First Day of My RTW Trip… In Malaga, Spain

I have now officially started my RTW trip and even though I spent the better part of 2 days on standby in Charlotte Douglas to catch a flight out and even though I spent 9 hours in the JFK airport in NY with a layover, it was all worth it after getting upgraded to business class on the actual 8 hour flight to Spain. I really don’t know how I’ll ever go back to coach….a  4 course meal for dinner with unlimited drinks, a 7 item breakfast along with pretty much anything else you wanted makes you a bit spoiled though I soon realized this may be the best I’ll be eating for a while, especially in regard to the service provided.  A special thanks goes out to Sandy for helping me secure the ticket! It was well worth the wait.

I ended up starting my RTW trip by flying into Malaga which is in Southern Spain along the coast. The original plan was to fly into Madrid but with plans to visit Southern Spain, it made the most sense to opt for Malaga.  It’s a very nice city though it has taken me a bit to get adjusted to the time difference and also to get reacquainted with my Spanish (or lack thereof). Surprisingly, there aren’t as many locals that speak English here as you’d find in other parts of Western Europe such as France, Germany and Italy.  It definitely makes some easy tasks difficult but I’m picking it up steadily.

Shopping area in Malaga, Spain

And my first night here in Malaga was a great reminder of what makes traveling so much fun. After eating dinner, I found myself on a roof top having drinks with several folks from around the globe including places such as Germany, Finland, France, Canada, the U.K. and Australia. Conversation has never been so entertaining and such a stark reminder as to why I love traveling so much. So far, its been a great start for my RTW trip!!