So, I know I should be uploading pictures of my recent trip to Veliko Turnovo and I should be writing to you about the whole weekend, but…..

I have been busy playing travel agent. I am planning a tour of Europe and trying to arrange all the budget aifares from budget airlines and budget lodging from budget hotels and hostels has been taking up all my time. Seriously. Who has time to do this in real life?

But I got some smokin’ deals. I am heading to Croatia, Prague (Czech Republic), Vienna (Austria), London (England), and Bratislava (Slovakia). I was originally going to just do Croatia, Prague and Vienna with my friend Kanye. SkyEurope has opened up a new route between Sofia and Vienna and you can get airfares for like 20-30 euro ($28-$50USD), so we are taking advantage of it. But then….well….then I saw this crazy airfare deal from Ryan Air, who is trying to steal all the UK business, for like $200 round trip airfare to London on a weekend no less! So I threw that in at the end of the trip. I’ve never been to London and my brother and sister-in-law love it there, so I figured Hey! What the heck! You only live once! the trip will be like my own little Amazing Race.

am-race.jpg
This is a trip on a budget. I saved my money from all that substitute teaching. I was going to use it to help buy a new car when I return home to the States, but I can always drive the beater vintage Honda for a little bit longer. Don’t you agree? I will be mostly staying in hostels, which are basically like college dorm rooms you share with a couple of strangers. Oh, and you share the bathroom, too. I know, I know, not ideal, but it allows me to see more.
So my summer is shaping up to be quite travel-ful:

End of June: Bulgaria and Black Sea with Mark and The Mother In Law (hahaha. I know she is reading this, so I have to tease. 🙂 )
Beginning-Middle of July: See above (by my lonesome)
Mid-August: Spain (we have free air miles and a lodging connection, so wooohoooo!)
Later August (on the way home): Victoria, BC Canada–to visit Mark’s partner.

2 days after we arrive home: Report to work
I’m also hoping to throw a weekend trip to Istanbul in there, which is pretty cheap coming from Sofia on the overnight train.

Pretty cool, ey? Now you can see why I haven’t gotten around to telling you about the weekend. I just have to find a place to stay in London for cheap, and then my agency will be closed. Perhaps with all this practice, I really COULD win The Amazing Race.