It's Go Time

I leave in less than a month and I have so much left to do before I go.

I'm working on my budget and got an outline set up, which I sent to Tutu and Papa (my grandparents). I'm so lucky to have gotten lots of financial aid which will help me with regular expenses in Vienna (mainly food). After 2 more weeks of work I hope to have about $3,000 for traveling. I should get some help from my mom and grandparents, and my dad is buying my Eurail passes for me.

Here is part of my To-Do list:

plan trips / make itineraries
create packing list
buy webcam
buy new shoes
research cell phone options
research plug adapters
book any flights for trips
study German
practice

There's a lot more I need to do as well. It's nice that I have a few days off work to sort everything out. I'm starting to practice again for my friend's wedding on Saturday. Although I haven't really touched my concerto (Glazunov) or Paganini caprice (16) I am working on my Bach movements I'll need for my audition when I get to Vienna. Studying German has not happened this summer. *sigh*

I should update my overall itinerary while I'm thinking about it. I'd LOVE to get to see the Mediterranean which is why I was planning on going to Croatia. However it looks like it would take forever (like +15 hours) to get there by train and flying is about $175-$200 anywhere around Europe. $200 a flight isn't that much but I'd rather save the money for trips closer to Vienna. I think I will fly to Berlin both times I plan on going, unless I can find an ICE train which is much faster. I'd really like to travel on one, they go almost 200 mph. Munich should be around 5-7 hours by train, which I can handle I hope.

I really wanted to see Switzerland but for the same reasons as Croatia I think I will have to pass. If I should return to Europe I want to spend a lot of time in Switzerland because it looks so gorgeous. Instead of Interlaken, then, I am planning on going to Innsbruck. I can't imagine the Austrian Alps are that much less impressive. I don't think I'll be complaining. I do hear that Innsbruck is expensive, though.

So here are my 11 trips:

Sept. 3-5 Salzburg
Sept. 11-14 Berlin
Sept. 15-18 Austria's Lake District
Sept. 24-26 Munich
Oct. 2-3 Styria (IES trip)
Oct. 8-10 Prague
Oct. 16 Wachau (IES trip)
Oct. 29-31 Berlin
Nov. 13-14 Hallstatt (in the lake district)
Nov. 26-28 Graz
Dec. 3-5 Innsbruck

I hope that's not too much, since I do want to see everything listed, and more. No Switzerland, Croatia, Italy, or Poland trips. If I can squeeze in Krakow, I hear it's a really cool city and a cheap trip. My focus is on Austria, though. Even if I was on vacation and didn't have school or practicing to worry about, it'd be a shame to rush through all of Europe in the attempt to cover everything in one go.

There's more than enough to see and do in Austria. Fitting places like Salzburg and Innsbruck into 3 day weekends won't do them justice by a long shot.

I want to hike a lot. I hear there are dance classes in Vienna. I've always wanted to learn how to dance, and Vienna is the place to do it, I think. I want to buy a cookbook when I get there and learn how to make a few authentic Viennese dishes that I can take back home. And maybe I can learn how to ski.