So, I went ahead and did it....
I booked my flight! Crazy, huh?
I spent 975 dollars and a flight with one transfer, through Swiss International. My flight leaves O'Hare on Aug. 21 (My brother's b-day, and the day after my 22nd b-day!). I leave Paris on Sept 5.
It's a two week trip!!!!! I know I planned on weeks originally, but it is out of my budget, and I'll return eventually to see what I miss.
I also picked up some guidebooks.
My collection includes the following:
DK Eyewitness France (Christmas Gift)
DK Eyewitness Paris (Christmas Gift)
Fodor's Exploring Paris (Gift from Boss)
Lonely Planet Paris 2007 (Purchase)
Rick Steve Paris 2007 (Purchase)
I also found a good deal on a map of Paris.
I think that will be all the material I need for research besides the net. I started a notebook to write down ideas and hints I find useful. It's broken down by arrondisement, and then a miscellaneous section. Once it is compiled, it will be put in an electronic file like an excel sheet, so that I have a readable and accessible copy.
I also have decided to go with the apartment in Paris, from Jean-Marie. It is clean, nice, and affordable. Besides this, I am planning on getting a travel insurance plan, just in case. I am investing so much into this, that I don't want to take chances.
Anyways..more info to come in the New Year...2007...Year of THE Trip.
~Anna
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Status Update: No. 1 December
So where am I today?
Where have my plans gotten me?
*I found out when my start date at work is, which in turn means I can plan my trip with dates in mind. I have to be back in the USA by September 10. This means if I still plan a 2 week trip, I'll be leaving the week of my 22nd birthday and coming back a few days after Labor Day.
* I received my appointment letter for my citizenship test. January 30th is the date, which means I'm one step closer to becoming an American, even though after 16 years I already feel like one.
*I received my first guide book today! It was a Christmas present from my boss, who is well aware of my plans. The book is Frommer's Explore Paris Guide. It looks pretty interesting so next week I'll be digging into it.
* I've started a file with websites, addresses, admission prices, and general info about sites to be seen. I will base my itinerary on this file, keeping in mind that everything won't fit.
*I'm pretty sure I found my apartment. It is a little studio in the 4th arrondisement. The owner came recommended for being helpful, and the studio is considered a great budget buy.
It is no. 1 on this site: http://www.an-apartment-in-paris.com
* I deciding on how long to stay in the Loire Valley and which chateaux to see. I think I may be there for 2 days, taking a full day tour the first day, and a morning tour the next so I can see everything I want. I may station myself in Tours, just because it would be simpler than Amboise. The agency I like as far as tours go is: http://www.accodispo-tours.com/ They seem to have great trips starting in Tours. I want to see Villandry (beautiful gardens), Chenonceau, Chambord, and Amboise, anything else is a bonus. I just have to sit down and choose the days of the week I want to go.
*Nothing is official yet, but I will be booking things within a week.
Hang around for the Trip!
~~Anna~~
Where have my plans gotten me?
*I found out when my start date at work is, which in turn means I can plan my trip with dates in mind. I have to be back in the USA by September 10. This means if I still plan a 2 week trip, I'll be leaving the week of my 22nd birthday and coming back a few days after Labor Day.
* I received my appointment letter for my citizenship test. January 30th is the date, which means I'm one step closer to becoming an American, even though after 16 years I already feel like one.
*I received my first guide book today! It was a Christmas present from my boss, who is well aware of my plans. The book is Frommer's Explore Paris Guide. It looks pretty interesting so next week I'll be digging into it.
* I've started a file with websites, addresses, admission prices, and general info about sites to be seen. I will base my itinerary on this file, keeping in mind that everything won't fit.
*I'm pretty sure I found my apartment. It is a little studio in the 4th arrondisement. The owner came recommended for being helpful, and the studio is considered a great budget buy.
It is no. 1 on this site: http://www.an-apartment-in
* I deciding on how long to stay in the Loire Valley and which chateaux to see. I think I may be there for 2 days, taking a full day tour the first day, and a morning tour the next so I can see everything I want. I may station myself in Tours, just because it would be simpler than Amboise. The agency I like as far as tours go is: http://www.accodispo-tours.com/ They seem to have great trips starting in Tours. I want to see Villandry (beautiful gardens), Chenonceau, Chambord, and Amboise, anything else is a bonus. I just have to sit down and choose the days of the week I want to go.
*Nothing is official yet, but I will be booking things within a week.
Hang around for the Trip!
~~Anna~~
The Beginning
The beginning of a trip of a lifetime...where does it start?
I must say my trip started in 6th grade, in '96/'97.
I was enrolled in a foreign language course for the first time in my life.
I was bilingual by then, speaking both Polish and English, but never had I set out to learn a different language without a goal or reason.
The only language offered was French, so I jumped at the opportunity.
I wasn't the best student that year, and Madame was not the best teacher.
But I was simply hooked, in my pre-adolescent mind, France was as exotic as the world got.
Being exposed to the pictures of Paris, the Loire, the Alps...it was a form of brain washing.
I didn't really start learning the language till 8th grade when we had a new teacher, and she made the learning actually stick in my mind. I went on to study French in high school, had a different teacher every year due to changing schools. But this didn't deter me, I still loved french as a language and culture. It was in high school that I first heard of the foreign exchange program. I'm sure I drove my parents insane with all the talking I did on the subject. I REALLY wanted to go, so as is typical of me, I researched, found posters, and took it overboard.
Unfortunately once I was qualified for the program, it was cancelled. Gone were my dreams of Strasbourg and Paris, and in their place lay the aftermath of terrorism. Even though I was not in New York and I knew no one there, the terrorism of 9/11 had a ripple effect and even reached a simple high school student, half way across the country.
My dreams were on hold, not to be fulfilled in high school.
In college, I thought I would have a golden opportunity.
Instead tuition bills, a very heavy and inflexible course load, and parental hesitance led me to put my dreams aside for four more years.
My dream trip had become a family joke...such a lovely dream, but never fulfilled.
It's not that I gave up, but I did stop thinking about it as often. I didn't see it as a possibility for the near future.
But now, with graduation looming around the corner and a job contract signed, my dream resurfaces. I find that I am more confident about setting out on my own. I don't need a friend or parent with me...I feel adult enough to push forward and satisfy my dream.
My preparation and research had begun about 5 weeks ago. I signed up for a great website (www.tripadvisor.com) and found heaps of information. I poured over the listings on www.vrbo.com to locate the ideal apartment. I renewed my citizenship application so that when I travel to France, it will be on an American Passport.
I am on my way to an adventure, and if you stay with me you're in for a heck of a ride.
The planning, the budgeting, the works...and then the Trip itself.
Maybe I can help someone else realize their dream, or maybe I can put a smile on someones face because of my almost OCD-like antics.
Whatever the case, enjoy the Trip.
~~Anna~~
I was enrolled in a foreign language course for the first time in my life.
I was bilingual by then, speaking both Polish and English, but never had I set out to learn a different language without a goal or reason.
The only language offered was French, so I jumped at the opportunity.
I wasn't the best student that year, and Madame was not the best teacher.
But I was simply hooked, in my pre-adolescent mind, France was as exotic as the world got.
Being exposed to the pictures of Paris, the Loire, the Alps...it was a form of brain washing.
I didn't really start learning the language till 8th grade when we had a new teacher, and she made the learning actually stick in my mind. I went on to study French in high school, had a different teacher every year due to changing schools. But this didn't deter me, I still loved french as a language and culture. It was in high school that I first heard of the foreign exchange program. I'm sure I drove my parents insane with all the talking I did on the subject. I REALLY wanted to go, so as is typical of me, I researched, found posters, and took it overboard.
Unfortunately once I was qualified for the program, it was cancelled. Gone were my dreams of Strasbourg and Paris, and in their place lay the aftermath of terrorism. Even though I was not in New York and I knew no one there, the terrorism of 9/11 had a ripple effect and even reached a simple high school student, half way across the country.
My dreams were on hold, not to be fulfilled in high school.
In college, I thought I would have a golden opportunity.
Instead tuition bills, a very heavy and inflexible course load, and parental hesitance led me to put my dreams aside for four more years.
My dream trip had become a family joke...such a lovely dream, but never fulfilled.
It's not that I gave up, but I did stop thinking about it as often. I didn't see it as a possibility for the near future.
But now, with graduation looming around the corner and a job contract signed, my dream resurfaces. I find that I am more confident about setting out on my own. I don't need a friend or parent with me...I feel adult enough to push forward and satisfy my dream.
My preparation and research had begun about 5 weeks ago. I signed up for a great website (www.tripadvisor.com) and found heaps of information. I poured over the listings on www.vrbo.com to locate the ideal apartment. I renewed my citizenship application so that when I travel to France, it will be on an American Passport.
I am on my way to an adventure, and if you stay with me you're in for a heck of a ride.
The planning, the budgeting, the works...and then the Trip itself.
Maybe I can help someone else realize their dream, or maybe I can put a smile on someones face because of my almost OCD-like antics.
Whatever the case, enjoy the Trip.
~~Anna~~
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