General mood and feelings
I guess I can say I am feeling better. I am definitely used to traveling now and the hotel and friends' places were a REALLY nice break from the sucky things like not being clean and sleeping in the same room as 10 other people. We will have 2 more stops where we won't be in hostels, so at least I have those to look forward to.
Some nights I have these dreams that we're just leaving the US. Sarah Wilson, idk if you are reading but you were the lead role in a dream where Jeremy and I were leaving a Gamecock basketball game for the airport and you were giving me travel advice haha :) I woke up feeling horrible though, like it was day one again and we had to start completely over.
I am definitely glad I came. If I went back in time I would do most things the same. Maybe a few less night in London, a few more in every other city that's not London... But if you asked me to go on this trip again in the spring, I would probably say no. Maybe if you were paying for it. Maybe if we were just doing part of it. But I am, as I already knew and was ready to deal with, someone who is comfortable in her own space.
I am VERY happy to say that I am already pulling up memories from this trip in times of sadness or boredom. Some little pieces are so good and happy and those are the ones I will always cherish. Our evenings in Paris drinking wine in the shadow of Notre Dame, our relaxing nights with new friends, the little notes I go back and read that you guys have sent that make me smile, biking the canals in Amsterdam. These things make all the mundane and all of the awful and uncomfortable so so so worth it.
So that's a good thing.
Walking tours
If you've been reading along, you know that we are huge fans of walking tours. We have done one in every city but London (where we did a bus tour because the city is huge) and Copenhagen (we did a walking tour but it was with Kian and involved wine so really it's unfair to compare the rest to that).
They have all been pretty full because its still tourist season, but that's ok because I'm me and I walk to the front with the guide and shamelessly ask my questions like I'm the only one there. People from all ages are on the tours. Families bring their kids in middle school on up, and older retired people come and walk a little slower but keep up easily.
It's always a mix of people from all over speaking many languages but listening to English or the native language. People tip whatever they can- we usually give €3 each because we don't have much. Some people tip €10 or €20 if they can. It's a really good system where your budget doesn't ever mean you can't go.
The point is- on your first day in a new city, take the walking tour! You really get a feel for the city and learn vital stuff like things that you would do that the locals would think are rude. Or what the 3 things you MUST see are. Good stuff, people. Just be ready to take a nap or get some coffee after.
Geography
Why do we feel the need to call all of these places by the wrong name? Ok I get that some are just anglicized like Praha being spelled Prague and stuff but Germany? It's Deutschland, English. I don't know I just feel like its disrespectful to call them this other name for whatever reason.
Backpacking Culture
In some countries, namely Australia, it is normal to go backpacking across Europe or the US or whatever for like 3, 4, 5, 6 months or more. I cannot imagine.
But thinking of what I have gotten out of it so far and what I think some of my peers would get out of it leads me to think that it would be great if it were a bigger part of our culture. Sure, we do it- here I am. But you guys are reading along because its not an everyday thing. Every 20-something you know has not done this. It's not the norm because you're supposed to go to school and work. Vacation in the US is something you even hesitate to take at your job.
But here I am in the middle of a 2-month course in history and world cultures. And let me tell ya, you remember a lot more doing this than by reading textbooks.
I think a lot of my peers in the US are narrow minded. Not in a bad way, and not even in a way that's their fault. They just haven't seen much outside of home, be it outside of Baltimore or the US or Columbia, SC. And it's not the sights and the museums that I'm talking about. It's the little stuff- weird toilets, funny accents, different customs- that change your point of view. Learning these things has already made me a more understanding person. And I haven't even gone that far.
So think about it, friends. I definitely needed it.
Some lists
Top ten things I miss
1. You
2. English
3. Healthy food. Really just all fruits and veggies
4. The way my phone works at home, like how I could google stuff and use maps.
5. TV- How I Met Your Mother, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings- before bed
6. Feeling pretty- my clothes, my shoes, daily showers, make up, etc
7. My shower
8. My bed. I know it's a pretty low spot- I'm pretty good at sleeping anywhere
9. Not being lost or needing a map
10. My purse
Things I'm gunna do when I get home
1. Shower
2. Call, text, snap chat, Facebook, Instagram, and email on my phone
3. Watch tv all day in bed
4. Eat chipotle with AJ
5. Go to SC
6. Wash every single thing I brought with me
7. Get Rita's
8. Play the piano
9. Pet a kitten
10. Look really cute all the time for like a month
Most beautiful things I've seen so far
1. The European countryside by train
2. Paris in the evening
3. The churches
4. Amsterdam
5. My friends on Skype
Most interesting things I've seen so far
1. Berlin as a whole
2. Amsterdam red light district
3. The mummies
4. The V&A museum in London
5. Subtle differences (metros, sidewalks, toilets, customs, culture, fashion, money, food, etc)
As you can tell I had a nice long time to sit and write on the train. I guess that's it for now! Thanks, as always, for reading. Miss you.
<3
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