Let's Suspend the Formalities and Get Right to the Good Stuff

Once again I find myself embarking on a voyage to Europe. While abroad, this blog will serve as my personal confidante, record and travel log. So, let's review the itinerary shall we?

The Program: 

European Business Study Abroad

Translation: 

Vacation 

(with term paper at the end--trifles)

Time: 

May 12 – June 15

Places: 

Edinburgh, Scotland

Preston, England

London, England

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Paris, France

Lausanne, Switzerland

Wengen, Switzerland

Munich, Germany

Vienna, Austria

Padova, Italy

Parma, Italy

Florence, Italy

Perugia, Italy

Pescara, Italy

Rome, Italy

...I feel a little bit like Jason Bourne looking at this list...ironically our first business visit is to a bank. Perhaps I will pick up a few...items...from my "secret" account there?

Communication: 

(Aka. My connection to the outside world)

Cell Phone

Facebook✓

Skype✓

Blog✓

Email✓

Postcards✓

The Packing List:

1 Suitcase, 1 Carry-On 

4 Weeks in Europe

(with space leftover for all the wonderful clothes and souvenirs I will buy)

Items Approximation:

4 pairs jeans/pants

1 pair slacks

2 skirts

2 dresses

2 business blouses

6 casual tops

2-3 cardigans

1 pair sweatpants

1 sweatshirt

2 tees

1 pair sneakers

1 pair running shoes

2 pair flats

1 jacket

1 scarf

misc.

Carry-On Backpack:

1 camera

1 laptop

1 notebook

Others:

1 passport

1 international student card

1 roundtrip plane ticket 

Things to Get Before I Leave
1 converter  (not a missionary)
1 transformer (not the robot, although that may go on another to-do list...)
1 replacement power cord for my computer (mine broke)
1-2 business blouses
1 haircut

Things I Won't Need
-A money belt (stupid, ugly things. no sense of fashion, these belts may hold cash, but they certainly aren't $money$)

Luckily, I don’t have too much to do to get ready for my trip (T-minus 6 days now!). From past experience, international flight is not too bad...I have only had my luggage lost once (incidentally my very first trip abroad) and since then I have not had many problems traveling at all (except for when I almost missed my flight back to France and was almost stranded in London; let’s just say that cutting the security line, running half a mile  down the wrong terminal with my backpack unzipped, losing articles of clothing along the way, and getting weird looks from British travelers was definitely not my favorite travel experience...)    see my other BLOG for the whole story...

However, I have decided that if by chance I am detained by customs, I have the perfect line for them: 

“We are international businessmen. I demand that you release us immediately”(Credit: Barney Stinson, How I Met Your Mother).

....Perhaps I will wear a suit for my flight, just in case.... 

→BTW Alert: One of our business trips is to the Brioni suit company (i.e. maker of James Bond’s custom suits). Their most expensive suit line? $43,000. Hand tailored, custom fit, made of rare wool from a specific rare llama in the Apache mountains that only exists at a certain altitude, plus mother of pearl buttons, and real white-gold pinstripes. 

No. Big. Deal.