I'm going on an adventure!

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 In the immortal words of Bilbo Baggins "I am going on an adventure!"


I love travel and am actively making a YouTube channel based around the subject. But this time, my #40Before40 challenge has forced my hand a little bit in this one. I am trying to achieve a number of items off the list in one big adventure and this is certainly a mixed bag!

For this trip I am going to be going on many different forms of transport. Firstly in a car to Southampton Cruise Port as I am going to be boarding Cunard's Queen Anne cruise ship and taking a 2 night trip over to Hamburg. I haven't been to Germany in many years and I am excited to board a new ship. My previous experiences cruising have not been as formal as this and so I am looking forward to the comparison. 

I have paid £230 for the 2 nights in an inside cabin (Grade IC), not the cheapest grade on the ship but it was the cheapest option at the time I booked the cruise. I will not know my cabin number until nearer the time but I will be reporting back on my experience in the future. I will be on Deck 1, 4, 10 or 11 and I am excited. The inside cabins still look very luxurious online and so I will happily take whatever they give me. I am going to try and keep to my usual rules of not adding extras onboard to see what the base price will get you, so we'll have to wait for the results soon. 

2 nights later, I disembark in Hamburg and I will be hanging out in the city for about 12 hours. I'll be dropping off my luggage at the central train station as I will be back there later on. From the research I have already done there are luggage lockers available at the station so I will be able to ditch most of the suitcase and weight from my backpack. Hamburg has some lovely looking architecture and I am going to be trying to see as much as I can in the 12 hours I have. 

Next it is going to be back to the Hauptbanhof (Central Train Station), to get on to the next stage of my journey. A Sleeper Train! This will be ticking off item number 33 of #40Before40. It will be whisking me between Hamburg central station, through Denmark and into Sweden where I will disembark in Stockholm! On the sleeper train I will have my own cabin (yes I paid extra for this) which will have a small sink in it but no bathroom (I'm not made of money). The cost of the train is around £190 which seems ludicrous when you consider how much I spent for 2 nights in relative luxury, being fed 3/4 times in a day and entertained next to swimming pools and hot tubs! But I will be travelling over night between 3 countries and going approximately 800 miles and its something different isn't it. (Plus it is cheaper than doing something similar in England). I'll be on the train for approximately 10 hours but I have heard that the train can sometimes get to its destination a bit early which would be great because...

I will only be visiting Stockholm for the short time of 3 hours! Stockholm again looks like a lovely place and so only having 3 hours is a bit sad, but I will make the most of it as I have done some research about the essential places to visit. Once again the central train station has luggage lockers which will be a relief to use so I can run around the essential spots (hopefully get some meatballs and experience Fika) and then it'll be back to the train station, using the Arlanda Express train to head to the airport. 

Next up is a flight to Heathrow (achieving #40Before40 Item number 2 - Go on a plane) where I will be staying overnight in a local hotel and getting some good rest (I hope) because the next day will be another flight. This time I am changing continents and heading for the USA! 

Denver is calling my name. This time Denver is not the specific location I am heading for, it is just a helpful starting location for the biggest and most unlikely #40Before40 item - Number 21 - See a Tornado in real life. I am heading to the USA at about the right time for this to be achievable, but it is still not guaranteed. I will be in the lap of the weather gods and all of my faith will be in my weather radar and map reading skills, local weather reports and following my favourite tornado hunting YouTubers. Plus a rental car which I will pick up at the airport. I have the first night booked in Denver but nothing else after that. It is exciting not to have a fixed plan. We did much the same for our honeymoon and it was so freeing. I will be driving all over the place (likely in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Arkansas and Missouri) to try and follow the weather. As I write this post the USA has just experienced deadly tornado outbreaks and I am well aware of the danger that these storms pose. I am not trying to put myself in danger and get up close to one of these things, but to see one of the most mysterious forms of weather phenomenon is compelling to me. I blame Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton. 

Along the way I am hoping to see a Geographical Wonder (#40Before40 Item Number 22), eating my weight in awesome food and trying to achieve as many possible other items that I can. I have a couple of possibilities on the "Wonder" but unfortunately they are far away from "Tornado Alley" so I will have to wait and see what is possible on that front. 

After spending a week in and around the middle of the USA I will be flying home again and contemplating the weirdest journey I have ever taken, a bank balance depleted, an undoubtedly much higher weight count than before and setting to work editing the videos that will inevitably come. 

Please do leave me a comment on any tips you may have for this trip and if you have any questions or would like something covered in one of my videos or future blog posts. If I can I will happily oblige!

If you would like to see the full list of #40Before40 items then please click here #40Before40

Until Next Time 

xx
 

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