The theme: Adventure

Shoe update: new blue shoes successfully purchased, as of two days ago.

Travel itinerary update: complete, as of five minutes ago and a record of two weeks to put together. To note: while I recognize that the list is by far preliminary and composed of fantasy ideas of seeing Europe in its entirety, I should mention the plan disregards the minor (major) monetary component that naturally attaches to any travel plan. But said money issue is a bridge to be crossed later. For now, the travel itinerary consists of all—and the plan is to sort out exactly where to go, what to see and precisely how to experience all that awaits for the next six months ahead.

Grandiose ideas for a backpacker's adventure abroad in Europe

(countries: in order of what sounds most appealing, cities: in no specific order at all):

France

(City name followed by travel time from Paris)

• -       Tours: train, 1 ½
• -       Lyon and the Alps: train, 2 hrs
• -       Bordeaux: wine capital of the world, train: 3 hrs 
• -       Toulouse: Known as la Ville Rose (“the pink city”), bus: eurolines.fr train: 6 ½- 7 ½ hours)
• -       Marseille: 3 hr train, quite pricey: 105 euros
• -       Avignon: My childhood was spent singing a song about the bridge over Avignon. About time I face the childhood years and find the Pont d’Avignon—the bridge to nowhere train: 3 hrs
• -       Versailles: Bringing 12th grade Art History lessens to the life. And to quote travel book bible: "When you've got a big- ass house, you need a big- ass garden to go with it." train, 30 min
• -       Chartres: train, 2hrs, 30 euros
• -       Nice: plane, train, 5 hrs, 94 euros
• -       Saint- Tropez: the city is far from a train line, so it’s suggested to take a train line into Saint- Raphael and hop on board the ferry or bus to get to Saint- Tropez.

Greece

• -       Athens: The choice goes without saying.
• -       Santorini: Aside from the fact that Santorini has forever been the site of my future honeymoon, in addition to being the setting for Mamma Mia and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, the island itself is a splendor of whites and blues—absolutely breathtaking.
• -       Mykonos: My parents have always raved about Mykonos, although Let’s Go bible makes Mykonos seem to be the go to for tourist- in- search- of- Greek- beach- getaway. Which sounds enticing, but Santorini could possibly be the same?  

Italy

• -       Florence
• -       Rome: getting there, plane: faster, train: could potentially be cheaper?
• -       Milan
• -       Venice: Transportation within the city is a nil, yet traghettos appear to be the college student budget alternative to the pricey gondola.
• -       Pisa

Spain

• -       Barcelona
• -       Madrid

England

No reason not to return to my birthplace given my family lives there, aka free housing, warm meal, lots of Jewish family loving.

• -       Liverpool: Heart of culture, university town and home to the Beatles.

Activities:

• -       The 2012 Olympics: According to the travel bible, taking a part in the 2012 Olympic games is indeed possible without actually purchasing a ticket. (Reference for updated info: Tickets.london2012.com.)
• -       The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee: June 5: The Queen’s 60th year as queen of Great Britain.
• -       The Queen’s Birthday: June 9

Netherlands

• -       Amsterdam
• -       Rotterdam

Not a must see for this trip, but wouldn’t be opposed to an addition to the adventure if possible:

Austria (Going all Sound of Music for this one).

• -       Vienna: home to the classical G-d’s of history’s past: Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert.

Turkey

• -       Istanbul: The prospect of viewing the Hagia Sophia in person sounds thrilling.

__________

As it appears, the plan is to explore the majority of France and Italy, a definite must to go to Greece and hopeful side trips to Spain, London and the Netherlands, with potential stop offs in Austria and Turkey. Doable? No adventure takes hold without a firm yes. So yes, absolutely doable.

__________

Travel ideas: set. Getting around: TBD.

Budget airlines work for small- scale travel:

www.Staralliance.com

www.Europebyair.com

www.Bmibaby.com

www.wizzair.com

www.ryanair.com/en

www.easyjet.com/EN

www.airfrance.us

www.flypgs.com

www.transavia.com

International bus passes allow for unlimited travel on hop- on/ off basis throughout Europe:

www.Busabout.com

www.Eurloines.com

Train travel:

www.tgv-europe.com/en

Travel comparison sites:

www.edreams.net

Good websites to have:

www.visiteurope.com

www.hostelworld.com

And for reference, countries that accept the Euro:

• -      Austria
• -       Belgium
• -       Cyprus
• -       Finland
• -       France
• -       Germany
• -       Greece
• -       Ireland
• -       Italy
• -       Luxembourg
• -       Malta
• -       The Netherlands
• -       Portugal
• -       Slovakia
• -       Slovenia
• -       Spain

____________

(Quote from the travel bible:) 

“The unifying theme of this guide is adventure. Not geography, not signs, not history.”

And so four days to go. Four days, until the new blue shoes and I board the flight headed across the Atlantic into a culture so fresh, a lifestyle so new, a semester of study so different. Four days until the experience of my semester can take root, the memories of my six months forward can begin their reel, the discoveries ahead can officially take hold.

Four days until the adventure truly begins. 

The Holiest of Shoes and a Month and Three Day Countdown

The blue shoes are indefinitely packed into one of the four UPS cardboard storage boxes that sealed away my Fall semester dorm. It turns out that my five euro pair of knock- off keds really weren’t walking shoes seeing as the floppy undersides finally gave way, the soles ripping slightly into a delicately crafted hole (aka the shoe’s gaping wound). My sock, therefore, replaces the underside lining in the shoe’s holiest of areas.

Right, not quite walking shoes anymore. (Although according to my grandmother, they really never were as such.) I’ve meaning to replace them. Just, as always, funds are low and saving the money towards a trip in Europe sounds far more enticing.

Europe, specifically Paris, France: my upcoming journey abroad.

Following my return from Australia, I was determined to continue this blog. I get such a thrill from exploring D.C., setting upon our nation’s capital in true tourist fashion (excluding flannel shirt and fanny pack). But the idea of exploring through the eyes of an observer brewed a simmer of exhaustion whenever the idea cropped up. A semester hiatus, however, has energized me once more and four months later, I’m officially set to continue my adventures as I prepare to embark on a semester abroad in la belle France.

I leave for Paris Jan. 30. The study abroad program begins the 31^st and ends May 29. My return ticket, however, is for Aug. 4. I am permitted one date change for my ticket if all plans fall through, but as of now I hope to bum about (jokes, find an apartment), pursue a summer career to pay the rent (plans to brush up on my waitress skills—wait, what waitress skills?) and find a journalism internship to boost the resume. I’d like to stay in Paris, although London might end up being more suitable as a journalism internship would likely need to be in English.

And keeping along with the American college student's dream, I fully plan to backpack. I’ve got some nifty ideas of meeting up with some friends in Greece, spending some time with a sorority sister in middle of nowhere Italy and then some time with a friend in Ireland. But I’m really open to anything, and anywhere, wherever. I plan to gather a list of ideas within the next few weeks.

My upcoming trip leaves me bundled with a mesh of emotions. Excitement, for one—the chance to leave behind my life in D.C. in lieu of a romantic stay in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Nerves, given I’m leaving my life behind in D.C. And what if the host family situation doesn’t work out? Or if I don’t make any close friends? I had gone into my experience in Sydney so naively, sure I’d make friends easily, that I’d fall head over heals for my group. Not that it was a horror story overall, but it wasn’t the most seamless of adjustments as there were quite some, lets say differences among the individuals on my trip.

But I think this break from my D.C. zone of comfort is vital. I graduate school in a year and a half (let’s not discuss) and I could easily (ha, easily. Ok hopefully) get a job outside of D.C. and start all over again. And so to grip tightly to a location I’ve made into home is silly because I need to force myself to remove myself from the comfortable in order to start fresh.

And Paris is just that.

My program is an immersion program. While I can’t see myself returning from Paris a thousand percent fluent my goal is at least hundred. Whatever, 99 percent. I understand the tongue fluently as at some point it was my first (and only) language. I grew up in the South of France from age two months to four years old. My initial plan upon moving to the states at age four, had been to teach all of San Diego French. The plan failed given I conformed, dropping my French and replacing it with English. My mother continued speaking to me in French until I was 17—it was my birthday and I was on my way to school. Our backdoor goes out the laundry room and she stood perched in the doorway, a serious, yet slightly amused look on her face as she told me, in English, that she would no longer be speaking to me in French. Something about it being awkward once I find my future husband and he doesn’t speak any French. A little far in advance, but that's pretty much the norm among Jewish mothers.

I took French for four years in high school, learning the grammar and improving my ability to speak. I participated in a French competition each year, returning home with high marks. But through it all (beginning since our move to the states) I never spoke back to my mother in French. I bite my tongue for it now (and proceed to tell my mother it was her fault for not forcing me). I used to speak with such a gorgeous French accent as a child. At age 20, I’m embarrassed to converse freely in French; excluding the fact that I usually have to translate my English train of thought into French words slash I usually can’t think of the right French word, my accent is a heavy American accent.

Oh, the Parisians are just going to have a ball with me.

 But hey, it’s all a part of the challenge.

I’m sure (more like, I’m squeezing my fingers SO HARD) that my French is buried somewhere within the clutter of my mind. I’ll pick that shovel up come Jan. 30.

As for now, I’ve bought myself a book to review my French grammar

I’ve got some work to do from now until Jan. 30. I leave South Florida for Georgia this Friday, spending New Years with some of my dearest camp friends. Following that trip, I’ll be back in D.C. for a month of work. While my parents are helping with my monthly budget, I am in charge of providing a significant portion of my own money. I will be devotig  the month to some serious babysitting, in addition to writing for my internship which also pays. The goal: $700. It's a challenge and I fully accept.

Packing is a non- issue seeing as I have a suitcase in D.C. and one brimming over the case's perimeter onto the floor of my Florida room. I do need to create a proposed travel and sight seeing itinerary. My parents gave me Europe, France and a Paris book for Chanukah.  I plan to go through and gather a list of ideas. And finally, Hulu and Netflix don’t work abroad (minute problem really on the scale of things). I plan to try to get through the plethora of TV shows I’ve missed these past few months.

So, a month and three days. 
The clock is ticking, although I can’t say I’m quite ready just yet.

I should probably start packing

06 June 2011

It was after my alternative break in Miami that I decided to become a blogger. I latched on to the idea of writing a social action blog... a kind of, change the world and write about it idea. Definitely a head in the clouds, I have all the time in the world fancy. Reality, as always, sets in and the bog of schoolwork that left little time for freelance writing, let alone making the world a better place, turned my plan into a no go.

Summer, thank goodness, eventually peeked its way through, and following a week of smushing my cramped dorm room into four cardboard, storage boxes, I returned home. Free time was suddenly all my time. I spent my first few weeks home writing a reflection of my past year, my way of documenting my experiences in addition to giving me a project to work on. The piece became the post that started my first blog… home to my rambles, the serious and reflective type.

It’s been a mere month (well, minus a week) since the launch of my first blog. Never too soon for baby number two as The Girl with the Traveling Blue Shoes is officially up and running. This time around though, a theme is in order. My travels and my blue shoes to be exact.

I purchased my blue shoes from Primark, a large and relatively cheap department store amid the range of pricey shops on London’s Oxford Street. Oddly, I had had a dream the night prior of these shoes, so I didn’t hesitate to lunge them into my cart when I saw them in the store. (They were around five pounds… I’ve kicked myself since for not buying multiple pairs.)

I wore them for the first time on my last day in London. The picture on the left of the page is actually from that day; I was sitting on the steps of the National Gallery, eating my packed lunch and gazing ahead at Big Ben, barely visible in the distance. I liked how the photo I had taken had come out, and I decided to continue taking photos of my shoes with a notable landmark as a backdrop. The plan eventually morphed into a combo blog/ picture idea, my new way of documenting my travels, themed.

Just in time, really, as I leave for Sydney, Australia in nine days. 
I’ll be interning at a social media-marketing boutique for six weeks and plan to extend my travels following the completion of my program. All of which will be documented via this blog.

It’s nine days away.

To- do list: 
1) Pack
I need to master the art of light packing. My goal is to fit my wardrobe into one, albeit large, suitcase. 

2) Research Sydney attractions 
I really hate to admit it, but my knowledge regarding Sydney is limited to the harbor, the zoo and the ferry. For someone obsessed with lists/ plans, I’m also weirdly last minute about setting my itineraries and doing my research. I have an issue with getting bored with ideas easily; I’d change my list of attractions often if I had time to dwell on it. So last minute works. But I should probably research before leaving. 

3)   Start praying that I don’t blow through my bank account while abroad
Aka, start planning wisely.

4)   Practice saying “G’day” 
According to my father, it’s what they all say down under.

… but that may not be the case.

No worries, I’ll let you know in a week and a half.