Tuesday, June 5, 2012

9 Countries, 22 Days - Ready Go!

The epic Europe trip begins tomorrow!  So excited to see my FFFFs (Favorite Faraway Female Friends, duh).

I'm a little bit of a procrastinator (shocker), so packing and organizing are yet to happen.  There's still tomorrow, right?

Are you worried about my out of control, vomit-inducing, pass-out provoking motion sickness?  Don't be!  I got myself some of these:

Yup, acupressure bracelets.  Totally go with all my outfits.

Here is my trip itinerary for all you stalkers out there:






Date
Events
Notes
Wednesday June 6
Depart Denver 5:15pm
Icelandic Flight 1670

Thursday June 7
Arrive Reykjavik 6:35am
Depart Reykjavik 7:40 am – Flight 1542
Arrive Charles de Gaulle 1pm
Jo arrives Charles de Gaulle 8pm
Jeff and KT in Paris

HOTEL CONTACT:
Hotel du Champ de Mars
7 Rue de Champ de Mars
Paris 75007
Phone: +33 1 45 51 52 30
Friday June 8
Paris
Jeff returns home
Saturday June 9
Paris
Mom arrives
Sunday June 10
Paris
Germans arrive by train
Jo leaves
Monday June 11 – Sunday June 17
House boat
Travel to house boat via train from Paris
Mom’s birthday on June 13
Monday June 18
Paris
Return to Paris from train
Stay at Hotel du Champ de Mars
Tuesday June 19
Depart Charles de Gaulle 1pm
Jat Airways JU241
Arrive Belgrade, Serbia 3:20pm
Depart Belgrade 4:10pm
Jat Airways JU112
Arrive Skopje, Macedonia 6:50pm
Germans, Mom, KT leave
Meet Allison in Skopje
Sleep in Skopje

Wednesday June 20 – Friday 22
Pristina, Kosovo and Albania
Play with Allison
Saturday June 23
Depart Skopje 9:05am
Turkish Airlines 1004
Arrive Istanbul 11:30am
Depart Istanbul 4:35pm
Turkish Airlines 1769
Arrive Prague 6:15pm
Take cab early to Skopje from Pristina
Reconnect with Allison at airport.
Allison taking Austrian flight 778 to Vienna and flight 709 to Prague.  Arrives at 6pm.
Sunday June 24 – Wednesday June 27
Prague and surrounding areas
Play with Allison
Thursday June 28
Depart Prague 8:45am
Czech Airlines Flight 768
Arrive Paris Charles de Gaulle 10:35am
Depart Charles de Gaulle 2:15pm
Icelandic Flight 1543
Arrive Reykjavik 3:45pm
Depart Reykjavik 4:45pm
Arrive Denver 6:40pm
Pretend you’re on The Amazing Race



My layovers are the best part.  Reykjavik! Istanbul!  And don't forget that extra stop in Serbia for scheduled maintenance, where we all just sit on the plane - not even at an airport!

It's going to be insane.  Don't expect me to blog.  I'll be having too much fun. 

See you in July!

Saturday, June 2, 2012

The House That Built Me

I said goodbye to a very dear friend this week. 
 My house. 
Well, not the house I grew up in.  But the house that turned me from a college kid still on her parents' insurance to a self-sufficient grown adult. The house where I got to live with my sister, her husband, and my best friend in the best location in town.

I want to take a moment and recognize something incredible. 
Here are a few highlights from my four years on 5th and Odgen:

Reconnected with my sister after years of barely knowing each other, only to become best friends
Came to love my future brother-in-law
Met Alyssa for the first time

Became a teacher
 Brought home Baby Bear
Found out I was gluten intolerant
 Lived with 5 different roommates
Watched my sister get proposed to (on the front lawn)
Celebrated my parents' 30th anniversary (in the back yard) 
 Held a viewing party for the Royal Wedding
Got my heart broken
Bear and Marley celebrated their first birthdays
Met some really great coworkers/friends for life
Watched 10 complete seasons of The Bachelor/Bachelorette/Bachelor Pad
Cried through 2 of Alyssa's birthday parties
Threw some wild parties
Turned 23, 24, 25, and 26
Let Lime's margaritas get the best of me
Watched my sister get married
 Tillie Toto died after12 years
Graduated with my Master's degree
Got a tattoo
Threw Katie's Bachelorette Party in the living room
Got introduced to Coco's dance moves
 Managed to not run over the DAMN YORKIES that are always in the street 
Overcome so many childhood fears, only to find new scary adult ones
Found a great support system and community
 Yup, pretty much everything important happened in this house.  

But the best part is that everything that made this house great - I get to take with me. 

Here's to the next four years.