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Thursday, July 23, 2009

Europe, the unconventional way

I am leaving for Europe on Tuesday and I have NO idea where I'm going yet, but I know it will be one of those incredible trips of a lifetime. I will be racing across several secret destinations in Europe with Competitours, an Amazing Race-style trip in which two-person teams compete for a grand prize (another trip). As an added bonus, this trip will feature Tyler MacNiven, half of the duo that won the Amazing Race in season 9, who is on the roster with his mother.

While most of the challenges are not all physical, I will be paired up with a woman who, at age 50, is an Ironman triathlete. Most of the teams that will be participating know their partner, but Sheila and I (a.k.a. Team Serendipity) are complete strangers, teaming up out of necessity because our own teammates backed out of the competition. 

But hey, we don't have the emotional baggage that some teams will bring on the trip with them. We are singularly united by the desire to lead the pack and cross the proverbial finish line before anyone else. I consider it an advantage.

At least that's what I thought — at first.

These last few days, the 11 teams have been introducing themselves and their team names through a series of pre-trip challenges that are geared toward getting the "competitouristas" familiar with the equipment and how to submit challenges for the judging process. Much of the banter has been friendly, but there's definitely an underlying theme from all the teams — they want to win, too!

"We now know that our fellow Competitourists are not to be dismissed," wrote Ally and Bob, a couple from Dallas who have signed on for the competition a second time (the inaugural trip was in March). "It is a mistake to assume anything when one is among the type of people who would sign up for a Competitours trip ... not your average bears, as Smokey would say. So, The Screaming Intrepid Monkeys will be swinging on a different vine to reach greater heights, 'cause the big banana is on a higher tree than we thought."

The game is definitely on! 


FOLLOW US!
You can follow everyone's progress online from July 28 to Aug. 6. We will be uploading our challenge videos to YouTube each night to our own accounts, which follow. Standings will be posted here

Team Serendipity (Sheila & Laura): www.youtube.com/ser0728

Absolutely Fabulous (Sherri & Judy): www.youtube.com/abs0728

As Seen on TV (Lanthy & Ranford): www.youtube.com/ass728

Coin Collectors (Pat & Ray): www.youtube.com/coi0728

Dilettantes Ink (Lyndall & Ksenia): www.youtube.com/dil0728

Disco Pussy Cats (Tyler & Margaret): www.youtube.com/disco0728

Parrotheads (Teri & Veronica): www.youtube.com/parrot0728

The Screaming Intrepid Monkeys (Ally & Bob): www.youtube.com/mon0728

Shake & Bake (Daniel & Karen): www.youtube.com/shake0728

Team Swift (DeAnna & Kelly): www.youtube.com/swi0728

Weathehekawi (Jan & Sean): www.youtube.com/wea0728



1 comment:

dsgncreative said...

Laura can I have your life PLEASE!! LOL I want to go on vacation to Europe!