They love beer, chocolate and dogs, so how can you not love the Belgians?

Europe is amazing. We're having so much fun and taking so many pictures and it's fabulous and I have many things to say but they will have to wait for a cheaper internet cafe or being back in the States. And I've decided that they'll go on my livejournal - I'm going to keep it for travel and use this for everything else. So if you're interested, check in there for updates, but probably not for a few days at least.

But seriously, awesome.

Bon voyage, as they say. Or I guess as you should really say to me. Go on, say it.

A week from today, Ben and I go to Europe. For 19 days. That’s a really, really long time. We’re going to hit a total of six different cities (in order: Brussels, Namur/Jemeppe, Bruges, Amsterdam, Paris and Galway, then back to Paris) in four different countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Ireland, in case the cities were too much to figure out). We’ll have anywhere from two to six days per city – Paris gets the most, because, well, it’s Paris. We’ll travel primarily by train, except for the Galway part because Ireland? Apparently an island. Who knew?

(Yes, lots of people knew, most of the world probably, I understand that, but I was not entirely convinced. I knew it was part of the British Isles but thought that perhaps it was actually attached to England like Scotland is, but that is apparently not the case. Geography is not my strong point, as my former roommate can attest, because she just about died laughing the day I innocently said that I thought Kentucky was on the east coast. It’s in the same time zone as the coast, I think it’s a reasonable mistake.)

We have places to stay confirmed in three of the six, and almost confirmed in the other three. We haven’t figured out the actual train schedules but we know the websites to look at which is practically the same thing. We have some sights to visit tentatively sketched out but are open to more, so I’m looking for suggestions? Not the Eiffel Tower and its ilk because I’ve already thought of those. I’m looking more for “hey, I was in Paris this one time and turned the wrong way down a boulevard while looking for Notre Dame and found the coolest place that sells antique knitting needles and reproductions of the Mona Lisa in chocolate.” Or whatever. But along those lines.

Anyone got anything? Give me someplace cool and I’ll bring you back a present. Or at least a postcard.

This is one of those butterflies-in-the-stomach days.

I just gave notice at my job. I’ve decided to go back to school to become a teacher – of secondary English, specifically. I’ll spend the next year taking a few classes that I need to get to have the appropriate number of prereq straight English classes, as well as Spanish I because in Colorado that seems very useful to learn. I’ll wait tables to pay the bills, but I can’t start looking for that just yet because Ben and I are going to Europe on August 23, so I’m not available till mid September. I’ll also volunteer in a school a few hours a week, just to make sure that this really is what I want. I think it is, but without any classroom experience, it’s hard to know for sure. Then I’ll apply for grad programs to start in the fall of 2006.

So that’s the plan. My last day at the CSO will be Friday, August 19. I’m sure I’ll be swamped until then, but after that I’ll have more than 4 days off at a time for the first time in two and a half years.

I’m excited, and a little scared. Keep your fingers crossed.