Topdeck Tour Highlights

Well well well, the Topdeck tour of 2011 was just pure amazing. I have one of the greatest times of my life and I am going to recommend to every person I meet that they find the time to do any trip overseas, because you will meet the greatest people in the world, make friendships that will last till the end of time and just see the world. While it does look that same to home at times, it doesn't matter because the environment itself is just so different and new. And yes you will feel like a fool in all these places when you can't understand a thing anyone is saying, but who cares.

Oh and second thing I will point out is to take a friend. It doesn't necessarily have to be a super close friend, but take a friend so that the fist day is not so daunting. But make sure the friend is outgoing. You have to be outgoing on these trips or, like me, you take like a week to make friends with people who you aren't sharing a room with.

But enough about the tours it self, I will now try my best to do a summary of my tour. There will be things that I have forgotten, or I don't think worth mentioning. There will also be things that I do mention, and you will want to hit me out of boredom from reading the dribble that I create. Either way this is how I choose to represent my trip.

Day 1 - The Grand Start:
That night's sleep was crap but I get up and go into the lobby and stand awkwardly among all the people and bags downstairs. Then a small woman comes up to me and introduces herself to me as Bec, my new tour leader. Soon after we move to the bus and drive to Dover. Skip to Dover, get on the boat and get to Calais.

So far so good, haven't really spoken to anyone, read the paper on the boat and was now waiting for the bus to arrive. During the wait a bird craps on my shoulder. Nice welcome. The bus eventually arrives, I get on, and like all kool kids go to sit at the back, and yes there is a seat. We drive to Paris. During the trip I meet Sudong, Philip and Angela, mostly thanks to the work of Bec who made like a forced introduction. I am eternally grateful to her for that. We get to Paris, check in and go for a night driving tour. Then back home and to bed.

Day 2 - Parisian Adventure:
I walked around by myself a lot. I know it sounds lonely and stuff like that, but it is what I do, I just explore in my own time and visit what I want. I remember seeing Notre Dame, The Pantheon, Luxembourg Gardens, Champs de Lycee, Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower. The Luxembourg Gardens is my favourite place from the entire trip. They provide chairs, the garden is beautiful and I fell in love with it. That night was picnic dinner with the group. That was incredibly confronting because I really didn't know anyone and had to sit with other people. Thankfully God created Bel, Emily, Wendy and Kelsey who I sat with and chatted with. That night the group went to either a river cruise or a cabaret show. I just walked off and saw the Opera House and Madeline building. Then went back and went to sleep.

Time for a cliffhanger. It turns out writing this much takes a lot of energy, and I have had a really long day. So I am going to leave it at that for now and do some more later.