I found a spot!
I'm going to Belle Ile en Mer, a small island off the west coast of Brittany, next weekend. I'm staying at a hostel for about 10 Euro a night, and my destination is described as "Paradise of the hikers and the friends of nature, Belle-ile-en-Mer is a natural site classified among the ten most beautiful sites of France." I think, if I'm feeling brave and the weather agrees, I will hitchhike there by myself. I spent the afternoon hanging out with three well-traveled hitchhikers, and it's something I really want to do, but I admit that I feel some hesitation. Which I will overcome!
Next up: plan the Balkans trip. Lada already arranged to host Manning and I at her father's apartment for as long as we need while we're in Sarajevo, and gave me a huge list of things to see and do. I didn't write anything down, but I did look at the map and get excited. And even more excited when I got the schedule for August and saw all that beautiful time off!
Photo: Manning, Lada, me, and beer in London. Cheers!