Counting down the days...

31...

That's the official count down of days left until the big Contiki Trip! I think about it everyday from the second I wake up and see the count down poster I made and hung on my door. I get in the shower around 6:45am and remember that my motivation to get up and go to work is bringing me closer and closer to the day I will arrive in Europe. I walk into work, sit down at my desk, and see the count down I made on my calendar. Yes it was the same number that I saw on my door in my bedroom a few hours ago, but its the hours i'm thinking about now. I get off work around 5pm and my best friend Ashely calls me from school up at UCSB. We catch up a little, and she asks me what i'm doing for the rest of the summer. I yell "31!!!!" She is a bit confused, but then understands when I explain that I'm going on a trip with Contiki, as a Field Marketing Intern. She then proceeds to yell "LUCKY, rember what an amazing time we had on our Contiki trip?!?!".

You see, exactly 3 years ago to this day, I was in Europe on a Contiki tour with 16 of my best friends, and Ashely was one of them. I had just graduated from High School, in San Diego, CA and one of my friends moms is a travel agent. We had all worked so hard in High School to get good grades, and go on to good colleges, many of us playing Division I sports. Our parents got together and planned to send us all to Europe for one last amazing time together. And thats when I first learned about Contiki.

I didn't know what to expect when I left for Europe. We were all 18, and in Europe 18 is the legal drinking age, so you can only imagine 16 recent high school graduates venturing off to Europe with out any parents and being able to LEGALLY drink. It was an adventure to say the least.

That Contiki trip, in the summer of 2004 was a life changing experience. I thought I would never experience a trip like that again in my life, and I assumed that the summer of 2004 would forever be the best summer of my life.

UNTIL NOW...

It is happening again, I was given the opportunity to not only return to Europe, but to return to Europe with CONTIKI!!!!! Contiki gave me the memories of Europe that I will cherish forever and it is now time to return to make even more memories. My expectations are huge. I am so certain that we will all have the time of our life of this trip.

It will be different from last time though, because I do not personally know anyone going on this trip. We have communicated in email, and of course we are all friends on Facebook, but I have never met any of the other college students that I will be traveling with. And that alone, is an awesome adventure to be able to meet and interact with SO many students my age.

So until we speak again, and until I update you on the latest count down remaining have an amazing weekend!

Love,

Ally :)