This is the eve of my first trip to Europe. Starting at around 2:30 tomorrow and concluding at around 6:30 on August 9th, I won't be here. There is the slight chance I actually muster up the energy (and the Francs) to get some Internet passes and blog from the Chalet in Switzerland, but that remains to be seen.
If I don't, please don't think it's because I'm dead. I'll just be gone for 20 days with a severe lack of Internet access. I promise I'll be recording everything in the numerous photos, journal entries, and letters and postcards I will be writing.
I'm quite certain that the most money I'll spend on anything will be my numerous trips to the location in which stamps are sold in order to send international letters. It's going to be wicked expensive. I will therefore swear to myself not to purchase anything between August 9th and Fall Formal, and get all the knitting commissions I can. Hopefully I will be able to get some cool shindigs in Switzerland or Italy to make it worth it, though. I really don't want to come home with no cool things, but I really don't want to come home broke, either. Ah, decisions, decisions.
Unlike with Disney, where essentially EVERYTHING is overpriced, it's harder to tell in Italy whether or not what you are buying is way over-priced, because I, as a tourist, have probably never seen it before (unless it's one of those key chains with people's names on them, because EVERY tourist shop in America has them). Also, I'm pretty sure all the Italian merchants will be able to tell that I'm a tourist and try and sell me whatever it is anyway. I feel like that's how half of the street vendors in any city make most of their money - exploiting tourists from some place the vendor has never been. I'll try and tell the merchants off... Not sure how, as I don't know Italian... Whatever.
What I'm most nervous about is the long hikes in Switzerland and the language barrier in Italy. And also, the overnight dawn hike. I'm so pumped for that, but I'm also terrified. I don't know why.
What am I most pumped for? um... we'll be visiting a castle in Switzerland as an Excursion (this is planned by the people at the Chalet), which should be really cool because it's really old and stuff. It could also help for writing purposes. We're also visiting the Coliseum when we go to Rome, which I'm really pumped for (the history is the main reason I'm willing to go to Rome).
Aaaaaaaaaannnnnnnd I really should be going to sleep now. Farewell!
