Overseas on the world wide internet

I've been wanting to do the whole Europe thing for a while, and a friend of mine has bugged me in the past to start a blog. Being the most indecisive person I know (how I finally came to that or any conclusion, I have no idea), I decided to do both.

So, t-minus 12 days until I lift off from JFK en route to Rome for the start of a roughly three-week journey, during which I will attempt to blog about my adventures, lack of motivation, withdrawal from "Star Trek: Voyager" reruns and the latest from the Bundesliga.

Already accomplished:
•A rough itinerary (Rome, Assisi, Florence, Venice, Berlin, Amsterdam, Belgium, Paris -- with a couple of side trips potentially cracking the sked, including a remote chance of stalking checking out one of my favorite singer/songwriters, who will happen to be performing somewhat nearby while I'm over there.)

•A new passport (my god -- I have to keep this "look" for the next 10 years? Well, shaving and getting haircuts can be annoying, I suppose. The old passport photo, JB circa 1996, is shown to the right. New one is below.).

•Plane tickets. Let's hope American doesn't ground itself again. Am I even on American? I probably should look into that.

•A one-way, intracontinental flight on some German airline I've never heard of. I paid €9 extra for the "privilege" of selecting my own seat. I think I've just been swindled.

•Finding places to stay in at least a couple of destinations (maybe I'll just find a cozy spot in the Colosseum when in Rome... actually, if the Pope is still over here, the Vatican might have an extra bed).

•Finding a blog that will allow me to post quite easily from my pocket pc -- assuming it even works over there. Cyber Cafes/wifi spots should be fine. But my stubby thumbs on the tiny keyboard -- well, prepare yourselves now for a mess of typos.

•Buying a power adapter prong thingy so I can plug stuff in while in Europe. And then wait for the stuff to blow up.

To do:
•Buy the Eurail pass. Curse the dollar for being so weak. Consider traveling to Mexico instead. By mule.

•Stop panicking over this trip becoming a debacle.

•Take measures to help ensure this trip doesn't become a debacle.

•Put some thought into whether I really think this trip will turn into a debacle, or if it's just that I really like the word debacle. I also like "caminamos," but I'm skipping Spain this time around. Also fun is this one.

•Tell work that I'm leaving for three weeks. Wait, already did that. I think.

•In advance, let my brother and sister-in-law know that I won't be available to tolerate feed/watch their dog or cat (or daughter) for several weeks.

•In advance, let my brother-in-law and sister know that I won't be able to provide them with free coffee for several weeks.

•Stop the mail. I don't mean just mine. All mail everywhere must be stopped, and if nobody else is up to the challenge ...

•A whole bunch of other stuff, including getting the right backpack, doing the travelers cheques thing, deciding whether my lcd-transplanted camera will suffice, figuring out how to pack so much into so little. The standard fare.

And that's about it. I'll do my best to keep this space updated for those who care, and I'll try especially hard to do so for the rest of you who don't.

And if anyone has any suggestions on good tourist/travel/food destinations, feel free. I may ignore you, but if it makes you feel better, let's call it a win.