It's all coming together...

Three small asians do Europe! Betty does Belgium, Chuey does Czech and motang does... Munich?
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About a month and a half to go until I depart safe, cushy and comfortable Canada to begin my summer of traveling adventures... it's all coming together. May 2 to June 9 in Europe and then a 3 to 5 week break back home for convocation and maybe a wedding. Then off again to Beijing, China for a four to six week Mandarin language program, 10 days in India (Bombay, Delhi and Goa are potential destination cities) and finally a small stint in Hong Kong.

The pack sent from heaven... with Torso Fit APS 7 adjustable back this puppy is 70L of backpacking intensity.
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After doing what any Ivey business student would -- building a complex Excel spreadsheet model to analyze airfare pricing and departure configurations -- my traveling companion Chuey and I booked our flights on expedia.ca!  At about $630 flying into London, England and leaving out of Frankfurt, Germany, I think we scored a pretty good deal.

...pray for our manicured, Prada-covered, top-tier business-schooled asses ;)

Our bus tour route
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Next, we did what any semi-spoiled, relatively sheltered Western girl would do: booked our Contiki bus tourat the TravelCuts on campus.  The manager Chantal was super helpful and motherly with us.  I think I see her more than my mom actually.  I commend her on the patience with which she handled our endless princessy bantering.  Right now, we've settled on the "budget" 16-day European Highlights tour.  We have forgone the "superior" tour 1) to save money and 2) in fear of being confined to a bus with princesses even more spoiled / demanding than we are and older anti-social couples.  As a consequence, we are willing to "rough it" in hostels, "cabins in campsites" and "special Contiki villages".  Chuey literally shouted in the TravelCuts, "I don't want to sleep beside bugs!!" I think we'll be okay; but pray for our manicured, Prada-covered, top-tier business-schooled asses ;)

Redeeming points for an eye patch. Yes, Chuey, you can borrow it.
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If someone had paid me for the number of hours I spent trying to find my dream backpack online for a cheaper price than the local Coast Mountain Sports, I probably could have paid for my trip already.  Yesterday, whipping out my Excel model and mommy's credit card, I threw down an order at moosejaw.com (a surprisingly professional, yet entrepreneurial outdoor gear retailer with amazing email customer service) for THE Lowe Alpine Sirocco 60+10L pack in a maple red/brownstone/balsa colour combo.  I even finnagled my way into getting it price-matched with the same item at Hilton's Tent City and dropped the cost down about 8 whole dollars.  As a gesture of customer satisfaction and consumer whore-ism, I added a Moosejaw logo T in a strange shade of orange, to double my moosejaw reward points.  If I'm lucky, I think I can redeem the points for a matchstick or an eye-patch.

Now, like any anally retentive event planners would, Chuey and I need to work out the detailed itinerary of where and who we're visiting when during our days outside the bus tour.  EuropTrip 2006 with two -- and with Betty meeting up with us, make it three -- small asian girls! Let the fun begin!