THE MUST SEE LIST ON A TRIP AROUND EUROPE

     In less then two weeks I take off to travel around Europe for 31 days with a few other travel nurses. I really want to get the most out of this trip by seeing some of the best of what each country has to offer. Here is the top things on my list of must does for each of our destinations. This girl is ready for a trip of a lifetime!

       

      When you come to London why not go on the famous Jack The Ripper walking tour. For $14 you get to tour the dark alley's of London and hear the history of how Jack The Ripper became one of the most notorious serial killers of all time. I think we will have a killer time on the tour. Don't you think? 

     

      What to see in my favorite city.......Paris, the city of love! Sacré-Cœur is by far the best thing to see besides The Louve. I could sit on the steps for hours having a nice picnic of cheese and wine. The last time I visited I found this amazing perfume I fell in love with. I am hope to find it again on this trip of ours. Nothing like wearing French perfume to make you feel beautiful. Better yet, wearing it while having a picnic on the grass of Sacre Coeur. I might just find a French lover that way! One can dream can't they? 

      What else would you think of doing in the desert of Morocco? Go for a camel ride of course. Which is exactly what we are going to be doing. I heard they can be mean and spit at you, so I am going to make sure I make friends with my camel before I mount him. After all I don't really want to be spit on by a camel. Being spit on by a crazy patient in the emergency room is bad enough. Hey, I'm on vacation and I don't want anything to remind me of work. 

       

      What is a Tapa? In Barcelona most of the younger crowds go to what are called tapa bars. As you order drinks from the bar, you are also served Tapas, which are small appetizers that are either free or cost you a small fee. So instead of going out and having dinner at a restraurant, you just go to a tapa bar instead for drinks and to get full on delicious appetizers. You can bet I am going to eat my fill on tapas while in Spain. Nothing like cute finger foods to go with some tasty red wine. 

         Yes I'm obsessed with the movie "Eat Pray Love", so I naturally want to visit the catacombs located under the city of Rome like Julia Roberts did and eat tons of pasta while I drink a lot of red wine.....HELLO, your in Italy you know! The catacombs date back to the 2nd century and is were the Christians buried their dead due to overcrowding and the shortage of land. Something very eerie about walking underground with thousands of century old skeletons. But when in Rome, you have to just go do it!  

      

      With us staying 5 days in Athens, Greece, I thought why not do a little island hoping. Besides Crete, this is the island I am dying to go see. The famous Santorini is known for it's whitewashed cube-shaped houses with blue rooftops, the lapis lazuli sea, and beautiful sunsets. This ancient island is like no other Greece island because it endured one of the largest volcanic eruptions in history. To get to the island you can fly from Athens, which takes 30 minutes, or ferry it over on a 4 hour boat ride. The island also has it's own winery that you can taste test Greek wine while watching the beautiful sunset go down on this mystical town. That is what dreams are made of my friends! 

        Okay, so it won't be Octoberfest when we go to Munich, Germany, but that won't stop us from having a good old German beer. And what better place to go have an authentic German beer then the beer gardens. Beer gardens are still very popular in Germany. The Hirschgarten is a restaurant in Munich that is noted for its beer garden, which is possibly the largest in the world. So when in Rome....I mean when in Germany, drink LOTS of beer. You can bet we will!!! 

     NYC will be our meet up point to wind down after our trip to Europe. Really one of my favorite places to visit in the United States. I believe you either love New York or you hate it. I'm a huge Sex and The City fan, so of course I LOVE it!! And when your here a visit to Central Park is a must. It really is just so big I haven't had the chance to see everything in the park. On this trip I have got to see the bronze statue of Alice In Wonderland. My favorite childhood story! New York is just a magical place for me. Not sure how much rest we will actually get while we are there, because there is just so much to do in this amazing city.  

FALLING IN LOVE ON THE ROAD

      Being on the road and trying to find a lasting relationship, is one of the hardest things to accomplish for a travel nurse. I've had my share of heartaches while being out on the road and it is one of the hardest things to go through. With no family or friends around to go to when your relationship falls apart, living in a strange town not knowing anyone that your close to, and being so far away from home, it can make it seem like the world is falling apart around you. With this last heart break of mine, which has hit me hard, I wonder if it's even worth it anymore. Should I just forget about ever finding someone while on the road? Should I settle down back home in order to have more luck and make it easier to date again? Is love even worth it anymore? Not sure if I even want to try my hand at it again to be honest. This last relationship had me wanting to settle down and try to make a normal life with someone, because at the end of the day we all want to find that person to share our future with.

Fortunately though, I am a romantic at heart and I believe one day it will be my time. I have to believe there is someone out there wanting a funny, outgoing, outdoorsy, self sufficient, blonde adventurer like me. It's just not the right time for me right now. So yes, I still believe in love and I believe you can have a relationship while being a travel nurse. I see couples everyday happy with each other and happy traveling all over the country together. I know it can be done, but is it for everyone? Of course not! So if I find that special person to settle down with who loves adventure and to travel like I do, then that is great. I am one of the lucky ones! But if I find someone who wants me to plant my roots in one spot and who deems worthy of me doing so, I will for the sake of love. Now all I can do is wait to see what the universe has in store for me. For now I will continue to travel nurse and hope that love finds me again. 

A TRIP GONE WRONG? HOW TO AVOID IT!

    In 31 days we take off for 31 days to explore Europe, with a pit stop to Morocco. With our backpacks picked out and all the little gadgets we will need for our trip, we are ready to take this exciting journey. I mean what can go wrong? I know things can happen and planes can be missed or delayed. Heck, we already had a flight change without even knowing it. Good thing I was checking all our flights before we left.  The last time I flew to Europe I missed my connecting flight and had to sleep at the JFK airport overnight in NYC. That trip had disaster after disaster happening the whole way until I finally made it home. I want to make sure we don't have a repeat of that nightmare.

   Having a hassle free trip will let you focus on enjoying your vacation. A few weeks before you leave, make sure you have checked all of these things off your list. 

1. Reconfirm Flights: always check your flights a month before you depart on your trip. Your flight can apparently change not only the times, but a whole day without your knowledge. 

2. Copies: Always keep a photo copy of your passport, credit cards your traveling with, hotel confirmations, and flight numbers. 

3.   Give yourself TIME: Always give yourself time to get to the airport or train station. Having to sleep overnight at an airport is not fun. Having to wait for hours to catch another Euro rail train isn't that great either. Show up at least 2 hours ahead of time to get to your next destination. 

4. First Aid Kit: Make sure you pack your Airbourne, aspirin, Ibuprophen, band aids, neosporin, Pepto Bismol, and Zantac. You never know when you'll need to medicate yourself while traveling overseas. Having to go out in unfamiliar territory to find medication can be a hassle. 

5. Travel Insurance: Before leaving on a long trip, make sure you have travelers insurance. If something was to happen while traveling abroad, you health insurance at home will not cover you. Having coverage if you need an emergency evacuation back to the U. S. can save you thousands of dollars.