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Standing in the Tulsa International Airport the morning of our flight to Paris, I had expected to be a ball of nerves. Security checks with enough carry-on liquids to last me two weeks, a connection in Dallas, followed by a 10-hour flight to Charles de Gaulle - these were the makings of a travel nightmare. But instead of nervousness, all I experienced was an overwhelming sense of wonder as our dreams turned into reality.
My husband, Roland, and I had been planning our European vacation for six months. Both in our late twenties with brief trips to Spain in our passports, we wanted to experience more of Europe before we bought a house and had children. We quickly realized that venturing out on our own was too daunting. Yet I had been on a guided group tour in high school and had vowed never to repeat the experience. Visiting Madrid’s Prado Museum in one hour because everyone else wanted to go shopping for cheap souvenirs... not my idea of the best way to experience Europe.
When we discovered the My Way: Europe in 14 Days Tour on Rick Steve’s website, we felt the partially-guided tour would mitigate the stress of visiting multiple countries in a short amount of time, while giving us the freedom to spend all day in the Louvre or linger over baguettes and Chardonnay at a Parisian bistro.
So there we were at the airport, a couple hundred days and a dozen passport-expiration-date checks later, ready to embark on our European adventure. Next: About Our Trip.
My husband, Roland, and I had been planning our European vacation for six months. Both in our late twenties with brief trips to Spain in our passports, we wanted to experience more of Europe before we bought a house and had children. We quickly realized that venturing out on our own was too daunting. Yet I had been on a guided group tour in high school and had vowed never to repeat the experience. Visiting Madrid’s Prado Museum in one hour because everyone else wanted to go shopping for cheap souvenirs... not my idea of the best way to experience Europe.
When we discovered the My Way: Europe in 14 Days Tour on Rick Steve’s website, we felt the partially-guided tour would mitigate the stress of visiting multiple countries in a short amount of time, while giving us the freedom to spend all day in the Louvre or linger over baguettes and Chardonnay at a Parisian bistro.
So there we were at the airport, a couple hundred days and a dozen passport-expiration-date checks later, ready to embark on our European adventure. Next: About Our Trip.