only a few days away!

hey there -

this is Brooke... i just decided to create a blog for our trip to Europe so if we get a chance... we can update friends and family on the happenings of our trip. we arent sure how often we will get internet access -- but when we do - we will be updating this blog to let everyone know whats going on.

we dont have really anything FOR SURE planned -- other than we are flying into athens, greece on august 9th and flying out of barcelona, spain on september 20th....with hopes of seeing greece, greek islands, turkey, italy, croatia, france and spain in between... we will see! Also - while we are there - we are going to be going to a language school in barcelona during part of that trip (3 weeks) so aabout half of our trip we will be there. its all very unknown... but makes it all the more exciting!!

Today is August 6th -- which means... oh my gosh - we are leaving in 3 days. its so close.... im kinda freaking out! we are only going with backpacks -- and while on one hand i know that is the best thing to do as far as getting around easier AND it makes it much more of an adventure -- im also kinda freakingo ut about getting everything ready and fitting everything i will need for 6 weeks in one backpack. ahhhh -- i am definitely more excited than anything else -- just a bit of anxiety about getting it all ready before we leave. I have a bit of a to-do list..but i know with the encouragement and help of the people around me -- it will get done....

right now - i need to get travel size bath stuff...like shampoo, conditioner, soap, facewash... and also converters so i can plug-inthe things that i will be bringing (mainly my flat-iron) because basically in europe you cant plug things in the same way as you do here...so you need tobe able to convert it to plug stuff in. hmm that was a bit of a ramble - but you know..
also -- one of those traveling money-belt things that you are supposed to wear so you dont get pick-pocketed...sounds a littl strange to me - but im told from pretty much everyone that it is essential since theft is pretty common.

i still need to get shorts, sunglasses.... make copies of my passport,flight info and credit card info in case something happens to the original....i need to pick up perscriptions to bring over there incase something happens and we get sick over there... hmmm ...also - i need to get stuff ready for my dog, Bella...and take her out to the cookeville, tn area -- which is about an hour and a half away -- because an aunt of a good friend of mine is watching her for the whole 6 weeks while im gone (thank goodness!!) i also need to pay my bills before i leave -- and figure out about getting them paid while im gone...

well today is my last day of work..before the trip -- i took tomorrow and wednesday off to try to get everything done that i need to do in the last 2 days that im here. well... here we go -- im excited!!