One Week to Go! Europe… Here WE Come!

It’s one week from today…  In fact, for dramatic effect, I posted this at the EXACT time that I’ll be boarding my plane next week.  I am so gloriously happy and excited and nervous and in great anticipation that I can hardly believe it.  I feel like a kid at Christmas but… that kid who thinks their parents may have picked out exactly what he/she wanted but still isn’t 100% sure.  That’s my nervous side creating that analogy.

BEST Part…  and most exciting.  My sister, who is one of my closest friends, is coming with me.  I can hardly believe this for a number of reasons.  (1) My sister is not really a big traveler.  She’s been to a few places in Canada and the US but has never been overseas or anywhere that spoke a different language (seriously)…  We’re very different.  (2) I get company!  For a trip this big, although the soul searching aspect of being alone is nice, it’s also nice to have someone else to share it all with - the good, the not so good and the amazing.

So, if you follow the blog, you’re probably wondering about the plans I may have made.  Well… I still haven’t made any.  Seriously.  Here is what I have (or shall I say, my assistant has) been able to accomplish thus far:

• Ashlee put together a list of 2-3 hotels in every city that I may go to.  This way, if I travel to a city and want a quick place to stay, I have all of the needed contact info, address, etc.  The best part?  She made sure they all had WiFi (a requirement for the mobile lifestyle) AND she’s checked out the reviews on different travel sites to make sure I’m staying some place acceptable.(Editor’s Note:  I’m not a picky traveler but I do have some standards… For example, clean sheets and roach-free.)

• Ashlee also went to Mountain Equipment Co-Op and purchased for me an amazing backpack.  I know, I know, you just stopped dead in your tracks didn’t you?  I am sure you are scratching your head and thinking… You, Erin Blaskie, are going to BACKPACK across Europe?  Well… Yes I am.  This is going to be THE single hardest thing I have ever done.  I am packing one pair of shoes (my stomach turns just thinking about it), two-three pairs of pants (comfortable), some layering pieces, a few scarves and a sweater/jacket.  Then of course the other essentials but the key thing here is LIGHT.

• My sister and I went to Mountain Equipment Co-Op together (I know, I know, my assistant was there… but I’m one of those gadget types so I wanted to see if there was anything cool and exciting!) and I picked out a Nalgene bottle (to refill with water in the mornings and attach to my backpack… I know, I’m not going to be in the mountains or anything but I want to appear authentic… haha), a really neat roll-up bag for my makeup and other toiletries and another bag to keep my passport, etc. in until I get into Europe (then it’s all security and money belts people!)

But other than that… I’ve done nothing else.  Haven’t planned sight-seeing trips, haven’t planned transportation, haven’t picked up language books… Nothing.  This is the least prepared I’ve been for the longest trip I’ve ever taken.  The best part – I am so thrilled for the adventure.  I don’t want to know what is coming up… I don’t want to plan… I don’t even want to set rules for the trip.  I know the things I must do (continue to work at least 4 hours per day to manage / maintain my workload and be safely tucked away in a hotel before dark) but that’s about all I’m planning.

I can not wait to see what comes out of this.  I know it’ll be the most amazing thing I have done thus far (well… there are a few other noteables!) and it’s going to be life-changing in a way that I can’t quite fathom yet.  I’ll keep you posted though and I’ll be sure to post both photos and videos along the way.  I’ll be documenting the entire thing so that someday, when I’m old and grey, I can look back on this trip as a defining moment in my life.  What the definition is, I have no idea but I can’t wait to find out.

And now… the trip and the essence of it all has a “we” instead of an “I” and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

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