This summer, my family and I spent two months in Europe, which explains my absence from Odyssey. We travelled throughout England and also visited The Netherlands. And, to round off our trip, my sister and I spent two weeks together in Croatia.
Although I am originally from England, spending the summer exploring my island as well as visiting new countries opened me up to a lot more experiences and taught me far more than living in England ever did. I think the main reason for this is that I am now 11 years older than I was when I lived in England and so the world is a completely different place for 20-year-old me as opposed to 9-year-old me.
Not only have familiar people and places changed, but also I have changed and the way I see and experience things has changed as well. I am definitely more self-sufficient and independent than I was a decade ago and so I was able to go and explore and do things without holding my Mum's hand the whole time.
That being said, this summer has definitely taught me a lot. Beyond just discovering how hard life is without Wi-Fi or cell service (I never realized how attached I am to my phone until it was basically useless for 2 months) I learned a lot about myself - my strength; my shortcomings; and who I am as a person.
I know this sounds super corny and slightly ridiculous, I mean how can I seriously sit here and say that a summer vacation was an enlightening journey of self-discovery? It honestly sounds like the plot of a bad Hallmark movie, but no matter how silly it sounds, I do believe that this trip helped me grow and taught me so much from how to actually use a map to the best places to go when you need to exchange currency.
Here are just a few of the things my summer in Europe taught me:
1. Drinking doesn't have to be a big deal.
Since I am of legal drinking age in Europe, I was excited to be able to buy alcohol and have a glass of wine with dinner and go to bars at night. But what I quickly realized is that the idea of drinking for me was a novelty and it soon wore off, most nights I wasn't interested in a glass of wine or a bottle of beer, and that was fine. Drinking just isn't as big of a deal for young people my age in Europe as it is for those same young adults here in America.
2. Pay-as-you-go phones are the greatest invention ever!
I mentioned before that I was surprised to discover just how much I rely on my phone on an everyday basis. I use it for directions, to call and text people, and just to stave off boredom, so when I wasn't able to use my phone abroad I was admittedly floundering. A few weeks into the trip my family realized that running into cafes hoping for Wi-Fi so that we could text each other our location was a bit silly. We decided to pick up two pay-as-you-go phones, which made our lives so much easier for the rest of the trip. They were dinosaur phones that were only useful for calling one another, but they were absolute life savers!
3. I am horrible at directions.
I knew this already, but my understanding was reaffirmed by this trip. Thank goodness my two sisters can read a map otherwise I would've been completely lost all trip!
4. You have to get lost in order to find your way.
In spite of what I said in point 3, I think allowing myself to get lost was the best thing to do. Without a map or any clue where I was going, I found some of the most amazing places that really made the whole holiday. I was also able to have more confidence in myself because when I did get comfortable enough just to wander around aimlessly, I didn't stress myself out and instead was able to enjoy my time just discovering new places.
5. Backpacks are stressful but useful.
On most trips, backpacks are far more practical than purses. They fit more and they are easier to carry, but they are a little more stressful to have on you because they are more accessible to strangers than a bag that you wedge under your arm. Nevertheless, I think a backpack is a must for day trips and just carrying around abroad.
6. Never carry all of your money around with you.
It is just a stupid idea, don't do it.
7. Walking is the best way to familiarize yourself with a new place.
I touched on this earlier, but I think it is so important to walk around when you are in a new place because you pay more attention to where you are going and where you've been when you are walking as opposed to being driven in a taxi or uber.
8. Never stay in the city center, always stay where the locals live.
The city center is often super busy and full of tourists, which means two things: it will be very loud and very over-priced. The way I see it, if you stay outside of the city center, you can get a good night's sleep and more of a sense of local life.
9. Plan out each day so you don't waste time.
We fell into this trap when we were staying in Bath where we didn't plan out our days and so ended up missing out on what we really wanted to do. Once we sat down and made plans, we had a much more fulfilling experience.
10. But also plan for free days where you can relax or do whatever you want.
When my sister and I were in Croatia, we planned out each of our days so that we could be sure to do and see everything that we wanted. But we also left three days free for just doing whatever we felt like. These three days allowed us to relax, to go back to places we really liked and to have time to do these things without missing out on something else.
11. Be polite and friendly to others, it takes no effort but it goes a long way.
This is kind of self-explanatory.
12. Explore off the beaten path, you may find something far more charming and wonderful than any tourist attraction.
I think this is what makes traveling such a magical and rewarding experience.
13. Take a guided tour, it'll tell you things about an area that you'd never expect to learn
Sometimes it's best to hear from an expert!
14. Bring a camera wherever you go.
Who cares if you look like "such a tourist,” you'll regret not capturing all the special moments.
15. Do something that you can only do in that part of the world.
For example, if you are in England, go and have a cream tea.
16. Don't be afraid to ask if you need help with something.
Whether it be for directions or when the next train is coming, there's no harm in asking.
17. I am capable of traveling alone.
I always worry about ending up like the girl in the movie Taken, but this trip has shown me that I have far more street smarts than she did ;)
18. The world is not that scary.
It’s really quite hard to travel alone or with one other girl as a young woman. People can try to take advantage of you as they do with all tourists and so for a novice traveler like myself, it can be scary. But it doesn't have to be. As long as you keep your wits about you and know what situations to avoid, traveling is lots of fun!
19. I like spending time with myself.
Although I went on holiday with my family (5 people), and spent most of my time visiting more family, I treasured the moments I spent by the beach wrapped up in a book or wandering the streets of Amsterdam, or sitting in a little cafe sipping a coffee and watching the world go by. And for the first time I didn't feel awkward and as if people were judging my lack of company, or maybe I just didn't care what people thought. Either way it was really nice.
20. I LOVE to travel!
The past two months have ignited a new passion in me and I can't wait for my next adventure overseas!
