My Itinerary

Hello everyone,

You know, I should have put up some of my itinerary sooner. I have so many of you helping me, but I haven't even posted up details yet. I smack the side of my face with a fresh tuna out of remorse. It is a very remorseful tuna from the country of Remorseland, that is the level of my remorse.

Anyway, it is an honor to present you some of my itinerary! I don't think I'll post it all on here, because that would take a long time, so I thought I would present you with some activities I'll be doing in each country, in order of the countries I visit. Sounds like a good system, I think.

Firstly, I should give you the "before I go" details. I'm leaving the country in 11 days, on June 10th. Wow, that's so close. I get shivers of excitement just thinking about it. You know what would be cool? If I could put a live countdown or something on this thing--oh, just did! You can now view a live countdown in the right-hand corner of the screen, ha ha! I'll be leaving from the Indianapolis airport, then to Boston, and from there to Amsterdam, Holland! And then, along with my fellow delegates, I begin my journey. So let's cover what I'm going to do.

AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND

- I'm going to take a tour of some of the radical urban buildings of the country, like Europe's first skyscraper. I'm looking forward to the cube homes, myself, because it looks like they are going to fall over.

Talk about SQUARE-FOOTAGE...See what I did there?

- Our group is going to visit Anne Frank's house and learn how she and her family hid from the Nazis for years during WWII. I'm really looking forward to this.

- Also, we are going to take a canal cruise and take a tour of the lovely city.

- And enjoy a visit to a diamond factory to see how the stones are cut. I wonder if they will let me keep one if I beg. 

- We'll visit a typical farm and see how clogs are made and learn the secrets of Dutch cheese. There's some joke about the word cheese and me smiling here, but I lack the wit to turn it into something substantial.

CHARLELOI, BELGIUM

- Learn about the secrets behind Belgium's famous chocolate when we call upon a local chocolatier for an educational briefing. I want a piece of chocolate even more than a diamond, which may sound weird to some, but for me it makes perfect sense.

-Discover the city of Brussels, including a visit to the Grand Place and see the Manneken Pis.

PARIS, FRANCE

- Travel to Bastogne to remember the bloodiest of all battles fought in the Second World War -- the Battle of the Bulge. Hear what life was like as a child in Bastogne in those difficult days.

- We'll take a small French lesson. I'm actually taking French, so we'll see how this goes. I'll probably still learn a lot because my French skills sont petit.

- Take a look at Paris with a guided orientation. I'll see landmarks like the Place de la Concorde, and the Champs Elysees. From there I'll take a look at the Arc de Triomphe, and then it's on to the Louvre! Exclamation points aren't enough.

NORMANDY, FRANCE

- Today, I'll go to the top of the Eiffel tower and take in the spectacular view. I might just have to pull my "Queen of the World" bit here. I'll take pics.

- I will visit the Le Memorial de Caen Museum. The museum gives light to the effects of D-day. The Museum describes Hitler's rise to power, and the dark years of uncertainty. This is one of the things I am looking forward to most. I don't know the exact details, but it's likely that I will begin crying at some point.

ISLE OF WIGHT, ENGLAND

- We are going to attend the United Kingdom Sailing Academy for two days. It's known as the holy grail of sailing. It sounds like an amazing adventure. I don't know how to sail or paddle anything, so it will be a great learning experience. Definitely a highlight of the trip.

LONDON, ENGLAND

- A visit to the Imperial War Museum to discover how WWII has changed the world.

- Ride on the EDF Energy London Eye, the largest Ferris wheel in the world. It's over 443 ft tall!

- Meet with a former or current member of Parliament. Here, we will explore the history of the British constitution and how the country's politics work. I'm honored.

- Explore the Tower of London. We all know the stories behind this one, folks! I'm looking forward to it.

WARWICK, ENGLAND

- We will make our way to Buckingham Palace to view the changing of the guard -- fantastic!

NORTH WALES

- Visit the medieval town of Caenarfon, and discover the Roman Empire. At the fort, learn about the early history of Wales while viewing the site from which the Romans launched their final assault on the Druids.

- My Full On experience, which is a day dedicated to personal growth, takes place here! I will have the opportunity t learn leadership skills, set personal goals, and step outside my comfort zone.

CAHERSIVEEN, IRELAND

- I'm going to learn how to cut peat! This is the best day ever! There is no sarcasm! I have no idea why I want to do this so badly. Maybe it's cause peat is cool.

- Also, we will join our hosts in a day of helping the local community - such as preparing meals for the elderly, visiting the local hospital, and catering to the gardens. Sounds wonderful. I can't wait to help.

- Take a stroll through the town and learn about local history. I adore Ireland and so I'm really looking forward to this. Its history is so interesting..

MY FINGERS ARE CRAMPING UP

Well, that's some of my itinerary! I left stuff out, mostly Ireland and England, but I hope you get the gist of some of the activities I will be doing. Thank you very much, again, for making this possible. I hope to post pictures when I go as often as I can.

Regards,

Esther