it's happening!!

[juliagulia]

it's finally happening! after joining tpunk two or so years ago for a trip that was barely forming in my 14 year old mind, my plans for backpacking through europe next summer are finally starting to materialize!

today, im in the car with my mom coming home from the gym (sick because i ran a mile or so on a stomach filled with nothing but water; note to the kids: eat before working out in the morning) and she tells me: "You have a choice; next year for your graduation/18th birthday, would you rather have a party, or a ticket to and from Lisboa?"

WELL... Difficult decision, there

So right now, things aren't completely solidified (I haven't set a date or anything, but it might be somewhere around May/June 2008, depending on when my graduation will be), but it looks like I'll fly into Portugal, spend some time with la familia there (i'm thinking 4 days to get completely adjusted. and free room and food is good too), and then off to spain, italy, france. quite possibly the u.k., depending on money/how much time i plan on spending in europe.

i'm not going to be able to go at it alone (i'll only be 17, just turning 18, depending on how long i stay), but one of my best friends who i went to greece with is interested, and there's another friend who's going to europe and expressed an interest in having me come, but who knows.

thank you so much, guys i mean, i wouldn't have kept this dream alive if it weren't for this community. i was talking to beall, and i realized that i wouldn't have gone to the greece trip if i hadn't found a group of people to nuture a small, young interest in travel.

im so stoked! i knew i was going to do this, but today, it has officially begun!