Feeling nostalgic...

Maybe it's the third trimester hormones but lately I have been feeling nostalgic.  Today marks the 9th anniversary of the trip of a lifetime.  I set out to find myself, and ended up finding my husband and making lifelong friendships along the way!

2002
It was the Year of Me.  My New Year's Resolution that year was about putting myself first and foremost, and being, dare I say it, selfish.  Ultimately it was the best resolution I ever made.

After accepting admission to The George Washington University for a Masters of Arts, I decided to spend the months prior to re-entering student life by travelling.  My parents enjoy travelling (last year they spent 3 weeks in South America, and the year prior 2 weeks in Russia), and growing up my sister and I spent a great deal of time abroad, instilling the travel bug in me. My parents were nothing but supportive of my need to see the world, if not a little jealous as my European itinerary also included 9 days in Egypt.  But first, I started my travels in May with 3 weeks in Japan and a week with extended family in Hong Kong.  My parents liked that so much, they tagged along!  I then had 2 weeks to pack for my 7 week adventure and my move to Washington, DC (I would only have 10 days in California prior to my cross-country move).

June 21, 2002
On my 23rd birthday, I got on an airplane, spent the 8 hour flight to London reading my Lonely Planet Europe on a Shoestring guidebook (you think of would of read it earlier?) and SLR camera manual (still don't know how to use it properly) with both trepidation and excitement for the weeks ahead.

17 Countries at Breakneck Speed

It begins...

This is The Royal National Hotel in London.  It's where I started and ended, and it was here, that I first saw my husband.  Although we spoke to each other in passing a few times in several different countries, it wasn't until 3 weeks in, in Egypt, we had the opportunity to have a conversation with each other and well, the rest is history as July 9, marks our 6th wedding anniversary!

While re-telling all the experiences and stories and posting the hundreds of photos would be blog overkill, here are a few of my favourite experiences and memories:

The famous Monte Carlo Casino

What a funny, funny night thanks to 2 Mai Tai's.  I convinced one of my very good friend, Miss R, to order a Mai Tai with me, craving a taste of Hawaii.  Well, these were the strangest Mai Tai's- they were bright red, and looked more like a Vodka Cranberry!  At Euros $15 for that tiny glass in my hand, no matter how dreadful it was (and it was dreadful), I was drinking it.  I don't remember much of the rest of the night except that I was asked by several people not to breathe on them because they might catch fire! 

Athens, Greece

The Pyramids of Giza, Egypt

#1 on my Bucket List was a visit to The Pyramids of Giza.  One of the most amazing experiences of my life was the Sound and Light Show at sunset (a tear or two might of been shed...).  The 9 days were fast-paced, sightseeing in >42c heat and travelling by night (guarded convoys (although not sure how much protection our always sleeping escort with his AK47 locked and loaded in the seat next to him was) and freezing overnight trains (DO NOT use the toilet, even while travelling First Class).

Hurghada, Egypt

Known as the Las Vegas of Egypt, Hurghada was a nice way to end our tour of Egypt.  Days were spent snorkeling in the Red Sea, and nights at a local cafe smoking hookahs until the early morning hours.  On a snorkeling trip in the crystal blue waters, a pod of wild dolphins swam by our boat... it was a mass exodus off the boat to chase the dolphins who were more than happy to 'play' with us.

Tyrol, Austria

I know you are wondering where photos of 'us' are.  Well, this is one of my favourites.  We stayed in this little place in Austria next to a church and a barn (Moo!).  Every afternoon, beer steins and shots of Schnapps were flowing and oom-pah music was, well, oom-pahing.

Next year will be our 10th anniversary of the Ultimate European and there has already been talk of a reunion...