Here we go again…

Sometimes, traveling the world has its perks. Wait, what am I saying?!?! Traveling the world ALWAYS has its perks… This might be the best one of them all.

I’ve always said that it is the people you meet when you’re traveling that really make the experiences unique. You meet people with common interests, and bond with them over a shared experience. If you’re lucky, some of the friendships formed through those shared experiences stretch around the globe and withstand the test of time. If you’re REALLY lucky, some of those friendships lead to more shared experiences- happy reunions, epic celebrations, good ol’ fashioned face-time- years down the road.

I guess I’m really lucky.

Having already experienced LA FIESTA LOCA that was Federico and Cara’s wedding in Buenos Aires last Fall, this little note from a friend in Dublin appeared in my Inbox this past January:

‘Nicky – seeing as you’re a pro at traveling to weddings, how ‘bout Ireland this year?? JP and I are getting married on the 23rd of November…’

Hmmm… Ireland has LONG been at the top of my ‘To Visit’ List. I was intrigued…

Not long after, this showed up from a friend in Venice:

‘Daniel and I are getting married the 5th October, 2013, and this could be a great occasion to get the Bondi Crew back together…’

Let’s see… Venice on the 5th of October… Dublin on the 23rd of November… 7 weeks in between…

Hmmmm…

The traveling wheels started turning, and now, here we are.

That’s right, BackpackU Fans- it’s time for our next adventure…

BPU EuroTrip 2013 kicks off next TUESDAY!!! WOO-HOO!!!

12 weeks, 6 countries, 2 weddings, and countless adventures to be had along the way. Needless to say, I am EXCITED…

The itinerary pretty is loose- I learned a LOT when I tried to take on the entire CONTINENT of South America in 3 1/2 months last year- but here’s what I have locked in so far:

A weekend in the Swiss Alps with Sebastian, my flatmate in NZ, hiking, canyoning, and mountain biking around his hometown of Interlaken.

Going 5-Star for a few days in Milan, sneaking into corporate ‘meet-n-greets’ to take advantage of the buffet while my Brother-in-Law Shaun is in town for a conference.

A week spent in and around Venice, celebrating my friend Marianna’s wedding, and exploring the Italian countryside with friends from my time in Australia.

A couple of weeks traveling by train from Dubrovnik to Prague, exploring Croatia, Austria, and the Czech Republic along the way.

After taking what’s sure to be a million pictures in Prague, I’ll fly to Barcelona, and spend 2 weeks making my way to Madrid.

Then it’s on to Ireland, arriving in Dublin a few days before Maeve and JP’s wedding. While I’ve heard you need a few days of down time to prepare for an Irish Wedding, I’ve already told them they’re up against Fede and Cara- now THAT was a wedding…

After the wedding festivities, I’ll embark a 3-week self-drive tour of the Emerald Isle, during which I will visit numerous castles, kiss the Blarney Stone, and learn as many Irish drinking songs as possible. It’s sure to be GREAT craic.

Finally, I’ll fly to London, revisiting a city I last saw way back in 1997. I’m sure I won’t even recognize it, but I look forward to meeting up with friends, reacquainting myself with the city, and hopefully catching a Premier League match or two…

Like I said- the itinerary is pretty open, but it will still be a whirlwind. 12 weeks will be here and gone in the blink of an eye, but, that seems to be the way it always goes…

EuroTrip 2013- it’s going to be incredible.

Stay tuned…