Euro-Trip

 I've been infected with the Travel bug lately. I'm sure it's because I haven't left Chicago since Christmas and I'm antsy. I've spent most of my past 6 years moving around. Summers and Christmas at home and then school in Oregon. Also visiting Seattle, Portland, Helena, Sun Valley, ID, Fargo, ND, South Dakota, Minnesota, NYC, LA, Vegas, and a Caribbean Disney Cruise. I've been busy. And I'm so happy with all the places I've been. They all have given me a chance to explore new places and visit friends and I've loved every exploration. But I'm ready for the next one. I'm ready to take on Europe.

To clarify, by "ready" I mean mentally ready. I'm not even close to being financially ready but that'll come. The important part is to be mentally ready. "What do you mean by that?" Let me tell you. I'm ready to toss myself into the discomfort and confusion and terror of exploring a new country. I'm ready to buy a good backpack and carry everything I need in just that backpack. I'm ready to patiently question non-English speaking natives when I inevitably get lost in a farm town. I'm ready to set aside the comfort of my own things and my own bed and my own bathroom and explore.

I want to explore my way. I don't want to set up expensive hotels or tour guides and have them show me around. I want to stay in hostels and visit spots based on friend's recommendations. I want to wake up in the morning, decide which road to take and follow it until I find a breakfast spot.

Oh and I want to journal like crazy. Document adventures and how they make me feel. I want to really see how other people live. Try a new food because the man at the table next to me suggested it. I want to force myself out of my "don't speak to strangers" zone and soak in as much information as possible from everyone.

As I lay here and picture myself wandering the streets of London, I picture myself alone. Actually, that's usually how I picture myself. Stop. Before the pity rolls in, I don't mean in a depressing way, I just mean in a way that I like to be by myself. And off the top of my head, there's no one I would plan to go with. It's not because I don't love you all and believe you wouldn't be a good travel companion. It's not that. I could think of a number of you that would be wonderful travel companions. It's just that, I'm not sure I want someone else there.

I think maybe that way of thinking could be explored more and lead to some serious answers about myself...But we're not talking about my issues with human attachment, we're talking about traveling.

I'm confident this trip will happen in the nearish future. Not this year, but maybe next year. Erin and Europe 2013. I suppose, however, to make this a reality, I'm going to need to get a little better at money management. I'd love some advice from any of you on the most economical way to travel Europe. You paved the way and now I'm going to learn from your mistakes. Thank you for that.