When and where was I?

Just so you get an idea of where I was and when I was there. I planned the first leg of the trip while I was at home (up until Annecy). The rest I planned while I was on the road. I'm going to go through the pictures again to remind myself of what I did and then I'll share them here!

Was it worth it?

Yes, it was. I want to break down the finances of it to see what it was actually worth. I probably could have saved some money on a few things. Or maybe I missed out on a once-in-a-lifetime experience because I was being too cheap.

Although, I have to confess.... I gotta keep telling myself that it was worth it, especially right now. It's too easy to sit here right now and say, "oh man, if only I hadn't gone---I could have paid off my car, paid for my tuition, kept up with the bills and not worry so much about money."

Money--you really are the bane of my existence. One thing I did learn while in Europe was how to spend money. It's not something that I should want to hold on to. It isn't a constant. It needs to flow and the more you try to control it's flow, the more worries you cause yourself. I know this isn't the coolest thing, but it was a light bulb moment for me, and it's forever changed my view of money.

He hit the nail on the head

I read this not so long ago. But this is exactly why I did it. And it is exactly why I wasn't afraid to do it by myself.

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes."
— Marcel Proust

Some Traveling Tips

Most of my tips are about packing. It is a big part of the trip! I wanted to travel light and did a lot of research about packing before the trip. These are a few of the things I found really useful. (Sorry if it's boring. Maybe I'm just recording it for myself in case I need to pack for this type of situation again).

Quick dry towel - http://www.rei.com/product/783080/rei-multitowel-lite-x-large-towel-49-x-295
I LOVED this thing! If you're planning on staying at hostels, I would absolutely recommend this. It folds up really small and dries super fast. Some hostels might provide towels for free or charge a small fee, but most of the hostels I stayed in didn't provide towels.

Laundry - I washed all my laundry by hand. I only went to a laundromat once in Rome. It's a little hard to do your laundry when you're staying in hostels, but I mixed it up staying in hotels, apartments and dorms. I usually washed my clothes as I went so that I'd always have a fresh supply.

Headlamp - I found this especially helpful when staying in hostels b/c if you're getting back late, you don't want to turn on the light and wake everyone up. Handy for searching in your bag late at night. And also it came in handy when I was in the dorm in Annecy when there was a brief power outage.

Snacks - I brought a few snacks from home that lasted me the first week of the trip. There's always food around, but things in Europe are not open 24/7 like they are here. Once my granola bars and snacks were gone, I'd buy more at the grocery store for the next leg of the trip.

Clothes - This is the most challenging to pack. If I did it over again, I'd pack cuter clothes. Really. I didn't want to ruin any good clothes, so I brought things that were quick dry and were, more or less, dispensable. I felt very frumpy the whole time. If I did it again, I'd 1) Try on all my clothes before packing and make sure things matched and fit. I'd pack basic pieces and a few accessories for when you need to dress it up a bit. It's inevitable that you're going to do some shopping, so leave room for the things you accumulate on the road. 2) I sent a good size box of stuff home the first few days of the trip. In it were shorts, a sweatshirt, a day backpack and a purse. I also abandoned some stuff on the road too, like a hairdryer that went berzerk when I tried to use it and a few books, too.

Shoes - A good pair of walking shoes and flip flops. I debated bringing tennis shoes and heels, but there just wasn't any room for it. I'm glad I didn't bring it, though, because I wouldn't have worn them. If you need special shoes for an occasion, I'd suggest buying them when you're there. There are so many shoe stores or people selling it on the street that you can find a cheap pair and toss them if you can't bring them along.

Laptop - Some sites said not to bother since there are internet cafes everywhere, but I didn't run into that many internet cafes. If it's a short trip, maybe I'd leave it at home, but it really was indispensable for me. A lot of hostels provide free wifi, so I'd use it to skype home, make reservations, pay bills, check emails and watch movies when I was feeling lonely or bored.

Umbrella - I'm glad I brought this, especially in London.

------HOSTELS-----

 

Palmers Lodge, London

What the heck is a hostel? I had to do a trial run before this trip, hence the quick trip to Toronto in February to brush up on how they worked. They're not that big a deal, it's just that since I never stayed in one before, I didn't know what to expect. Were there rules? Do you have sheets? Are the rooms all female or mixed?

First off, read the reviews. I booked them all on hostelworld.com and the reviews were really helpful. I booked places that were close to the train station, if I was arriving late at night in the city. Cleanliness and safety were top. And then I'd just rank them. Some of them provide towels. Some places include free breakfast. All the places, except one in Venice, provided sheets. I think the sheets in Venice were 3 EUR to rent.

Staying in hostels was a cheap way to go, and if you're traveling by yourself, a good way to meet other people. They also have a lot of helpful information for tourists. A lot of the hostels I stayed at offered free walking tours of the city. The tour guides work on tips, so it's not really "free," but it's a cheap way to get a grip on the city on your first days there.

 

Free walking tour in Paris

Hope you found some of that interesting. Maybe even helpful. I worried a lot about the logistics of the trip and if I'd be able to make it through with my budget. A lot of the worrying was when I was at home planning the trip, but once on the road, it's easy to adapt as you go.

Abrupt stop in posts

I feel I've got some 'splainin' to do. I am home now (two months to be exact--almost as long as I've been away, and yet it feels like I just got back), and this spring/summer is just flying by. Everything feels like it's been moving so fast lately. I haven't had time to stop and think. From the moment that plane touched down in the good ole U.S of A, it was all about catching up with friends and family, going out, finding work, registering for classes, researching, searching, researching, and then denying that it was time to get back to reality by trying to fit in a few more trips.

I haven't had time to reflect on where I've been, who I've met, what I saw, and what I've learned. Now that classes have started and I've finally landed a job, I can breathe a little sigh of relief. I want to share more about what this whole experience meant for me and what it did for me. Maybe share some tips, take a look at the finance (How the heck did I manage it? Even I wonder), some uh-oh moments and some ah-hah moments.

Hopefully it will inspire you to do some traveling, too. Once that little seed is planted, it'll sprout and start growing out of your ears :) This trip was very personal for me, but what would it be if I kept it all to myself? What a selfish girl. After all, since I traveled alone for most of the trip, how much fun is it to revel in those memories by myself?

I'll start with the most vibrant experiences and see where it goes from there. If you have any questions for me, please ask away! It's hard to recount every single detail until someone asks sometimes. And hold me accountable. If this blog has an ending, I should at least put forth the effort and not just let it fall off the face of the earth with no chance of saying goodbye.

lagging on the posts

Sorry for lagging on the posts lately. I've been busy since Sandy came to travel with me in Italy for the week. It was so much fun. Pictures and stories to come later.

I'm in Nice right now and will be off to Bordeaux tomorrow afternoon. It's almost 3am here. I'm tired, dirty and can't wait to get home. It's been a great experience and I am having great time, but traveling drains you. This is not a vacation. Traveling is exhausting. Oh home sweet home, I can't wait to be there :)

Fast and Furious 5

I got back to my hostel early yesterday, and I didn't feel like hanging around, so I went to the movies. They only had 2 show times, 8:15 and 8:30, and there were only 4 movies playing. I watched Fast and Furious 5...all in German. You don't need to know the language to understand that movie. I got the gist, except for the jokes. I sat straight faced as everyone in the audience was laughing in unison.

I sat in the back so I could eat my dinner that I snuck in :). A salad, banana and chocolate.