My Dream Trips

My boyfriend is half Danish and half German -- all four of his grandparents were born in Europe! He has distant relatives there still, his parents have visited their parents' homelands, but my boyfriend hasn't had the chance to go yet.

I was fortunate enough to have gotten the opportunity to visit Europe with a friend (and Germany and Denmark were, coincidentally, two of our stops!), almost five years ago now. Apart from a mini trip to Mexico that same year, Europe was the last time I truly travelled.

For my boyfriend's birthday this past year (August 2020), I had plans of giving him Europe-themed gifts -- Ticket to Ride: Europe (a board game); Eurotrip (a movie); a travel guide for Europe ... you get the idea. And then in his card, I was gonna write something like "Let's plan a trip together, for August 2021." (Figuring it would take us a year to plan and save, and then the trip would be his next birthday present.) Part of me wanted to be romantic and just buy the tickets, but because I've had the privilege of seeing part of Europe already, I wanted us to plan around what he would want to see and do.

I had started making these gift plans in December 2019. My gut told me not to go into Kaitlyn-mode -- meaning don't do what I usually do and buy the gifts months in advance -- and I guess my gut was right, because by March the world had turned all wacky, and well-before August I knew it wouldn't be back to normal any time soon.

So now I'm just sitting here, exploring the website of the tour group my friend and I used in 2016 (Topdeck Travel), wishing I could take a trip like that with my boyfriend. And, to bring you into my daydream, I thought I'd share some of my favourites with you, tours that I've come across from Topdeck that I wouldn't mind taking one day:

Winter Scandi Express

8 days, 3 countries

This one is similar to the tour my friend and I went on (but without Germany). I would love to return to the three beautiful Scandinavian countries we visited before -- Denmark, Sweden, and Norway! So many cool museusm and beautiful gardens. Experiencing them with my boyfriend -- especially Denmark -- would be so special.

Western Spirit

10 days, 3 countries

I've wanted to go to Italy for as long as I can remember ... and since October, when Emily in Paris came out on Netflix, I've been craving a trip to Paris! A gondola ride in Venice, chocolate in the Swiss Alps, a cabaret show in Paris ... how romantic! Not to mention the fact that the tour would drop us off in London -- bonus!

Greek Island Hopper

10 days, 1 country

Greece has also been on my list for many years now -- I blame Greek mythology, to be honest. But seriously, 10 days in Greece sounds so wonderful to me. I know, 10 days in just one country sounds like a long time ... why not explore more? But what my friend and I realized with our tour (even arriving a couple days earlier and leaving a couple days later) is that we spent two-and-a-half weeks in 5 countries. With Europe's vast history and culture, 3 days per country is really not a lot of time.

Bravo Italia

13 days, 2 countries

As I said earlier, Italy has been on my list forever. The thought of spending nearly two weeks there, with THE FOOD -- pizza, pasta, gelato ... can you tell I'm changing my diet for the new year? The cravings have already begun. But with the tour groups, I know we'd be doing a lot of walking ... so it balances out, right?

Mega European

49 days, 18 countries

If we had the time (and budget), I would love to do something like this. I know ... I just said 3 days per country is not a lot of time. But considering I've only been to 5 European countries, and I would get to visit 16 new ones (putting me up to 21!) ... I'd say it'd be worth it. And hey, if we're going to Europe for 49 days, why not just make it a full two months? We could spend a few extra days -- go back to a country we enjoyed, or visit a whole new country or two, all on our own.

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Did you know planning a trip boosts happiness? Not even taking the trip, just PLANNING one! I know, it might be hard right now, with so many unknowns still. But I'm here right now, giving you permission to daydream -- go on, plan your perfect trip. And take this time, while the world is getting back in order, to save money for it.