Failing to Plan Is Planning to Fail

It's official! I will be learning the ways of the European lifestyle December 16-January 4. My exact route plans are undecided at this time, other than the decision that Rome will be my hub.

In my purpose statement, that I am sure you all have read by this point, I mentioned that one of the key reasons for my desire to go to Europe was to connect with old friends. As I focus on planning my trip, I am trying to keep in mind that I want to be able to reconnect with as many people as possible, so I am

"Failing to plan is planning to fail." - Proverb

Recently my sister and I took a road trip to Arkansas to visit our families and re-learn the importance of "down time". This concept is still a little foreign to me, but I am working steadily to train myself to "be present," meaning remembering to appreciate the here-and-now for the good, the bad and the ugly.

After spending a few days with my grandparents and listening to them "reminisce" about the good ol' days, I realized that I want to make sure that I remember all of the days - especially when traveling. Since my brain is over stimulated when trying to take in so many unique and diverse experiences, I always keep a travel journal. They aren't always grammatically or politically correct, but you are more than welcome to enjoy some entertaining reading whenever you would like - I will gladly share them with you.

Yes, it is true, I love (and I mean LOVE) organizational tools! My family calls me nerdy, my friends call me Mama Molly– what every your fancy is I frankly don’t care; in my eyes I would rather be over-prepared than overwhelmed with unwelcomed surprises. I thoroughly enjoy being spontaneous – it is the spice of life! Just because I have a plan doesn’t mean I follow it to a “T".

In my mind the “planning” process is more of a way to facilitate learning about the history, culture and political climate of the region you are going to visit. By digging through travel books, websites, etc. you are continually gaining knowledge of your future destination and will have a much higher level of appreciation for the region when you arrive.

Welcome!

hola! ciào! γεια σου! hallo! Hi! Miss Molly here and welcome to my travel blog!

I'm sure all of you have already read my purpose statement as to why I have this blog, but I wanted to expand on that idea and give everyone a little more background information.

Anyone that knows me knows that I have ambitious dreams and a very driven personality. I thrive on new challenges that require out-of-the box solutions. In other words, I am a driven, over-organized (is that possible?!), detail oriented, budget loving person; but that's a story for a different day....

I am a passionate traveler with dreams of seeing 100 out of the world's 257 countries. Call it my country bucket list.

And this December, I plan on crossing off a few of those countries. My goal is to travel to Europe to visit the friends I've made so far on my travels, experience new cultures and of course satisfy my need for adventure.

I want to use this blog as a travel planner and journal. With the help of my blogging best-y, Jen, I will blog my way through planning, executing and experiencing my trip. I need the help of you fellow bloggers, readers and travelers to help me decide what countries to visit, what are must sees, and travel tips for me on my journey.

Wish me luck as I start this new adventure!

My Purpose

The Purpose of a trip to Europe in December is to reconnect with friends living in Europe, experience cultures I have not been submersed in before and fulfill my need for adventure and challenge myself in a new environment so that I can gain a higher level of understanding and appreciate for the world beyond my traditional environment.