Today is April Fools day, the 1st of April which means that we have officially entered the month in which Alys and I will depart for our grand adventure traversing (I know this word is generally used when describing what one might do on a glacier, but I like the sound of it) around Europe. Alys has been doing some phenomenal research for the trip as the countdown nears to April 29th. In particular she has discovered the array of European music festivals that will happen all throughout the summer and has systematically begun contacting them (using friends who speak fluent Spanish at times to write the emails) about the volunteer opportunities that are available to us in exchange for admission tickets. We both love the idea of being music festival groupies and in turn have decided to take my small but cozy, two person tent so that we may have shelter wherever we may land. A tent is absolutely imperative if one wants to be a music festival groupie. I have also entertained the idea of bringing along a guitar so I could earn us our keep on sidewalks, but that option was nixed pretty quickly when we both realized that we could get an old guitar in Europe if we really wanted to. So instead of a guitar I have suggested a harmonica, accordion, tape recorder, or small piano. So far the harmonica is taking the lead.
The not so fun part of planning a trip for me is, well, the planning. In particular the planning one has to do before a trip begins. That is why I can not reiterate enough how wondrous it is to have a travel partner who likes to plan. Who actually finds joy in logistics. In fact logistics are on of Alys’s many talents and I am strongly urging her to explore this love. For example, figuring out our insurance policy, and what to pack down to the smallest detail. I on the other hand am wondering what I am going to do with my awful cell phone plan and considering blackmailing the phone company for all their vindictive clauses. That is the last of the major items on my “to do list” apart from the “actual packing bit” and then the “actual getting on the plane and going” bit.
So if you are interested in checking up on Alys and I every so often to see where we are and what we might be doing, we plan to update this page weekly with news and photos. If any of you have words of wisdom, or just words, to pass along much are appreciated and you can either post those here or send Alys or I a direct email.
