So what’s new?
I’m working with someone from STA Travel to get my various passes in order. I’ll be using the BusAbout and Eurail passes that I won to supplement some of my travels around the continent. As for the plane tickets that were also a part of the prize, it looks like I’m going to be planning a second, mini-trip to the UK sometime next spring (yay!).

Because of the BusAbout route, I’ve had to change around my itinerary a bit. The good news is that travel in and around Italy looks like it’ll be taken care of using my Flexipass, but it means that I’ll be rearranging schedule for that leg of the trip. I haven’t quite nailed it down yet, but it looks like I’ll be going Madrid -> Barcelona -> Sicily -> Athens -> Santorini -> Venice then BusAbout to Rome -> Naples -> Florence -> (add in trip to Nice here) -> either Milan or Lake Como -> continue the rest of my trip as planned. Lucky for me that I get to add in two extra stops in Nice and Sicily!

I’ve also sorted out my technology issue, but that’s going to be saved for another post because I don’t want to get too geeky here. The cell phone issue is still one that I haven’t quite figured out yet (I have a locked iPhone), but there’s still time for that part.

In terms of practical things: After some hassles with a particular online retailer, I finally got my backpack. I ordered two so that I could try them on and decided on the Kelty Red Cloud 5600. It fit like a glove when I tried it on in the store and I think it’ll have plenty of space for me to pack lightly but have room to grow (souvenirs!)

Other than that I’m just reading up, resting up, and trying to make it through this last stretch of school in one piece. Posting will be sparse for the next week or so, but then I’ll be back in gear and in full-on getting things done mode because there are only 31 days until I hop on that plane to Madrid!

I entered and didn’t really think much of it. No one ever wins these things, right? Then I got an email: I won!!!

Needless to say, I was in shock. I won round-trip tickets on Virgin Atlantic, a Eurail Pass, and a Busabout Pass. PERFECT. Just what I needed. I was going to try to minimize the actual travel I did just so I could get the cheapest Eurail pass, but now I don’t have to worry about that!

The one thing that puts a wrench in the gears is the fact that I already booked my plane ticket! I have to figure out how to either get out of the ticket without losing money or reschedule the flights to go from SFO -> EWR for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I’ll also be flying in and out of London instead of into Madrid and out of Edinburgh.

Those details are still being worked out. I’m working with a STA Travel representative to get all of the details in order and I’ll keep you posted!

This trip just got soooo much better!!!