Dream Trip Finally Came Together

822 Days to Complete 101 Dreams Come True

It's Friday and I would like to know where the week went. The good news is that my trip to Europe is finally coming together. Wednesday the trip looked dim. Nothing was working. I couldn't find places to stay except junky hotels and frustration had set in as days passed without any progress.

Then Wednesday night I found a week in Italy in a medieval manor for a few hundred dollars. I was ready to book, but felt I should hold off since I was still awaiting news from my timeshare about my exchange for Paris. By eleven at night I decided I couldn't wait any longer - it had been six weeks and I'd heard nothing. I went ahead to book Italy. As I was ready to confirm my reservation I briefly looked at another site to be certain I wanted the hotel and when I returned to finish my booking the week was gone. I spent two hours trying to get back the reservation. I couldn't believe that in the instance I looked away my week would be taken by someone else. It was.

Frustrated I thought it was time to give up. Thursday afternoon I received an email confirming my exchange to Paris for the exact dates I would've been in Italy. An hour later another week came available at the same resort in Italy this time in April ($400 instead of $148, but nicer weather). So now I have two weeks booked. One in Paris and one in a medieval town at the Palazzo Catalani. Both have kitchens so I can cook my own meals when I desire and feel more like a local. I've also booked a week in Scotland where I plan to stay in a castle one of the evenings and travel by car around the country. There's still a lot to do.  I need to book my hotels in London, research where I want to go in Scotland, and I still need to book the ski vacation in the Alps and a flight to Rome, but I'm overjoyed and can't wait.

In one week I will be visiting Musee D'orsay in Paris, eating ricotta and pasta in Italy, seeing Les Miserables in London,  seeing the Scotland countryside, and skiing in the Alps. Talk about a dream trip. I will be able to complete seven of my dreams, but I will have experiences beyond what I can put on a list.

How was I ever thinking of quitting when this is the reward.