And then the countdown gets real...

2 weeks. We only have less than 2 weeks to get it all together. And all I have is a million questions running through my head. No, honestly. Probably a million.

The things I'm asking myself:

-When am I taking Madeline's suitcase?
-Am I packing this weekend?
-Do I even know what I'm packing?
-One or two pairs of pants?
-Cardigan, sweater, light jacket or basic hoodie?
-Why do I keep buying more stuff when nothing will fit in the case?
-Should I pre-load my Starbucks card before we leave?
-Do they even have Starbucks in Greece?
-Am I making a journal?
-Should I just buy a journal?
-Is there still time to learn basic German?
-How do I manage to look alive while flying?
-Will there be hot guys at the airports? (Answer: yes, duh.)
-Seriously, what am I wearing on the plane?
-Is it actually physically possible to avoid jet-lag?
-Do I need a bigger purse?
-How can I hide money without a fanny-pack?
-Do people wear makeup on long-haul flights? Just me?
-What food am I bringing on the plane?
-Do they actually allow food to be brought on planes?
-How will I pack my contacts, solution and meds?
-What sunglasses case do I bring?
-Do I really have to bring my glasses?
-Can I actually afford to eat and still see tourist attractions?
-Will I meet Johnny Depp in Venice?
-If I can't, why can Angelina Jolie?

Isn't Brad enough for you, Angelina? 

I read an entire book today. But I have to admit, it was not the book I was supposed to be reading. I have not been studying basic German like I promised myself I would. From the conception of this trip over 100 days ago, I promised myself I would be the one who could communicate, even if only vaguely, with locals in every country. Sprek-en-zee Deutsch, anyone? But I'm failing myself. Francais? Facile? Greek? Kalimera. Italian? Bonjourno! It's hard to keep all the little touristy greetings seperate from each other, though. I need to make my journal so I can jot down my languages/translation information. Maybe I'll do that today.

So I won't post again until I get my act together with my basic knowledge of French, Italian, Greek, and German. 

Au revoir...

-Monica

Is this real life?

       Everything is perfect. We leave in 18 days and everything has been perfect for a while. I mean, we finalized almost every last ferry ticket and hotel reservation yesterday (need a confirmation from Venice), working morning to night, and it's all going to be worth it. We all have tons of stuff to get done in the next couple of weeks. I'm singing at a wedding a song that is still missing a verse. Diana is preparing a cake that has to meet the bride's hopes and dreams. Amelia is doing the slideshow, not yet having the songs to sync it with. And Madeline, Amelia, and myself are also in charge of the guestbook table at both the ceremony and the reception. (Basically, Madeline just has to sit and look pretty. But I'm pretty sure she can do that.) Things must be done! But they will be done. I will sing, Amelia's slideshow will be beautiful and we will all be in awe at the cake. It's so strange how everything can come into place so quickly after being nothing at all.

I'm getting to the point soon, I promise.

But back to the purpose of this blog.
You wouldn't think things would be changing in our itinerary at this point. I mean, we're leaving in UNDER 3 WEEKS. How can things be changing? We must have it all together at this point. We must have known exactly what we were doing, like, 60 days ago. But no. And that's okay! Because everything got better. This and that got moved around, multiple country eurrail hopes and dreams were dashed, a rental car was arranged and we get to make our own path somewhere between Nice and Paris. I would like to thank my brilliant Aunt for choosing that path. How could an idea like this really come to be?

If you close your eyes and imagine you're in a fairytale - maybe there's a vast forest. Gorgeous mountains with snow at the tips of the peaks. Water all around. And of course there's probably a castle somewhere in that mix. What if you wanted to enter that fairytale? What would be a close comparison, where could fiction become reality?

Well, here. That's where.

I won't go into too much detail. But we're visiting the Chateau de Chillon. Our hotel looks like the castle from Beauty and the Beast. We're going to swim in a pool that has the SWISS ALPS in the background, for goodness sakes. SWITZERLAND. Only a little bit of time. But still. There doesn't have to be a prince for me to know a fairytale when I see one!

-Monica

Don't Worry, Be Happy

Europe is 23 days away, and there are so many things to be done!

Of course I am ECSTATIC the trip is so soon, but naturally I can't brush off the feeling that there is not ENOUGH time left to prepare. There are still tickets to purchase, hotels to book, reservations to make, things to buy- you name it, it probably still needs to be done. We're even making last minute changes to locations, accommodations and transportation. I'm constantly worrying over what could go wrong when we arrive. What if a hotel reservation didn't go through? What if we get pick-pocketed? What if I don't bring enough money and end up broke halfway into the trip? Monica and I made a packing list last night of everything we need to bring, but do I even have a suitcase to pack it in yet? Of course not! Oh, great. There's another thing to stress about. How in the WORLD am I supposed to pack 3 weeks worth of clothing in one carry on suitcase? An impossible feat, surely.

Whenever I find myself thinking these thoughts- and STRESSING over them, I take a minute to laugh at myself. Read the first 5 words of this blog post again, Amelia. Europe is 23 days away! I'm about to leave on the trip of a LIFETIME and I'm stressing about silly things! I consider myself the luckiest person alive to be traveling to the 3 most beautiful countries in the world with the 3 most beautiful women in the world. Sure, things still need to be done, but they'll get done. And I'll bet at least 10 things will go wrong within the first few days in Europe, but who cares? They'll make for a better story down the road!

Even though sometimes I seem stressed out about the silliest things, I can't help but smile when I really look at the big picture. In exactly one month, I will be on my way from the stunning Greek Islands to the spectacular city of Venice with 3 of the most important people to me in the world. There are not words capable of describing how this makes me feel.

So, next time I complain about how I don't have enough time to pack, or how jet-lagged I'll be when I arrive to Athens, please, stop me. Take me by the shoulders and give me a little shake. Look me in the eyes and tell me:

life is beautiful, we're going to Europe!

-Amelia :)