European Adventure

        I have neglected to mention that I am planning a very lengthy trip to Europe starting around January or February of 2013 and stretching to right before school (probably somewhere around August). Now that my man is alright with the plan, I would like to share with the rest of the world my travel plans.

        Firstly, I expect to bunk with my older sister in London, England for a little while before going off on my own adventures. There I will have friends, family, food and safety -- but what about everywhere else I go? I can't expect a life of luxury in hotels with room service, so I looked into a couple of volunteer programs.

Check out my sister/her husband's home improvement blog at: palisca.wordpress.com

1. WWOOF -- You may or may not have heard of the WWOOF program, which stands for Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms. It is a fantastic program that allows people to travel and work on organic farms all around to world in exchange for housing and food. The Plan: I am hoping to WWOOF somewhere on the west coast before I move overseas so that I can get a feel for the program. As you all know, I'm learning German and thought it would be appropriate for me to travel and WWOOF in Germany. I already have my eye on a few farms and will post about them in the near future.

Link: http://wwoofusa.org/

2. WorkAway -- This is another program to "work abroad, integrate in local cultures, learn a language, acquire new skills, make new friends" and more. Could this fill in the gap between London and Germany? This isn't just farming, you can work in fields such as animal care, cooking, and house sitting, tourism, art and more. (Need to do more research)

Link: http://workaway.info

3. Aupair -- Aupair is exactly what it sounds like it is -- a database that connects au pairs and nannys with families in need of one. Again, its a worldwide program that I have experience in and can give references for. Another possibility, the only problem is that I wouldn't be long term. (Need to do more research)

Link: http://aupair.com

Current Country Wishlist:

• England
• Germany
• France
• Italy
• Croatia?
• Iceland
• Morocco
• Ireland
• Switzerland
• Scotland

Any suggestions? Send me a message or comment. Have any hole-in-the-wall places you suggest? Let me know and I'll add it in!

Ah, and so life begins.

-A