I love Couchsurfing.org

It's the best addition to the interwebz since... facebook? Google even?
An entire online community of really kind, chill people interested in seeing the world and meeting other world travelers.
I spent a couple of hours perusing profiles, searching for couches that accomodate my July itinerary, and now my inbox is flooded with offers for free places to stay, cool people to share meals with, locals to act as tour guides or take me to cool bars, even introduce me to their friends.

My experiences so far have been nothing short of incredible. I have a whole family of friends back in Berlin, I've met rad people from Finland, Australia, Italy who came to Copenhagen, and I'm sure after the month of July, I'll be able to boast friends all throughout France, Spain, and Portugal. If you're a solo traveler or even a group of travelers who'd prefer local flavor to following the rambunctious hostel crowd, couchsurfing.org is the way to go.

I don't mean to be such a promoter, and surely no one is paying me to say these things. I just... I'm looking forward to my trip that much more, now that I know of a few rad looking people I'll be meeting along the way.

I guess it's scary, being a young solo female, entering into strange apartments... ok. It is scary. Hopefully I survive the month of July without any horror stories. Perhaps I hope I survive in general...
But so long as wonderful people keep using the site, and creepers stay the hell away, I should be fine. I'll be fine!

Look! Another offer for a couch in Lisbon just popped up. Woo! Options!

The Stoke: The Best Month Ever

I can't stop smiling.
It feels too good to be true.
I just spent the afternoon meticulously planning my July travels. Finally. It's taken form.
And the itinerary is fucking dreamy.
Fucking. Dreamy.
Excuse my language, but I'm that excited.

The plan:
5/7----Fly from CPH to Amsterdam with Thomas and Clara for Pitch Music Festival.
Spend 2 days listening to great music, partying, being with people I adore.
8/7----Take the train from Amsterdam to Vichte, Belgium to visit Brouwerij Verhaeghe (I hope they give tours!) to taste my favorite beer, The Duchesse de Bourgogne, straight from the source.

Then, that evening, take the train to Paris.
8/7-12/7---- Paris with another Amazing best friend, Daniel! If he can get it off of work, that is... I hope so!
12/7----Take the train from Paris to Bordeaux to hang out with a wine connoisseur Katie met while travelling Europe last year (Wine!!! Bordeaux!!! Holy moly!!!)
14/7----Stop for a beach day in Biarritz, maybe rent a surf board or just read on the sand and try and regain some color, then head to San Sebastian in Basque Country for the night and the following day. Nothing but beach and delishhhh food! (I found a blog that rated San Sebastian as the number 2 foodie destination in the world!!)

15/7----Take an overnight train from San Sebastian to Granada. I'll basically traverse the whole country by train, bypassing tons of amazing destinations, but I've got to get to Granada! It should be a nice train ride... I hope. I can't wait to see the Alhambra! 

18/7----Take a train to Madrid in the afternoon. Maybe I'll do something unethical like going to see a bull fight.  

...Ouch
21/7---- Take an overnight train from Madrid to Lisbon, where I'll kick it in Portugal (Yes!) until...
25/7---- Fly from Lisbon to Copenhagen
26/7---- Take one last look at Copenhagen. Probably cry
27/7----Try not to go crazy during my 18 hours of travel from Copenhagen to San Diego.


Bring it, July.