This Isn't Real....

And yet it is! 

I'm talking about my trip to Europe this summer.

Remember when I was going to Iceland, how all I could talk about was Iceland...I'm seeing THIS! and THIS! I even showed videos about Iceland to my students.

But this trip is such a dream come true, not only did I burst into tears when I booked it that I haven't been able to even talk about it that much. Because it doesn't seem real....like it's not really going to ever happen. 

But everything is book and paid for....so I've decided to bask in the amazingness that is this trip.

First of all, I would have never booked this trip if it hadn't been for my Uncle Denny passing away. He was married to my Aunt Kim, who was a travel agent and together they traveled the world. My aunt passed away several years ago and my uncle soon followed. Not having any children of their own, they left money to their niece, nephews, and extended cousins. I was going to be super smart about my money, but I felt what better way to honor their memory was to do something amazing with it.

So I booked a trip to London, Paris, and Rome for this summer. I decided to travel with a group this time, instead of by myself like I did when I went to Iceland. 

London, England

So here is my dream trip!

Day One: 

Overnight flight to London 

Day Two:

Arrive in London!

Group dinner to meet everyone in my tour group

Day Three: 

Sightseeing Tour of London:

*Pass the grand Trafalgar Square and Baroque-style St. Paul's Cathedral

*See Westminster Abbey

*View Big Ben, the London Eye, and the Tower of London

Enjoy a free afternoon of London (and trust me, I WILL!)

Westminster Abbey

Day Four:

Free Day in London BUT I booked these excursions:

-St. Paul's Cathedral & Westminster Abbey

-London Eye and Pub Dinner

**Note on London: given my love of Tudor History, you might find it odd that I will NOT be visiting the Tower of London. The reason is that I was there when I was 16 years old and my mother let me run around the Tower all on my own and I had such a blast and it was one of my favorite experiences ever. Since I will never recreate that feeling, I thought, why bother? It's not like they've changed it and there's more I would like to see.**

Day Five:

Train trip to Paris (on the high-speed Eurostar Train that goes under the English Channel to Gare du Nord in Paris)

Day Six: 

Paris, France

Sightseeing Tour of Paris:

*Drive down the Champs-Élysées  in view of the Arc de Triomphe

*Pass Pont Neuf and Notre-Dame Cathedral

*See the Eiffel Tower, the Palais Garnier Opera House and Place de la Concorde

*See the Louvre and Hotel des Invalides

Excursion: The Palace of Versailles and Gardens

Day Seven:

Free Day in Paris BUT I booked these excursions:

-Luxembourg Gardens and Notre-Dame Cathedral

-Dinner in Paris and Seine River Cruise (with Paris all lit up!!!)

Day Eight: 

Flight from Paris to Rome

Coloseeum

Day Nine:

Free Day in Rome BUT I booked this excursion:

-Iconic sights: Vatican City (I'll see the Vatican museums and the Sistine Chapel)

Day Ten:

Sightseeing Tour of Rome:

*Pass by Trajan's Column and Piazza Venezia

*Stop at the ruins of the ancient Roman Forum

*View the Arch of Constantine, the Arch of Titus and the Temple of Venus and Roma

*Enter the Colosseum (there I can explore on my own)

Enjoy a free afternoon in Rome

Farewell Dinner with tour group

I think this is the Forum

Day Eleven:

Flight back home

And there you have it! It's exactly what I wanted. It's a quick stop to see places I've always wanted to see. And now that I know I can pay off a trip a little each month, it's opened up a world of travel that I didn't know was open to me. So I can come back and explore areas more in depth another time. It's super exciting and it is still not real that I am going on this trip! It makes me so happy!

To quote Jane Austen: "How shall I bear so much happiness!" (Pride and Prejudice)

It's still a dream......