Tori Anderson

Europe & Eurail Traveler

When do you leave?
September 2001
How long do you plan to be away?
6-12 Months
How old are you?
24
How much money have you saved?
a pathetic $700 (eek)
Did you buy a rail pass?
No
Nationality
USA
Where do you live now?
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
Occupation
Currently between, my job starts in Europe
Is this job one that you actually like, or are you only doing it to pay for the trip?
It's my career
Have you traveled Europe before?
Yes
Have you bought or used a European rail pass before?
No
What is the route you plan to take/places you plan to visit?
Well, I'll be based in Digne-les-Bains in Provence, France, and I intend to visit some old Rotary exchange host families of mine in Belgium and to hit Spain and Switzerland if possible.
Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
I was a French major in college. I want to teach. Teaching in France was the perfect combo. I've already lived in Europe (Rotary exchange 1993) and absolutely everyone I knew encouraged me. So there you go.
What is your biggest fear about this trip?
Money. As in having none. And being stuck in bad situations without options out.
Are your family, friends, co-workers, etc., supportive of you? What is their opinion of your traveling and railing around Europe?
To the Nth degree. I think everyone wants to come with.
How much planning and preparing have you done?
Planning is for tourists
What are you packing? What do you consider your most indispensable item(s)?
I'm packing lots of things to use in classes like books and films, very few clothes, three pairs of shoes, and my laptop. I'd say the computer would be indispensable.
How do you think your trip will change your life? How do you think it will affect and change you as a person?
I hope I'll speak French better and that I'll get back some of my enthusiasm that sitting around dead-end jobs at college sucked out of me.
If you had to sum up your thoughts/feelings about your Europe in one sentence, what would it be?
When do we leave?
Why do you think people should travel Europe by rail?
You can see it that way. No stress. And there is the whole 'Before Sunrise' allure...
Why do you think people should take longer trips trips like this? Why not just take a regular old one- or two-week vacation instead?
What can you see on a tour? I want to inhale every country. You can't do that with 30 other Americans around you.
What is the biggest myth that people have about traveling Europe by rail?
It's going to be like Before Sunrise.
Why do you like to travel?
There's so much world outside that door, and the world's not slowing down...
What is your advice for people planning their own Europe trip?
Go. Now. You'll never regret it.

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