Netherlands and they offered to let me stay with them and give me a personal tour of the country for a couple of days! That only leaves lodging in Paris to be decided.
But more bad news. It happened again. I’m buddy-less. I’d say it was me but it’s really not! Life just continues to get in the way of the people who want to travel with me. I’m so disappointed, what do I do now? Travel with my brother? Or brave it on my own? I don’t mind being alone but it just doesn’t seem as fun, even if I meet people I still don’t have someone to share my journeys with. *sigh*
YEEEEESSSSSS!!!!!! My travel plans are back on track and better than ever! After losing my friend as a travel buddy I was starting to get depressed. I was convincing myself that traveling alone would interesting and…not…lonely… or that going with my younger brother would be fun (which it would but it defeats the point of this trip). But I got connected with someone through a friend and now I have a new travel buddy! I’m thrilled and I’m planning with renewed vigor! Plus my new travel buddy is fluent in French which is nice since Paris was a little intimidating for me. More good news includes the fact that mom might join me for a week long trip to Italy or I might meet up with some friends of my parents’ daughters. Hooray for being back on track!
I’m getting a little worried now. I had this tripped mostly planned and I had it all built up in my mind as an “Independence Trip”. It was going to be that trip where I do it all myself and I get away from family and friends and life’s typical troubles. But now what? I mean I can still go and it will still be great but it’s not the same trip and now I just get depressed when I think about it. Either traveling alone with no one to share and revel with or traveling with my brother which would be totally awesome but kind of changes the nature of the trip. Now every time I think about the trip I get a little depressed.
Ok so…after all my planning and getting excited about going to Europe and actually having someone cool to go with, she can’t go. Dang it! I’m so disappointed, I love her to death and I was so lucky to have the chance to go to frickin Europe with her. Oh well. Like I said in the first place, I’m going even if I have to do it alone. I’m just afraid I’ll be lonely, I like having someone to share my trip with.
Well it’s my first post. I started this blog to document my trip to Europe next month but I’m still 6 weeks away. I’ve been dreaming of this trip for years. I always assumed it would be longer, two weeks just isn’t enough time, but this is what I’ve got!
I’ve been doing research and making plans for at least a month already and by now it’s seriously all I think about. Nearly everyone I know is tired of hearing me talk about it. But here’s the deal, I’m American and I’m patriotic and all but I seriously think I was born to be European. Of course it’s in my blood since my grandpa is Dutch, and I’ve always dreamed of visiting the Netherlands. But even beyond that, I’ve only been to Europe a couple of times for short visits and I love it; I just want to experience the rich cultures with traditions and history and beautiful mixtures of old and new.
Anyway, I’ve decided to blog my research and preparations as well as my trip. I’ll post my impatience, my excitement, my rough itineraries, and maybe a few other things….we’ll see.