Oh the places you'll go!

Well girls, this is it!  The day we have all been working towards!  My wish for all of you is that you take away from this experience a million memories, a respect for the world and the desire to travel again.  That all of you learn more about WAGGGS, the amazing organization that we belong to and all the opportunities that await you with Girl Guides of Canada.  God Bless us all as we travel and be with us in every food step and every mile we travel.  Enjoy each and every moment...CARPE DIUM! Sieze the day...each one!

The Adventure on the Sinking Island

Today we started off our day the best way you can! A great breakfast. This is probably going to be the best it ever gets with fruit, fresh juice, croissants, eggs and multiple coffee options. We loaded the bus and started our journey to Venice. We took our bus, then got onto a boat to arrive at the sinking island. First we stopped at Murano to see the fabulous demonstration of blowing glass. He could make a horse in less than 2 minutes! It was amazing. It started as a clump of hot, melted glass and with 3 tugs, the head was already created. When we finished looking at everything in the gift shop, we got back on the boat and off to Venice! While there, we met with a local tour guide to give us a look around Venice. Next we got lunch (pizza and sandwiches) and then we were so fortunate to have a ride down the streets of water on the gondolas. We walked, and walked until we arrived back at St. Marks square to go into the Doges Palace. We probably spent 2 hours in there (would have been an our and a half but Yvonne was too busy reading everything that was there). We shopped on the streets, ran into fake Gucci, Coach, and Louis Vuitton purses and began our trip back to our hotel. Off to supper, shower and now it is finally bed time! With all of our walking today I'm sure we will all fall asleep early tonight, even if we tried to sleep on the bus but unfortunately fell off :)



By Jacquie (the one who fell off the seat in the middle of a nap)

Location:Venice, Italy

4 days, what is on your list?

We have 4 days left until we travel, packing is done, papers ready, lists checked off....but time to make sure you have your list of friends and family to send postcards to. write their names and addresses in your journal. Make a list of thank you gifts to buy, check them off as you go, and make sure to include something special in there for your parents and all those who helped get donations, sell cookies, chocolate bars and supported you through the last 2 years.
Its almost go time, although it seems somewhat surreal at the moment.





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Location:Thorndale Crescent,Thunder Bay,Canada

Twas the week before our European Vacation!

Twas the week before leaving

on our European Vacation,

Never before has there been

So much anticipation

Months of hard work, selling cookies

And more

Flipping pancakes and sausages

Delivering phone books door to door.

The planning is done,

The paperwork signed,

All we have to do,

Is leave no one behind.

Out from the closet

the suitcases came,

We checked off the kit list

 as if it were a game.

Tooth paste and brushes,

body wash and shampoo,

“Being prepared"

is just what we do!

Office kit, laundry kit,

Travel aids and shoes.

Cameras, batteries

Reading materials too.

Charge up the ipods, pack all the bags,

Label inside and out,

Write your name in your tags!

 Pack up your luggage

Get your back pack and purse

Write in your note books,

Never fear the worst.

Once done your packing

Take some time to remember,

The fundraising we did,

From January to December!

We held a summer camp,

To get to know each and everyone,

I can’t decide if the swimming or

The eating was most fun!

Hikes at Centennial Park,

Challenging and hot,

Made some of us realize,

In shape we were not!

But we laughed and we cried,

 And we all worked hard,

 “No more cookies?”

I heard as the parents sighed,

No other trip

That you’ve been on before,

Has made you work harder,

Or earn much more!

Soon we’ll be jetting off into the sun,

To Lucernce, Venice and Paris,

You will have so much fun.

So on June 30^th,

As you climb into bed,

And visions of the Eiffel tower

Dance in your heads,

Get a good night sleep,

Before you rise and shine,

Check your list twice

Get to the airport on time.

security will say “What is that clatter”,

Everyone will look to see what is the matter.

When what to the Air Canada employees should appear,

But 18 girls and 3 guiders, and all of their gear!

They will chuckle and say, “how much does this weigh?”

Are there any liquids or are they all packed away?

Now Yvonne and her 6, and Cass and the chics,

Don’t leave behind Lynn’s group

Who are taking some pics!

To the top of the escalator,

Through security and the gate

5:15 we leave for Toronto

We don’t want to be late!

As we board the plane,

I heard parents exclaim,

As I whistled and called each girl by their name;

Melissa, Breanne, Caelan, Emily come run,

Jacquie, Kyla, Kelsi and Allison number one.

Alyson two, Emma, Laura and Morgan, here we go

Riley, Sarah-Anne, Serena and Adrienne, with her sister in tow

Natalee and Erin, have we got all eighteen?

Lynn and Cass, lets go, don’t make a scene!

To Mt. Pilatus , and Verona,

To Monaco and Rome,

In 22 days we will all be home.

As they left and the girls sent one last text,

We thought we heard Yvonne say,

“Where do we want to go next? ”

Two Weeks!

Two weeks today, 14 days, 5 hours and 20 mins. we will be on board our flight to Toronto and 4 hours after that be on board our international flight to Zurich!  Who is getting excited?  As the day draws nearer to our departure it seems to become more real than just some far off distant dream that we started 2 years ago.
What are you more looking forward too?  Is it the cool mountain air of Mount Pilatus or the warm Meditteranean breeze in Nice, how about the warm rains in London that catch you off gaurd without your umbrella...wouldn't be complete without one of those.  Keep researching everyday, look at everything on line that you can, catch a few movies like Midnight in Paris, Letters to Juliet, When in Rome....you will be seeing all those places and more!  For myself, the realization that we will be in Rome on a Sunday, visiting Vatican city..wow...imagine...we might see Pope Benedict!  How amazing will that be? The countdown continues...keep packing, call or email if you have any last minute questions!

Erin helping her mom

Doesn't she look impressed? We were doing a secret thing for the trip group! Sshhhh




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Location:Donald St W,Thunder Bay,Canada

Pic practice

Morgan and Davidson goofing around.


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Location:Centennial Park

We had a great evening learning about all the amazing things our cameras can do last night! Barry was terrific and took time to help each person out. It was a lot of fun and I think everyone learned some tips and tricks about taking great photos. I am sure looking forward to seeing what we have when we get home.

Welcome to our Blog

Our Unit has worked very hard over the past 18 months to make some of our greatest Guiding dreams come true. This summer we will embark on an incredible journey with EF tours  through Switzerland, including a day trip to Our Chalet; through Italy and France and then we will travel to England to stay at Pax Lodge and participate in the Journey Through London program.

Our Unit, the 1st Europe 2012 Independent Unit, consists of three Guiders and 18 girl Members, almost all of whom have been in Guiding since Sparks, They accepted my challenge of using cookie sales to finance our trip, and in doing so, broke cookie-selling records provincially and nationally by selling 1245 cases of classic cookies. This past fall we sold over 400 cases of mint cookies and again this spring another 800 cases.

We delivered phone books, held pancakes breakfasts and auctions; sold thousands of chocolate bars and hundreds of perogies! Parents, grandparents and girls, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins...everyone helped sell, eat and work their way toward this trip. The past 18 months have been an incredible journey, but the reward for all the hard work awaits us July 1!

We have created this  which we hope you will follow as we travel.

The girls will be doing the postings and recapping the excitement of each day. Join us as we travel through Europe, we will be glad to have you along!

18 days and counting!

Yours in Guiding,
Yvonne DeBruyne

A gondola ride in Venice?

Have you dreamt of riding a gondola through the waterways of Venice? Dream no more....we will have the opportunity to travel as Venetians do!  Watch this short video on what to expect on a gondola ride.  it promises to be a real treat!

its official!

We have official trip approval as of today!  Sleep will be good tonight!  I cannot tell you how many nights I've spent thinking about the paperwork...did I do this, did I write that...what about this, what about that?
 The journey has been long..the trip is nearing, and the excitement is building!  25 days until we are jet set for Zurich!
 How many girls at age 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, or 17, can say that they are going on a 3 week holiday to Europe to visit 4 countries, visit two world centres, go inside the gates of Buckingham Palace in the year of the Diamond Jubilee, be in a city that is hosting the Olympics one week before the official event, gone to the top of Mt. Pilatus, yodelled on a stage, found treasures like the Mona Lisa  and done service hours for highschool in a foreign country?  Not many is my guess.  Write those buckets lists, and get ready to check them off as we encounter foreign lands, amazing people, breath taking scenery and the Journy of a Lifetim.