Just wandering around Europe (somehow I didn’t get lost)

Can some one please tell me why I keep hearing the song “Scotty Doesn’t Know” playing on loop? It’s like I’m stuck in a bad 2000’s teen movie.

In all honesty I’ve spent the last 3 weeks traveling by plane, train, and automobile (really the only mode of transportation I’m missing it horse, and there’s still a week left to go in my travels, so who knows what could happen), seeing the major capitols of the European continent. I’ve been from Berlin to Stockholm and Amsterdam to Paris, and finally I’ve arrived in Barcelona before I spend a week in Madrid, bringing my six months of wandering and exploration to a close (and I’m very excited to finally be in a place where I understand at least part of the language. Who knew 5 years of Spanish classes would actually be useful in the real world).

this month has been the perfect cap to my time abroad, allowing me to experience country’s and cities I have dreamed of seeing since I was young. I have tasted unique cuisine and wandered aimlessly through some of the most beautiful cities in the world. I was in Paris, the city of love, on valentine’s day, something many people never get to experience.

That’s not to say that the journey has been easy. I’ve been bunked out in hostel rooms with a dozen other people, on bed’s just a size to small (which is saying something, as I’m not exactly a basketball player), with just enough space to squeeze a purse through, let alone a suitcase. The bathrooms have at times been the things of nightmares, and the nights has been filled with enough snoring to wake the dead.

But those haven’t been the hardest parts. The hardest part I would have to say is traveling alone. With out another person with me I have often been left alone with my thoughts. I have eaten many meals alone, and wandered through many a museum with nary a living soul in sight. It can be lonely. But it can also be an adventure. A year ago I would never have imagined traveling thousands of miles by myself, or of exploring unknown cities with nothing more than a screenshot of a map on my phone. I suppose this a sign of the growth I have experienced as I have wandered the world. It’s a rather exciting concept to think about, and one that has me thrilled with the possibilities.

My journey ends with a week in Madrid before I finally return home, after six months. I will luckily not be alone on that part of my journey, as I will be meeting up with some friends from my program, which should be fun. After that I am unsure of where I am headed next, but I will keep everyone up to date.