NEW YORK – As this is my inaugural post on my blog, I want to first start off by thanking you for taking the time to read whatever it is I have to say.

Over the course of the next two-plus months, I will be embarking on a trip of a lifetime. As someone who has a profound love for writing and traveling, I will be sharing my experiences as much as I can with others, I will be taking full advantage of blogging as i make my way throughout countless adventures that lie just days ahead of me.

It will just be my backpack and I making this trek from New York to 12 countries and countless life experiences along the way. Though, I won’t be alone for the entirety of the trip.

The original idea of this trip did not come from me, but rather one of the most adventurous people I’ve been blessed to have met and become very good friends with, Chris Badenhoop. A University of Kansas alum, I met Chris while studying abroad in Italy about two and half years ago. From the first time we were able to travel on our abroad experience, Chris and I clicked and it’s never a dull moment with him by my side as we conquer one city at a time. He called me back in March to say he booked a one-way ticket to Moscow and wanted to know if I wanted to join him on an Eastern European adventure – he had me locked in from the point on.

Chris and I will be traveling together from Aug. 15-Aug. 30 as we continue our quest throughout Europe.

From that moment on, I put my planning cap on and somehow it has led me to a two-plus month experience that will kick off in less than two weeks.

Once Chris leaves me and finishes up his adventure by venturing to Morocco and flying back to the states to start his big boy job in Chicago, I will have the next month of just me, myself and I going to Greece, Italy and Ireland.

In addition to traveling with Chris, I will begin my trip by landing in Tel Aviv and meeting up with my best friend, Ron Schneider. Ron and I have known each other for a number of years, but after we graduated high school four years ago, he joined to Israeli Defense Forces and after three years in their army, he began his schooling at the Tel Aviv University this past fall. Although I’ve only seen him minimally over the past four years, we have never been better friends and I know we are both absolutely ecstatic for me to come visit him in the heart of the city in his new apartment and for him to bring me to every spot there is in Tel Aviv in the 10 days that I will be there.

Below is my full itinerary and be sure to look for my next blog post, which will be posted on my departure day, Tuesday, July 21, as I make my way to Tel Aviv from Newark Airport.

Itinerary:

July 21-Aug. 1: Tel Aviv, Israel

Aug. 1-Aug. 4: Prague, Czech Republic

Aug. 4-Aug. 7: Budapest, Hungary

Aug. 7-Aug. 11: Copenhagen, Denmark

Aug. 11-Aug. 14: Oslo, Norway

Aug. 14-Aug. 17: Riga, Latvia

Aug. 17-Aug. 20: Warsaw, Poland

Aug. 20-Aug. 24: Istanbul, Turkey

Aug. 26-Aug. 30: Dubrovnik & Split, Croatia

Aug. 30-Sept. 7: Catania & Palermo, Sicily, Italy

Sept. 7-Sept. 10: Santorini, Greece

Sept. 10-Sept. 12: Naples, Italy

Sept. 12-Sept. 14: Siena, Italy

Sept. 14-Sept. 17: Cinque Terre, Italy

Sept. 17-Sept. 20: Venice & Paderno del Grappa, Italy

Sept. 20-Sept. 22: Sardinia, Italy

Sept. 22-Sept. 25: Dublin

Sept. 25: New York bound

Let’s get this adventure on the road, as I hope you will be there to read as I get to – simply put – embark on places and sites that simply cannot have a price tag attached to them.

Talk to you soon,

Anthony