Well, our adventure has officially begun, and thus has my attempt at writing a blog. So here goes… I hope you all enjoy reading our posts, looking through our photos and sharing in our experiences as we trek through Europe. Ray and I began talking about taking a trip around the world very early on in our relationship. We spent numerous hours researching “100 Best Places to Travel”, “Top 10 Best Beaches”, “Best Small Towns”, etc. As more time passed, our eyes and curiosity widened with every place we found. It wasn’t until about a year ago when we finally had a time and a place… Dublin August 30, 2014. It was this day that Pennsylvania State University was set to play University of Central Florida in their season opener in the land of the Irish. This gave us the excuse we had been looking for to begin actually turning our dream destination list into a reality. Thinking back to all those conversations of “we should go here”, “what about there?” or “Ever heard of this place place? I think it would be cool to go there”, I can not believe that our departure day has arrived. The in- flight trip tracker places us currently somewhere over Cleveland, Ohio with about an hour left on our first flight. But don’t you worry, we’re only just shy of our halfway marker, still another 6+ hour flight left to go. And I have to admit that my “airplane curse” continues to plague me with delays. We were allowed a whole 30 extra minutes to sit on the plane while still at the gate before being allowed to take off. That being said, I hope its out of my system for the rest of our travels.
I’m still not sure how 6 weeks of stuff was able to fit into one carry on backpack, but somehow (with the help of Ray and my mom, as well as the packing tips I learned from some YouTube packing videos) it did. And I’m sure the one last sweater I threw in right before we left will definitely come in handy as the temperatures drop over the next couple of weeks. Speaking of packing, it seems that a stowaway has made his way into my backpack, somehow managing his own compartment, as well as a free trip to Europe. Enter Lil Pepe:
This little guy comes with a big story and an even bigger place in my family’s heart. Big Pepe was originally born in Puerto Vallarta Mexico, then spotted by me at a street-side vendor and I knew we were destined to be friends. He received lots of attention from passengers and airport employees at the airport and even got his own seat on our flight back home. My dad made sure he was buckled in tight and got a bag when he became a little air sick. Once arriving in CA, he became a central part of mine and my sister’s apartment, so much so that when my sis travelled to Europe in 2008, I made her very own little Pepe to take with her. He has numerous photos standing in castles in Germany, coming face to face with a bull in Pamplona, and from the top of the Effeil Tower in Paris. He even found his way to the top of her wedding cake. So when it became time for me to embark on my travels, it was of no shock when I found him tucked away in my backpack. Time again for him to make some more hoof prints in international soil. I’m sure you will be seeing a lot of him, sneaking into our photos, nibbling bites out of our food, and sipping on some of our fancy drinks. That lil rascal…
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