2 WEEKS!!! Thoughts

OH. MY. GOSH.

     In exactly 13 days I will be all packed up and heading to the airport to take my first ever trip abroad. AHH!! 

     For the most part I'm really excited, but also a little nervous. This will be my first ever solo trip. It's a big deal. I'll have 3 weeks with a friend, Brent, and then it's all me for 9 weeks. Having someone that I know with me will be nice for those first few weeks: teamwork for if we get lost, exploring partner, train-riding partner, etc. 

     I also just found out that one of my best friends is going to be in London with his dad for a week, and it just happens to be one of the weeks I'll be in England! We haven't determined when or where or what we're gonna do, but we're hoping that the four of us can get together and hangout while abroad. 

     I'm looking forward to all of the new things I'll get to do abroad: try new food, meet new people, gain a new perspective on the world, experience different cultures, admire a change of scenery everywhere I look. 

     Update on hosts: The host in Oxford fell through, so Brent and I messaged more hosts, with no luck at first. And then we got a yes! We'll be staying in Woore, England the first 3 weeks, helping with farming, gardening and taking care of horses.  The nice thing about those first 3 weeks as well is that our host hosts lots of people at once, meaning even more cultural exchange experiences! :)

     The next stop will be Ursem, The Netherlands the next 3 weeks, living with a family with two kids and helping with babysitting and some animal care taking. 

     A little hiccup for the following 3 weeks.... So I thought that I had a host to stay with in Italy lined up, and then they stopped messaging me. So then I contacted another host, but they wanted someone for longer. Then hosts in Italy would reach out to me, but again, wanted someone for longer. So back to messaging. I found another host that I liked and we chatted and it sounded like it was going to happen, but when I messaged her about getting to where she is she said that she had already found someone. Frustrating. So back to the drawing board there. So far I've contacted a few hosts in Belgium and Italy, with no responses yet. I also had a host reach out to me, and she thinks that I am the perfect fit, but she wants someone for 2 months. For now the word on that is that she's going to keep looking and get back to me sometime next week if she still needs/wants to host me. Here's to hoping! 

    And finally, as you already know, the last 3 weeks of my trip will be in a town called Blanes in Spain. 

     Since each host only requires 5 hours of work 5 days a week, I'll have plenty of time for exploring the city I'm staying in and surrounding cities! So far I've looked at cities near Woore to visit, and there's so much that Brent and I could do! There's Oxford, Liverpool, Nottingham, Manchester, Stratford-upon-Avon.....AND MANY MORE!!! And those are only the cities that are 1-2 hours away! So far I think we've only established that we want to spend a weekend in London. More planning on that to be done tomorrow. :)

     While I'm in The Netherlands, I'm going to spend a 3 day weekend (since I'll have Friday's off there) in Amsterdam! I've booked my hostel, that happens to give a free tour of the city, and I've got a ticket to go to the Anne Frank House!!! I've got a lengthy list of things that I want to do while I'm in Amsterdam that I probably won't complete, but I'll at least get to go see that. And, of course, I plan on trying on a pair of clogs and riding a bike around the city like the locals. 

     If I go to Belgium I'm hoping to spend a weekend in Brussels doing the city card and/or a hop on, hop off bus tour of the city. I was looking at all the places I can get into with the city card, and they've got LOTS of amazing stuff! Chocolate museums, train museums, musical instrument museums... All the good stuff.

    I'm not sure what I would do with my time off in Italy if that's where I end up. It'll all depend on where I'm staying.

     While in Spain all that I know for sure is that I want to go to Barcelona since it will only be an hour and a half away from Blanes. 

     Update on travel supplies: I've got a SIM card for while I'm in Europe, a solar light that will also be able to charge my phone, pants that zip down to shorts, and a good antimicrobial, quick drying towel! I've also gotten some nice reusable feminine products that will be easy to use and eco-friendly while I'm on the road. 

     Hmmm....what else.... I think that's about it. 

A reminder: my Patreon page is still active if you would like to contribute to my adventures! Right now I am on track to meet my goal (with the combination of saving from working at the waterpark, Target, money from special occassions, and what my past and present Patrons have pledged), but any extra help I can get is greatly appreciated, and you'll be rewarded for it! You can pledge to give as little as $5 a month, and you can increase or decrease the amount that you give and cancel your sort of "subscription" at any point! You get charged for whatever you pledge to give the first of every month.  Pledging as little as $5 gets you more details on my trip, (and sometimes earlier access to content than you would when reading the blog), $10 you get that and at least one postcard while I'm traveling, $25 add on a small trinket that I'll send to you when I get back, $50 add on a Patron only webchat, and $100 add on something special of your choosing souvenir-wise or something! Here's the link: https://www.patreon.com/theadventuress . Share it, use it, do with it whatever you will. It'll be up and running until the beginning of June. :)

Thank you blog followers, and I'll most likely be writing to you from Europe next!

     Good bye in all the languages of the places I'm going:

- England: Bye!

- The Netherlands (dutch): Vaarwel!

- Belgium (West Flemish): Saluu!

- Italy (Italian): Ciao!

- Spain (Spanish): Adiós!