Onward and upward!

The goodbyes are a-rollin' these days, and it's hitting me hard. I can't believe the time I've spent in little Narbonne with my amazing group of new friends has drawn to an end. But more about that later...

Today, it's time for a... travel announcement! It's onward and upward for me, and I mean upward! I'm headed north this time, ladies and gents! More specifically, tomorrow morning (EARLY), I'll be setting off with my backpack to...

...where I'll see Silje, my housemate from my first summer in Quebec (2006)!

Not sure if you can see that, but I'll be visiting Emily & Lottie, two of my assistant friends, as well as Nicole, one of my best friends from my second summer in Quebec (2007)!

Then a quick stop back to the ol' Narbo to pick up my giant bags before heading to the grand European finale...

Where I'll spend a few days reflecting on my experiences this year while strolling along the Seine and eating pastries before catching my direct flight to...

I really didn't wear this shirt on purpose, but it worked out!

That's right. I'm going on a 3-week backpack tour to wrap up my year of European adventures! This is the biggest trip I've ever done by myself (if you don't count the whole "moving to France" thing as a trip) AND the longest time I've ever traveled with only a backpack, so it's gonna be interesting. I'll be mostly RyanAiring it (with the exception of one EasyJet flight), and that is always an adventure, you know. I'm thrilled to see friends along the way (two friends I haven't seen in forever, and two friends with whom I've just spent the last 7 months), and to meet new people! I'm doing a little Couchsurfing, a little hosteling, and a little staying with friends, and it's going to be a fan-tastic. I've also never been to Scandinavia (this will now be the furthest north I've ever been - up until now it was the Baltic Sea!) or Scotland (as I'm part Scottish (several generations back), I've always been interested in going). I spent three weeks in England in 2007, but only really London and a couple daytrips, and I'm thrilled to see where Em & Lottie grew up and to see a bit of real English life, not just the touristy stuff. :)

Stockholm - Oslo - Edinburgh - Oxford - Fakenham - London - Narbonne - Paris - TEXAS. Europe 2012-2013: Final Round. Y'all ready for this?!