This past summer, I was given the opportunity to travel all over Europe for a month. Europe had always been a dream of mine since I was a little girl, and it was finally happening.
Never would I have expected though this adventure would change me as a person and teach me so many valuable lessons. These are the 5 lessons I learned during my unforgettable and breathtaking trip.
1. I learned how to be my “weird” self
I like to compare myself to Kinder egg because although I look completely normal on the outside, I’m a big “surprise” when you get to know me. Only my close friends really see this bizarre side of me because I usually contain it with everyone else.
Only my close friends know that I’m an obsessed and crazy unicorn and sparkle lover, and that I send five-minute Snapchat videos of me ranting with a voice change filter.
In Europe, something changed within me that I felt like I didn’t need to “contain myself." I felt more comfortable in my skin and was tired of hiding my quirks, so I decided to be genuine to myself and to the all the people I encountered.
I was going to show them all the sides of Jane Kim and I didn’t care if they were going to accept it.
2. I learned how to open up
I love putting myself out there and meeting new people, but I never let my personal guards down doing so. I always had trouble really opening up because I thought that being vulnerable was like giving people the opportunity to hurt you.
I met so many people during my whole tour that were from different walks of life and cultures, and many of them were able to openly talk to me even with having gone through so much pain and loss. It amazed me that they were willing to show me that part of them self to me, a stranger they had just known for a week. I found myself opening up after endless nights of so many intimate and meaningful conversations.
I talked about my aspirations, my fears, and the things that hurt me in the past. I was breaking the tough wall I had been building and bared myself because I learned being able to make yourself vulnerable to others shows strength and courage.
I wasn’t my past mistakes nor was I a coward for having fears. I was a human being just like everyone else.
3. I learned age was really just a number
The company I was going through had an age range from 18 to 35-year-olds, so I was fearful that I wasn’t going to make friends and no one would want to hang out with me because I was “too young."
Never had I been so wrong in my life. My group was full of people of all varying ages and never once did anyone treat each other differently because of their ages. We all bonded with each other and ended up becoming a close-knit family that looked out for each other at all nights.
I realized quickly no one cared about age, but more on what kind of person you were and how you handled yourself during difficult situations. Connections aren't based off who’s wiser or who’s older but based on what each person has to offer to help expand the other person’s intellectual thought.
We all learned from each other and respected one another as just individuals without a number attached to ourselves.
4. I learned how to "slow down"
I was born and raised in New York, so everything was always fast-paced in my life.
In Europe, there was no such thing as "fast-paced." Everyone took time in their steps admiring the beautiful and intricate historical buildings around them and in getting know each other during any meal of the day. People barely took out their phones during meals because they valued face to face conversations.
Nothing mattered besides the present time.
My steps became gradually slower because I took the time to look at my surroundings. In Paris, I captured the awe-dropping moment of me standing on the steps in front of the glimmering Eiffel Tower. In Austria, I breathed in the mountainous scenery as we were white water rafting. In Spain, I stopped on the La Rambla to watch and admire the local musicians playing.
I also indulged myself in meaningful and intellectual conversations with the locals and the people from my tour. I’m so thankful that I did because I heard amazing stories from all over and that’s something you can’t get through just searching the web.
5. Finally… I learned that three meals are never enough
I don’t know who made up the three meals a day routine, but whoever did most likely has never traveled to Europe or is missing out. Only having three meals in Europe compares to only having the crust of a whole pizza pie or getting just rice and beans at Chipotle. YOU ARE MISSING OUT.
Food is at every corner you turn in Europe, whether it be a kabob stand in Amsterdam or a schnitzel restaurant in Germany. I learned that calories did not count in Europe because food was a part of the culture and it would be wasteful to not fully experience it all.
Every meal was a three-course meal. Dessert crawls were a part of our routine in Italy; we would have tiramisu in Venice, cannolis in Florence, and gelato practically everywhere multiple times a day without shame.
Being a HUGE foodie, I never complained once during this whole adventure of finding small hidden cafes and restaurants in the dimly lit alleyways. I’m a strong believer in eating a lot of good food in this one life we have.
Europe was a defining moment in my life because I learned more about myself and the different cultures. I learned to be true to myself and never let anything ever get in the way of that. I am eternally grateful for this trip because I was able to make unforgettable friendships and connections on the trip.
I truly hope to see my lifelong friends one day again.