22 Days and Counting

So at some point, 49 days turned into 22 days and now, 3 weeks doesn't seem like a very long time. Especially since I have made NO progress since the last time I blogged. In fact. I'm pretty sure things have only gotten more convoluted. While all my medical adventures making sure I'm fit to leave the country are out of the way (minus getting cavities filled :|), and I've given my work my 2 weeks noticed (I finish Labor Day!), some of the classes I wanted to register for are full, leaving me with a mess to clean up to make sure I'm a full-time student. And yes, there is still an abnormal amount of shopping and packing to do.

On the bright side, I have discovered a previously non-existent talent in baking! I've only made the box-mix stuff but I figure you have to start somewhere. Jane Austen pretty novels became Wuthering Heights, no coat was found and I got about 5 more pages into my anniversary present. :|

Goodness gracious, time to actually go start doing things!

Mini-Vacations!

So, while I'm excited about receiving a British education (for however short a while), what I might be just a teensy bit MORE excited about are my mini-vacations I've planned out! Now I'm investing in a lovely Eurail pass that will give me 10 days worth of train time spanned over 3 months. Unfortunately, Eurail doesn't cover Great Britain so any trips I make on the island will be going out of King's Cross (which is actually pretty cheap. I'd look into it if I were you).

#1: Will be a trip to Ediburgh, Scotland. It's more like a pilgrimage to visit the birthplace of the Harry Potter series and JK Rowling's inspiration. Only another nerd like me would understand I think but yes.

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Isn't it lovely? Some quick facts: Pricewise, this is my cheapest trip. A) Because it's in Great Britain. B) No Chunnel pass required. C) Hotels/B&Bs are generally cheaper. So yay for birthday trips!

#2: Venice, Italy. Total tourist trap. Expensive accommodations. Use of $50 each way Chunnel pass to get to the Continent and Eurail travel days. But I want to go to a city with canals so I've decided to stick with it.

 

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So yes, my advice (because I'm such an expert) if you love a place, stick with it :) You might only get this chance once.

#3: Volterra, Italy. I decided pretty early on I wanted to go to Tuscany but places like Chianti came with warnings such as: expensive, crowded, no real chance to admire things. Which discouraged a leisurely traveler such as myself. LO AND BEHOLD, there was a link to a site called 'Off the Beaten Path: Hidden Treasures of Tuscany' or something like that. My memory's a bit fuzzy. But I clicked it and somewhere on the middle of the list was Volterra! After research to corroborate this, I decided it was definitely going on the list. I can always swing by Rome later.

 

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Classic Tuscany :)

#4: Paris, France. I know, I know. And I say I wanted to avoid tourist traps but by golly, I've always wanted to visit Paris and I don't know when the next time I'll be armed with a Eurail pass and four-day weekends will be. It's my most expensive vacation, topping Barcelona by a hair and Venice by a mile or two. Poor Volterra and Edinburgh aren't even in the same race. But I figure no other explanation is necessary so let's just enjoy the pretty picture.

 

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Word of advice though! If you're going to Paris or entertaining the notion, what I decided to do (and the most cost-efficient course) is to stay in a small hostel/B&B/hotel just a few miles outside of paris (12-15ish) and you'll see the price drop at least $100. Sure it doesn't have a view of the Eiffel Tower but the trains are just a few dollars and there's always walking to really take it all in. Besides, how else are you supposed to find the cute bakery with the best croissants?

#5: Barcelona, Spain. My motherland. Winners of the World Cup. Obligatory. I chose Barcelona however because I wanted to be close to a beach at some point. That's really it. And it wasn't like it was any more expensive than Madrid.

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So that wraps up my five mini-vacations and whatever advice I have to dispense for the day. I apologize for the alignment going on there. I really don't know why it decided to stop centering :| Ah well, c'est la vie. 

In the Meanwhile

In all my excitement about going abroad, it didn't dawn on me at first that forty-one days is still a really, really long time. Especially when you already have your passport, your housing, your school all lined up, your mini-trips planned out and budgeted and everything scheduled down pact. And so, I realized, I need a few hobbies. I like to write, so that's a given but there's only so much a person can write a day before they suffer from a creative burn-out. And since my best friends and boyfriend are all located too far away, I've decided to take up some hobbies. These include but aren't limited to:

1. Baking. I'm miserable at any sort of cooking (including straight from the box with step-by-step instructions) so this is going to be a feat. I'll let you know if I end up burning anything down, which is a distinct possibility.

2. Finishing the boyfriend (hereby after referred to as 'J')'s anniversary present which is a journal-doodley book type thing.

3. Reading my complete collection of Jane Austen books. They're so prettily bound with their gold-leafed pages, they deserve their recognition.

4. Finding a not completely repulsive/expensive winter coat. This one's just for giggles. I don't think it can actually be done.

Advice on any of the above would be graciously appreciated.

-Ally