First Post of Many: Going to Europe.

This is a blog, welcome to blogging, Lance!

THIS is where i will post updates, words, stories, pictures, emotions, and stuff regarding my adventures in Europe. 

History:

I decided to travel to europe about a month ago. There was a lot wishy washy thought about it, some days i thought about going to Europe and other days i thought about going to costa rica, other days it was something else. I didnt really know where i wanted to go, travel to a different country, continent, city, where ever. I wasnt staying here in Traverse City, or even Michigan. I was leaving. The only thing that was certain was that my bike was coming with me. 

I took the semester off from college. I have been going to NMC now for the past two or three years, two and half years, or something. It all blends together, you know. I wasnt really accomplishing anything really at all. And the credits that i was getting were still questionable in their ability to transfer to another school. I kind of lost hope in that place. I took the semester off, so i had alot of time coming my way when the summer ended. I couldnt just sit around doing nothing. I had to do something, so the idea of traveling came up. First it was just like some where else in the States. Boston was pretty much the top choice, but the ambition just wasnt really there. I felt if i were to travel and since i had so much time to travel i should go somewhere big. So I played with the thought of going to Europe and all that. Possibly working on a farm. I was checking out that thing called WWOOF, World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. Where you basically work on an organic farm for food and shelter. These farms are all over the world and i know a few people who have traveled through these farms. So i checked it out and all that, thought about going to Coasta Rica to harvest fruit and all that and be able to ride my bike in the rainforest, that would be pretty cool, right? Yeah, oh yeah, did i find a plane ticket? oh yeah, a cheap one. YES! For $150 i could have flown to Costa Rica. Lived, ate food, ride my bike, see beautiful settings and animals, all for really cheap. All i had to do was work 4 to 6 hours a day harvesting organic bananas or papaya, or some other really awsome fruit. 

Awesome Idea!

Then my friend Morganne came to Traverse City...

She is originally from TC, but she has been living in New York state for the past couple years. We were never really that good of friends before this visit, we were friends though. But when she was in Traverse City we were able to spend alot of time together and hang out much more than what we ever have done before. We became closer friends. Well guess where she has been planing on traveling to for the past few months, Europe. She's flying out there in september and back packing around untill novemeber. Sounds Great! She convinced me to go. That was the decision maker, hearing her talk about it and everything.

So i applied for my passport and got it in the mail about three weeks later at the begining of september. Now I have a passport, one step closer to getting out of this country. I felt really strongly about going to Europe but i was still toying with the idea of Costa Rica. Then one day i just gravitated to Europe, about september 10th i pretty much made the decision that i was going to Europe. October 1st was the expected date of departure and I stayed true to that. A few days ago i bought my ticket. Leaving Chicago and flying to London on October 1st. I will be there untill December 10th when i will leave out of london and fly back to chicago.

I decided that i am going to get a euro rail pass to travel ALL through europe, but still taking my bike to ride in the cities that i stop in. Everything is pretty much planned on the spot. Thanks to my friend John i may have places to stay in London, Rome, and Barcelona. Other people are telling me they could set me up with places to stay in other cities and im telling them it would be really awesome if they could but im really not worrying TOO much about it. I know i should be thinking about where i will be sleeping for the next two and half months, but im not. There are places i can stay, hostels, hotels, where ever. Im bringing a sleeping bag, i can sleep in a yard somewhere or something. Couches and carpeted floors are now luxeries to me. I definatly could have done better with my finances. Since this trip was planned pretty quickly i havent left myself with alot of time to save up money, and I still have alot of things to buy before I leave. So now i have a money problem, where ever im sleeping for the next two and half months better be CHEAP, cause i still need to eat, or what if i get a flat or something? Iv got to sustain myself while im there. But again, for some reason im not worrying too much about it. Is this wrong? I dont know why. I just feel im a smart person, if a problem comes up i will figure something out. Untill then though, I have to deal with some other things, i guess...

So here i am, going to europe on October 1st for a little over two months. Tacking a train, riding my bike. Meeting people, looking at stuff, experiencing and learning. Could have done better with the planning and all, but oh well. Its happening, I will remember this time for the rest of my life.

These are the cities i plan on traveling to (in this order, maybe):

London

Amsterdam

Berlin

Prague

Vienna

Athens

Naples

Rome

Milan

Nice

Barcelona

Valencia

Madrid

Lisbon

Paris

London

And everywhere in between, thats just a rough outline, i dont know dates of when i will be in these cities or if i will even make it to all of them, or if i take a different route. Right now i just plan on going in a big circle, if you were to map out all those cities in that order, thats what you would get, a circle. But i am down for changing the plans or whatever, like i said, everything is pretty much on the spot, in the moment. There is one thing I do know I will do, meet up with Morganne. At least in Barcelona for Dia De Los Muertos. So, thats the only plan. 

If you know of somewhere i should go, or try to go, or some where that is really beutiful or something, you should let me know. I guess thats another part of these blog things is that people can comment on them. 

Or if you know somewhere that i can stay in any of those cities or near those cities or in between those cities, let me know, I would appreciate it, and i will take anything!

So this is it, first post. DONE!

Oh, i would also like to thank Dennis from the Fixed Gear Gallery for helping me figure this blogging stuff out!