Christy Callahan’s 2008 European Education and Adventure Plans

(Christy is classmate Franci Vittrup Callahan’s artistic 20-year-old daughter)

Hi there!
I will be studying the arts in Florence for a semester. I don't think I could part from Santa Barbara for a whole year, but I will be doing lots of traveling while abroad.
My educational program will be taking us on excursions to Rome, Venice, and Siena. I have a WHOLE list of other places I plan to visit in Italy, among them- Cinque Terre.
Since my two best college friends, Lauren H. and Lauren Z., will be in London, I plan to travel abroad with them. In September, we are staying at a Youth Hostel in Munich and attending the Oktoberfest. We're booking that early. In October, my friend, Lauren Z., will be celebrating her 20th birthday in a country of her choice (most likely France), which conveniently occurs over my Fall Break!
My best friend Charles, who is like a brother to me, goes to school in St. Andrews, Scotland. Hopefully, I will make a trip to see him and attend one of his school’s annual balls! The two Laurens want to come as well. Nearby is Edinburgh, (my favorite city in the world), and I am going to take my friends on "Ghost Tours"!
In November I am celebrating my 21st birthday-weekend in Venice, because that is the number one city I've ALWAYS wanted to visit (next to Switzerland and Nepal)! My friends Lauren H, Lauren Z, and Julie, (another friend who will be abroad), Charles, and I will go on a gondola ride (which my parents are treating us to) to celebrate! We're all booking flights in advance.
While it may or may not happen, I would love to see Switzerland and Prague. My next-door-neighbor, Andre, will be abroad in Prague. My friend Julie has a friend in Switzerland - and hopefully, a group of us can stay with her friend. Very cost effective! Recently, on our trip to Big Sur, Lauren H. and I had our ears filled by our leader with tales of belaying down the Alps. So we plan to do that. Mom's not too thrilled. But I told her it's not much different than what they do in the UCSB Excursion Club.
I plan to take a Beginning Italian course while I'm abroad, and in the meantime, I've been learning the language from Italian audio CDs that my mom's friends have lent me.
Christy