I have had a passport since 2003. Guess how many stamps it has in it? None. I have never used my passport or been out of the country.

Sure I partied in Tijuana when I was in High School, who didn't back in the 80's? But any San Diegan knows that Tijuana doesn't count as another country. If you don't need a passport to go there, it doesn't count.

Well, guess what? I've got a pretty new black leather cover for my passport and I'm going to use it this year.

My boyfriend's family has decided to take a cruise up the Danube River at Christmas, and I've decided that I'm going with them. So, a Southern California girl will be taking her first trip out of the country in the dead of the Eastern European winter, enjoying an icy riverboat tour of the Danube River.

Thank God we got the "beverage package." We may freeze our asses off, but we will have unlimited access to alcohol and we don't have to drive.

Click here to keep reading ...

Big Plans
You're probably wondering what wonderful lands I will see on my journey along the Danube River. Well, I'll tell ya. The Danube River is lined with all sorts of magical countries that I've never given two thoughts about. I will fly (coach) from busy New York City to Prague in the snowy Czech Republic.

After a couple days there we take a train to Vienna in the beautiful land of Austria, and that's where we get on a riverboat on which we will ride through Slovakia and Slovenia, stopping in Budapest, Hungary, for the day, turn around and head back up the Danube River to finish it all off in Germany. We will celebrate Christmas day in Linz, the birthplace of Hitler.

Sinking In
Isn't that insane? I can't believe this is going to be my first trip out of the country. I can't believe I'm booking expensive trips to foreign countries when I'm broke and on unemployment. I just have faith that this trip, the recession and everything else is all going to somehow work out.

If you have any advice for traveling, or know anything about any of the countries I'm going to, please tell me! Our Riverboat tour stops in Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, Durenstein, Melk and Linz, and then we head back to Prague for a couple days before returning to New York to celebrate New Year's Eve. How am I going to pay for this? This is insane. I can't wait! I'm so excited. I can't wait to get a stamp in my passport and then freeze my titties off in Eastern Europe.

And now this week's unemployment update ...

To Do: Get a job to pay for this trip.