Ten years ago, right about this time, I was starting to think about taking a “post-bar trip.” I was about to graduate law school and take the bar exam. I would have about six weeks free between taking the bar and starting my law firm job – the perfect time to take my first trip abroad.
Knowing that I would be traveling solo and not being entirely comfortable with that idea, I immediately looked at options for group tours. Given my Scandinavian heritage and borderline obsession with Russia, I initially considered tours that combined the two. However, so-called wiser minds eventually convinced me that I would be better off starting with the “basics” of Europe, so I booked a Contiki tour that took me through London, Paris, Lyon, Nice, Florence, Rome, Venice, Vienna, Munich, Hopfgarten, Lucerne, St. Goar and Amsterdam – all in 23 days!
That trip was incredibly fast-paced and I put almost no effort into researching anything to do on my own when we had free time. My liver likely wanted to kill me by the end of the trip because I think we went drinking just about every night – so many early mornings spent sightseeing were just a blur. I made good friends in the tour group, but it was also horribly cliquey, which I can’t stand. And as I’ve mentioned elsewhere, just a week into the tour, terrorists brought down the World Trade Center in New York, putting a huge damper on the rest of the trip.
Despite the negatives, that first trip sparked a love of travel in me that was just waiting to be lit.
When I sent my passport off for renewal two months ago, I reflected on some of the lessons I’ve learned while traveling. Now, I’d like to look back on the highlights – I’ve been lucky enough to have had the time of my life, over and over and over again, and have some wonderful memories. Here are the ones that stick in my mind the most:
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Arriving in London for the very first time.
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Going to the top of the Eiffel Tower at night.
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Dancing on the tables at Wayne’s Bar in Nice.
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Sampling 14 different flavors of schnaps at a bar in Hopfgarten, Austria.
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Dancing all night at a “water party” at a club in Ibiza and stumbling back to the hotel around 8 a.m.
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Bicycling around the island of Formentera.
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Visiting the Australian Open, seeing a classic semi-final between Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova and meeting player, coach and TV analyst, Brad Gilbert.
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Taking a helicopter ride over the Great Ocean Road.
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Encountering a kangaroo a little too up-close on Kangaroo Island.
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Hiking in the Blue Mountains outside of Sydney.
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Visiting Selbu, Norway – the town from which my ancestors hail.
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Celebrating Norway’s Constitution Day in Trondheim.
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Experiencing the Midnight Sun in Tromso.
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Exploring the ruins of Pompeii.
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Hiking from Amalfi to Ravello and back.
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Falling asleep at the Opera in Rome (okay, maybe not a highlight, but I like the story).
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Aprés ski partying in Saalbach, Austria.
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Sightseeing in Salzburg with a guy I was crazy about at the time.
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Taking a day trip to Tell al Amarna, Beni Hassan and Tuna al Gebel in Middle Egypt.
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Exploring the Tombs of the Nobles in Aswan with a local guide who spoke no English.
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Just about everything else about Aswan.
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Climbing Mt. Sinai to see the sun rise.
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Celebrating an Egyptian football victory with the locals in Dahab.
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Acting in a small film being shot in Berlin.
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New Year’s Eve in Prague.
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Singing karaoke at Morrison’s in Budapest.
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Dinner at the Café Kor in Budapest. Best. Meal. Ever.
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Hiking the Inca Trail and visiting Machu Picchu.
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Exploring the markets of Cusco with a fun Aussie guy.
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Chatting with Peruvian taxi drivers in Spanish.
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Queuing for tickets at Wimbledon.
