I want to be in you!
I'm twenty four years old and I've never been out of North America.
That's really bizarre to think about, especially considering I've wanted to travel since I was little. For some reason I always have wanted to go to Italy and rent a Vespa and just travel around cities, enjoying the warm weather and a nice book while downing some delectable (and strong!) coffee, drinking in the culture and the history that comes with it.
Yet, here I am, nearing a quarter century old (it's more fun and dramatic to put it in that sort of perspective) and I've yet to leave the confines of the continent.
I know there are plenty of other people my age who haven't had the opportunity to travel either, but why not me? I have nearly thirty days saved up of vacation time. I have a ton in savings. I am entirely fine with traveling by myself. The desire is there.
All I know is I go on Facebook and I see friends making trips to Thailand and China. I check out blogs of my friends and they're posting pictures from the surely wonderful trips they take to a large portion of Europe. I read Bill Bryson books and he goes pretty much everywhere you can think of (and plenty of other places that you can't).
It's time to make the leap.
I just checked up on rates for traveling to London from Alaska (London strictly as a starting point, I mean come on, I have to go there right?), and they aren't that bad. Around $1,400 round trip. Totally affordable.
I'm going to ask my boss what the odds are that I can score three weeks off sometime in early 2009. Considering the job I'm doing, I'm going to hazard a guess that they are high.
Finally, as a Christmas present to myself, in the next few days I'm going to take some time to go to my local post office. It's about time I got myself a passport.
I'm going to ride a Vespa in Italy!