How my random, spontaneous Euro Road Trip came about

May has been quite the interesting month for me - filled with non-stop action, multi-time zones and an absolute ton of things to see and do. In retrospect, I'd do it all again - except for Air Canada canceling my flight from Fort McMurray to Toronto.

It started with work - formally met the boss's boss late in April and got some great feedback from both himself and my boss, which naturally has led to even more responsibilities at work: leading a rapid results project team, as well as being the designate for the boss when he's away; all this in addition to my normal duties as the Plant Engineer for the oldest primary upgrading unit in the world. Extremely busy and challenging, but as Nigerians are wont to say in such times "We thank God". Some have food but cannot eat, etc...(if you don't know the tune, don't worry).

Given the foregoing, you can understand why I needed a break, which the opportunity of my sister's wedding provided - technically, two weddings as is common in Nigeria: a traditional wedding on the 12th and the church wedding on the 14th. Shortly before the wedding, I also came up with the idea of a road trip through Europe. The stage was set for chaos, adrenalin and yes, fun.

It all started when Air Canada canceled my red-eye flight that was supposed to get into Toronto on the morning of the 12th. I had already cut things close by coming in on the morning of the traditional wedding (I insist on blaming my workload in the office), so you can imagine that my parents - not to mention the bride - were not pleased, considering the role I was to play in the wedding as a "son of the soil". When I finally got into Toronto - at 7pm, an hour after the wedding started - it was without my luggage, forcing me to return to the airport midway through the wedding to retrieve my belongings and ensuring that in the interim I had to squeeze my poor feet into my father's size 9 shoes (for the record, I wear 11 wides or 12s). 

The rest of the weekend was equally busy, albeit in a more normal fashion, with me shuttling people around, picking up suits and tuxes from stores, and generally running the sorts of last minute errands only a wedding can serve up. All's well that ends well and the church wedding on Saturday was great, despite the rain. All involved had a good time, especially with the food and on the dance floor.

Sunday was more laid back but at that point, I was craving my proposed, rapidly-planned Europe road trip more than a fat kid craves chocolate. The next few blog posts will detail how this trip went...