Itinerary: Eurafrica 2013

I hope my travel posts don't come off as "bragging" ... that is not my intent. My goal is: informational, helpful, entertaining + a great way for me to remember everything. I am surprised how quickly I forget things like hotel names, restaurants, cities, details, etc. And in case you missed it... this is how we afford traveling. We have been saving for 2 years!

Also, I am sort of "working" while I travel. I have a contract with a stock photography company and I will be selling some of my photos to them! I'm super excited. It is so wonderful how everything has worked out with resigning from my job, starting my business full-time and enjoying the flexibility perks of being self-employed!

So with that preface, here's the itinerary for our 5-week adventure this summer:

Pre-Departure:

• Figure out how to fit 5 weeks of clothing, shoes, toiletries & electronics into one small carry-on backpack. (Dreading this.)
• Drive to NYC

Part One: 

• Fly from USA to Italy with a 24hr lay-over in Helsinki, Finland. 
• Tour Rome (again) but this time with our friend, David! Plus, I'm sure there's things we missed from last time.
• Explore a new region of Italy we've never been: Naples, Pompeii & Amalfi Coast 

Part Two:

• Fly from Italy to Poland to visit Krakow and the Auschwitz Concentration Camp
• Take a night train from Krakow to Prague
• Tour the famous city of Prague! 
• Take a train from Prague to Munich
• Explore Munich (since it's not Oktoberfest this time, it should be a different experience!)
• Maybe an excursion to Lichtenstein & northern Switzerland

Part Three:

• Family Reunion in southern Germany (the whole reason for our trip!)
• Maybe a family day trip to Salzburg, Austria

Part Four:

• Fly to Spain for The Running of the Bulls!
• Tour Bilbao, San Sebastian, Barcelona & Seville 
• Fly to Morocco (Africa!)
• Explore Marrakech
• Journey to the Sahara Desert 
• Fly back to Spain
• Mini-tour of Madrid
• Return to the USA

Ok. This is where I'm embarrassed. I didn't even take my own advice. Once again, we planned A LOT of things in a short amount of time. Our days are packed. We will be exhausted. I will (probably) have moments of regret where I just want to lay by the pool and sleep for 5 days. But I'm just going to continually remind myself: I'm young. I'm blessed. I'm having the time of my life. Because it's true. And no matter what happens, the experience will be unforgettable! (& if anyone has any tips or advice, please share!!)

Eurafrica 2013. I'm ready. We leave exactly TWO WEEKS from today!

Let the countdown begin.