Hello!! Welcome to our digital scrapbook!
We're Christine and Marissa, a mother-daughter duo from the Midwest. We took our very first trip abroad on a Rick Steves Best of Europe 21-day tour and shared unforgettable memories!​​​
Use the menu buttons in the upper right to navigate to different sections. Select 'Where We Went' to go straight to the good stuff (the pictures)! Enjoy!!
About Me
I've been watching Rick Steves on PBS since the 90s and I’ve always thought ‘wow, this guy has the best job EVER!!’ He doesn't just spark the desire to travel with images of amazing places, but he educates with lessons of history, culture, and humanity--essential pieces to truly appreciate new places.
Many years ago, my husband and I planned to go to Europe for our 30th Anniversary. The years went by, as they do, and our anniversary was a just few months away, but unfortunately, my husband wasn’t going to be able to make the trip. =( He knew how much I’ve been dreaming of going so he gave me a gift that I will forever cherish--he suggested I still go to Europe, but go with our 17-year-old daughter instead!! Wait...WHAT??!!! I couldn't believe the selfless proposal, but I had mixed emotions..I was beyond thankful but felt horribly guilty to go without him. I was excited but terrified to go on my first trip abroad. I was extremely grateful to be able to experience something so amazing with my daughter but I was just praying we could still stand each other after being inseparable for over 3 weeks. Who can relate?? Haha
PLANNING
Now where to start? Where to go? How to get around? What to see? Where to stay? There's a lot to research, which is very time-consuming and can be very stressful.
I'm the vacation planner in our family and quite type-A when it comes to it. Yep, control freak here! (I know I can't be the only one). But my amazing husband suggested we go on a Rick Steves tour to simplify things since it was my first time abroad (Now you know why we've been married for 30 years, because he's brilliant!!!).
Initially, the thought of leaving the planning to someone else seemed stressful (because once again, I’m a control freak) but in the end, it was the best decision I could have made! I trusted Rick Steves and after seeing all that was included, all the positive reviews and the repeat travelers, I decided to book the Best of Europe 21-day tour!!
Being able to just sit back and relax, knowing a knowledgeable team planned the logistics of EVERYTHING was better than I thought. It took away the stress, allowing me to just relax and enjoy!
Would I recommend a Rick Steves tour? Yes!
The small friendly groups + professional RS staff + tips included + centrally located quaint hotels + transportation included + mix of scheduled and free time = too many WOW moments to count!
You should book your own Best of Europe 21-day trip at: https://www.ricksteves.com/tours/europe/europe-21-days
or any of his other great tours at: https://www.ricksteves.com/tours
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