Getting Ready To Go!

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It's coming down to the wire. The last week has been busy, but its been a blast! Now, I am mere 21 hours away from departure and the anticipation is killing me.

Last Sunday was my last day of work at KOBI, the NBC affiliate station in Medford, Oregon. It was a very nice place to work, I got some good experience and I made some excellent friends. However, it was time for a change. So, I packed up all my belongings that I deemed important, sold or trashed the rest, shipped them up to Portland and stored them in my sister's basement.

I then spent the next few days in Portland, helping her and the rest of the family get ready for the wedding of the century! My sister, Elyse, got married to Matt Gibson on August 28. It was one of the most unique and interesting weddings I've ever attended and it was a blast!

It took place in The Columbia River Gorge which runs the border of Oregon and Washington. The venue was beautiful, nestled in a valley with majestic mountains, rivers, and trees on all sides. The wedding rehersal and reception took place over the course of two days and both were a party.

Day One was for setting up an preparing, but that didn't mean it wasn't exciting. We tapped a few kegs and had an excellent night. Then the following day came and it got even better. The ceremony was short and sweet. I spent half the time bartending and the other half being a groomsman. We had 6 kegs, and about 50 bottles of wine, two whole roast pigs, smoked salmon, hundreds of other goodies, plenty of good music, dancing, friends, family, and even a surprising visit from "sasquatch"....Its hard to explain. But it was a blast!

Then it was on to Seattle, with the help of my Aunt Brie. I spent the next three nights visiting with my Grandparents as they showed me their travel books, helping to build the excitement of my impending first adventure beyond my comfort zone. I can't wait! Just a few hours stand between me and my first trip to Europe!

My itinerary is as follows....

London- Sep. 2 through Sep. 5

Madrid- Sep 5 through Sep. 9

Barcelona- Sep 9 through Sep 14

Nice/Monaco- Sep 14 through 17

Paris- Sep 17 through 22

Brussels- Sep 22 through 24

Bruges- Sep 24 through 25

Amsterdam- Sep 26 through Oct 2

Hamburg- Oct 2 through Oct 6

Berlin- Oct 6 through Oct 12

Winchester/London/English Countryside- Oct 13 through 25

Then back to America.... 😞

Hopefully my next few entries will be full of pictures. The cable on my camera is kaput, so I'll try to find a way to get some photos up as soon as possible. This will be my last entry before I leave, so wish me luck!!!

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