December is ending

And so is 2007.

Can't believe it! I remember talking with a guy last year (don't talk to him no mo no mo!! GOOD) who predicted this would be a good year for me. There were some good things, but overall ... hm, I'm not sure it's gonna be entirely memorable.

Like, honestly? Can't remember what I did when I was 27.

I guess if I go back over the years and try to fit the pieces in with like, memorable events, it's doable ... but the best parts of life are the trips to Europe. So far. OK, New Zealand counts kinda, too.

I STILL am not thinking I will be able to afford a backpacking trip to Europe this upcoming summer with the deplorable condition of the U.S. currency in the international marketplace BUT - I was so, so, SO sure that it was a sign when I found the 1998 Let's Go Europe guidebook at the thrift store earlier this year. Urgh.

*insert sidenote tangent as to the complete and utter relevance of a 1998 Let's Go Europe guidebook*

(Ok, so, like, 1998 was the first time I ever went to Europe. I went with a school group, kinda, with some school friends, and basically 4 of us traveled around together. We divvied up the tasks, and one of the guys was in charge of the money - we had a budget - the other guy was in charge of getting us around, with the maps, and timetables and stuff, I booked hostels and made phone calls and talked to information people, and the other chick was in charge of food. Now that I think about it, it was a pretty awesome division of labor.

Anyway, it was my first time to Rome ... and overall I HATED IT UBER DECIDEDLY ... but one evening we ate out and decided to look in the guidebook for recommendations on places to eat. Seriously, I have decided that Let's Go has absolutely THE BEST dining recommendations for Europe. Sorry, but that's my diehard opinion.

So, we looked for a cheap place to eat, I remember the mappy guy led us around to this little non-touristy quaint back alley area, wherein I feasted on the MOST INCREDIBLY UNFORGETTABLE MOUTH-WATERING OBNOXIOUSLY DELICIOUS SALAD I'VE EVER HAD IN MY WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE. And I really like salads.

I remember it was an insalata tonnato - yes, I DO have an awesome memory!! - and it was totally different than what I was expecting. I don't know why veal in Rome is always so weird and gross, but it is. This was a romaine lettuce salad, with the poached/blanched thin-sliced pieces of whitey veal, and a SIMPLY GARGANTUAN EPIPHANY of a salad dressing. It was a tuna salad dressing. I had no idea how they made it and I'd never heard of such a thing in my life but seriously??? I happen to have strangely good luck with ordering things off a menu. That other Roman veal mishap in 2004 notwithstanding ....

Anyway, I've never forgotten that salad. That salad was SO. INREDIBLY. GOOD. I've never tried to replicate it, but I should. What I certainly WON'T replicate was my friend's white macaroni and cheese which ended up being SPICY. Um, weird, and gross. It's not even orange mac and cheese - hee, Americano - and it tasted of jalapenos??? Nasty.

So, like, great, we had a wonderful salad at the little cute joint, but WHAT happened at the end of the summer? And WHY do I not remember or have a clue in Hades as to where this little dive was??

BECAUSE - at one of our last hostels, we checked it and I left the guidebook on my bunkbed in the hostel. And I did not discover until hours later, when I went back, and noticed ... that ... the book? like, looked a little different? somehow? that SOME STUPID REPULSIVE I-HOPE-YOU-GET-A-THOUSAND-AND-ONE-PAPERCUTS-ALL-OVER-YOUR-BODY-INCLUDING-ON-YOUR-EYEBALLS-AND-THEN-HAVE-A-LEMON-JUICE-BATH JerkFace had switched our nice, new, 1998 Let's Go guidebook with a manky jacked up 1997.

I cannot even begin to describe to you the flooding angst that appeared on the furious horizon.

Anyway, so our precious Let's Go - which we had irreverently considered calling "Satan" but ended up affectionately nicknaming Sklep, in commemoration of a truly horrendous hostelling experience in Prague ... YACK - was gone ... and I did end up getting my hands on a spare copy when we got back to school and I was cleaning out the office desk when I did the school program again ... but then I totally discarded it when I was moving out after graduation, not realizing how desperately I would pine for the information on the joint which introduced me to the joys of a freaking INSALATA TONNATO.

I honestly had NO idea how I was gonna find a 1998 Let's Go - I mean, random, right??? - in 2004, or 2005. Or 2007. Cuz I seriously did look on eBay and even considered posting a Want It Now.

And then I found one in the thrift store a couple months ago and KNEW it was confirmation that I was supposed to go to Europe this year, because I believe in signs like that.)

*end typically long-winded and overly-detailed tangent*

I found another one yesterday and didn't think that it was a sign. But at the thrift store yesterday it was not 50% off but it was tagged a color that was supposed to be 50% off today ... so I took it as a sign that I was supposed to buy it when I went back today and did indeed see it again.

Would you consider that a sign that I am meant to go?? There are other very very important things I could be doing this next dadgum summer but the trips to Europe have all been terribly PRICELESS.

Maybe I'll try to swing it with my youngest sister this time. Dunno how I will be able to afford it, really, but boy, was my middle sister smart to take up my invite to go with me in 2004.

*brag time* I paid for EVERYTHING.

I cringe now to think of how much money I had in da BANK that year. And how much I had LEFT OVER EVEN AFTER WE GOT BACK.

Sadly, that was just about the last dregs of my frugal days.

Anyhoo, I am glad I have some catch-up time on the blog! I need to be all caught up or else it's gonna drive me crazy. I'm still thinking of posting stuff from EUROPE 2006. Shup.