When I departed for France a month ago, I booked a one-way ticket to Europe.

I plan to spend the next month-ish backpacking around Europe, which is quite a different style backpacking than in the Western USA. Yes, I’ll be living out of a backpack. No, I won’t be sleeping in a tent.

My immediate plans include:

• four days in Barcelona with friends who happen to be there already

• 8 days in Croatia with my parents who are flying to meet me here!

• 3 days in Venice where my parents fly home

From there, I only have loose plans on where I'll go. My main goals are to go to Prague and Amsterdam and then fill in the rest of the trip from there. This adventure is really about letting go, being present, and following my intuition. I am typically a hyper planner when I travel so this will be a challenge, but one that I am looking forward to.

My intentions for this trip are:

• Do things that bring me out of my comfort zone

• Better understand (and share) my personal story

• Write a lot (mix of personal + blog)

• I want to live cheaply, simply, and be active

  • This will be the hardest part, I think. When I travel, I am used to eating at nice places and doing all of the fun things without thinking too much about cost. However since I want to be able to travel longer, I need to consider how I am able to live more cheaply on the road. Instead of letting this be a pain in the ass, I am focusing instead on how fun it will be to be creative!