My adventure plans!

So I’m realizing that there’s still a fair number of people who don’t know exactly what I’m up to in the adventures department.  I love to refer to my travels in general as adventures – maybe ’cause I’m a huge Lord of the Rings/Hobbit nerd, but I like to imagine that I’m going to all these wonderful exciting places in new undiscovered parts of the world.  And, well, I guess I kind of am.  Many places are far far away, and many of the places and experiences are new for me.  I’m trekking through my own personal Middle Earth!

So here’s a summary!

Friday I leave for Europe.  I arrive in Vienna on Saturday, but I can’t get into my apartment there until February.  So I’m leaving some stuff with friends who are literally up the block from my apartment, and will crash on their couch Saturday night.  Then I’ll get up bright and early on Sunday morning to head to the airport, and get on a plane headed to Croatia.  I’ll be there for two full weeks with Miloš in his hometown.

Then I’ll settle into my apartment in Vienna on February 3rd.  I have it until April 2nd.  And because I had to get a round trip plane ticket (one way tickets are MORE expensive), my current return date is April 4th.  BUT!  That is just my “worst-case-scenario” plan.  That’ll be when I run out of money for rent.  I MUST FIND WORK IN EUROPE so I can get a Visa to allow me to stay longer than the standard 3 months that we tourists are allowed.  In my ideal scenario, I’ll be there until I come home for caroling season.

Along those lines, there will be NO CHANGE in the operations of Olde Towne Carolers.  We’re going strong and I want to continue to grow the business.  Period.

Also – I will still be working as a travel agent.  (Let me help you book your travel!)  It’s all handled via email and phone anyway nowadays.  I think I’ve met with clients all of three times in person ever since doing this.  And in fact, I want to grow that part of my career path.  I am determined to find more clients and book more travel in 2013.  Remember, there are NO fees to use me as a travel agent.  None.  Like, it’s totally free to the client.  And I can handle all the details while getting the best price.  It couldn’t be any simpler!

I’m planning on my first audition the second weekend in February – for Disneyland Paris.  Yes, that would mean moving to Paris for a time, which is fine.  It would let me stay in Europe, and I’d be a Disney character…. um… kind of perfect for me!  Hopefully that will be the first of many auditions.

I’ve also started doing some more networking on top of all that and getting to know more singers in Vienna.  There is always the path of getting an artist Visa as well.  (Which would also be a great way to be allowed to stay.)

So that’s that.  I’m not falling off the face of the earth.  I’ll still be on Facebook all the time.  I’ll still be posting pics and updating my blog.  I also love chatting with friends on Skype – so even though I’m across the ocean, it won’t be any different than me being one town over!

As for right now, I have an immense amount of packing to finish, followed by cleaning the subsequent mess that has resulted from the packing process.  Also trying to copy as many of my CD’s into my laptop as possible.  And I want to scan some sheet music on to a disc to have in case I need it, since I can’t take all my music books.

Wish me luck! I’m hoping that 2013 can be the best year ever! Bring on the adventures!