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Published: March 3rd 2009
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I'm going To Europe
The countdown has OFFICIALLY begun.
Well, this is where my travel story begins.... A not so long time ago (last year to be exact) I started studing a new course at Uni (don't even ask about the first one). A lot of my classes were in the Arts' building (Building Number 19 for all those UOW students), this is not unusual considering my degree is offered through the arts faculty. Anyways, every time I walked through the glass doors of that building I would always look at the posters suck to the windows. One in particular seemed to catch my attention; I was a poster about HIST226: "Study Tour To Gallipoli". Every time I walked past those damn windows I would catch a glimpse of this poster and became more intrigued about the idea of joining this tour (with my love of travel and history it should perfect).
Anyway's, Uni summer holidays came around and the idea sort of fell off the radar for a while as I worked, relaxed and enjoyed the summer weather. The New Year was here and very quickly February came around. Once again Uni was back
on the agenda. I logged onto the UOW website and searched through the subject's on offer this year, and while searching through the faculty of arts website I stumbled across HIST265 again. Curiosity finally caught up with me and I decide to email Jen Hawksley (her details were listed on the poster advertisement I'd seen on those glass window the year earlier), it was late on a Sunday night and I was bored (summer tv sucks), inquiring about the details of the subject.
First thing, the next morning, I received a phone call from a woman who said she was from the University and wanted to talk to me. I was very much surprised when that woman said her name was Jen Hawksley, who was replying to the email I had sent the previous evening. After about a half-hour chat on the phone I became really excited and my brain craved to know more. Jen emailed an information pack to me later that day and I began to delve into the details of the content. I started to Google everything outlined on the pages in front of me. She'd got me - hook, line, and sinker. I just had to enrol in this class.
After a discussion with mum, and her boost of support I decided that I really wanted to do this subject (despite varying from my regular course of study at Uni). I spent days and nights researching and reading through articles on the internet, and had many sleepless nights thinking about it. I was very anxious and uncontrollably excited. By Friday on that same week I'd arranged a meeting with Jen and went to visit her on campus. We started chatting and both became really excited talking about the details, Jen was not who I expected her to be (In a good way) and she was very energetic. I also met John, the head lecturer of the subject and we all checked out photos of last year's students. That afternoon I paid my deposit to the travel agent and secured by book with Phil from Travelscene, Wollongong. It all moved along so fast, at the start of the week I was making initial enquiries, and only a few days later everything was booked for Turkey.
OK, now this is where the story starts to escalate in size and expenditure. It's all good that I was doing this tour with UOW for Uni, but it just wasn't enough for me and that's when my travelling urge erupted. I called Phil (the travel agent) and asked him to price up a European Tour I had seen in Contiki travel magazine a few months earlier, "The European Experience", plus a few days extra in London and Paris. I decided to join the Contiki forums and chat to a few people online who were also considering travel around the same time, and the same tour. I also purchased the Lonely Planet "Europe on a shoestring" and started to read. It has lots of helpful hints to save time and money; I hope it comes in use.
Anyway, Phil got back to me with pricing on the European section for post-Gallipoli. I used Phil's itinerary as a starting point for what eventually became my grand plan, "Dane's European Adventure". My researching continued as I tried to align the planets in perfect harmony (or at least in felt that way). I was trying to meet up with Dad, My Uncle & Cousins (All in Europe for the Ashes Cricket tour), and I had also found out that my friend Ryan was also going to be in Paris at the time of the year. Not to mention that I had to align this with flights from Istanbul to London, to meet a Contiki tour that would meet up with everyone else I wanted to see and get back home in time for the first day of Uni. It took a lot of thinking to get it right. In the mean time I had also decided that the original tour I had got Phil to price, I wanted to change to another (longer) Contiki tour.
A week or so went buy and I'd come up with a few itinerary to suggest to Phil, one that could align everything (all going according to plan). I went down to Wollongong to make my next payment for the Gallipoli tour and discussed with Phil and mum. I Changed to the European Encounter tour leaving 5th July from London, which gave me time in London to see all the sights + get to a game at Wimbledon and maybe a daytrip to the town of Bath/Stonehenge. Then I'd do the 16 day European Encounter Contiki tour, finishing in Paris and staying for a 4 extra nights in the city of lights (So I could catch up with Ryan, Dad etc. ....and go to Euro-Disney), then back to Sydney in time for Uni.
Well that’s the plan so far, now it’s just a waiting game and a lot of hard work and saving before I leave.
Dane
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