Going Around the World

June 12th 2008

Ok so last year I went to Italy for 6 weeks and attempted to write a blog. Last year my blog lasted exactly 1 post... the day before I left. This year I'm going around the world in 10 weeks and am again attempting a blog. We'll see how many posts I do this year.

My flight is out tomorrow at 5:17 pm from Dulles International nonstop to Amsterdam on United. I am getting really excited about this, but I have to admit the whole idea of living out of a backpack for two and a half months is kinda scary. I think I have everything I need but we'll see.

So the trip schedule goes like this:
June 12: Home
June 13 - 15: Amsterdam
June 15 - 17: Brussels
June 17 - 21: Paris
June 21 - 24: Munich
June 24 - 25: Innsbruck
June 25 - 27: Venice
June 27 - 29: Rimini
June 30: Assisi
July 1 - 4: Rome
July 4 - 20ish: Assisi Teaching English
July 20ish - 29: Leeds/London
July29 - Aug 3: Hong Kong
Aug 3 - 18: Brisbane/Melbourne/Sydney
Aug 18: Los Angeles
Aug 19 - 22ish: San Diego
Aug 22: Home

For the first part of my trip I am going to be traveling with my friend Meghan from school. She has been studying in Copenhagen and Amsterdam for the past 3 weeks. She will be with me through Rome. After Meghan goes home on July 4th I will teach English in Assisi with my friend Nate for a few weeks.

Assisi is a small town about an hour and a half north of Rome by train. It is famous for Saint Francis Di Assisi, whom San Francisco is named after. Its a really nice small town and I'm looking forward to spending some time living there.

After Assisi I'll be visiting a few friends in the UK. All of them are people I met teaching English in Italy last year. It definitely makes visiting places easier when you have a place to stay.

Hong Kong will be interesting because I'll be alone in the city for 4 days before I head to Australia. It looks like an exciting city and I don't think it will be too bad being alone. Its definitely going to be an adventure.

When I get to Australia I'll be visiting another friend I met while teaching English last year. She lives in Brisbane and is still at school. My only regret is that I am going to Australia during their winter, but its not much of a regret. I'd rather go to Australia in the winter than not at all. Plus, its tough to call some place winter when the coldest it gets is around 55 degrees.

Tim is going to pick me up in LA on the 18th when I fly in. I attempted to fly through Fiji on my way to LA, but that didn't end up working out. Oh well.Its really weird because I leave Sydney around 2 pm on Aug. 18th and fly for 13 hours or so, arriving in LA at 10 AM on Aug. 18. Crazy. I think we are planning on spending a night in LA to see the sights since I've never actually been to LA, just driven past. After that I'm going to head down to San Diego and spend a few days at the beach before I catch a flight home to start working.... lame. For now I'm heading east till I get home again. I think its gonna be a good time.

- Alex