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I stared at the screen in front of me asking if I would like to confirm my purchase, after another minute I clicked yes. My best friend from college, Julia and I had been planning our trip to Europe together for the past six months. Two years ago, we went to Paris for her birthday so this year we would go back to Europe for mine. We decided on Spain for ten days.
Julia lives in New York City so planning this trip has been difficult with the time change of the East Coast to the West Coast. Over the last few months, we would shoot each other emails back and forth with details of the dates that we could both get off work and try to coordinate our plans. As the dates grew closer, it was time to book and Julia had to back out. Money was tight and she couldn't get the days off.
That night, I had a glass of wine, sat in front of my computer and thought about taking a chance. Julia was no longer going, but what if I did it on my own? What if I did the backpacking trip to Europe that I've always dreamed of? Julia and I had stayed in hotels when we went to Paris and our plan was to do the same in Spain. I've always thought about backpacking and staying in hostels but never thought it was something I really could go through with. I had already requested the time off work and saved spending money for this trip.
I took a deep breath and said out loud, "You're going to Europe." Then it hit me, if I'm doing the trip of my dreams- why not add in Italy as well? I've always dreamed of going to Venice and Rome. Since I'm going by myself, I don' t have to clear it with anyone. I modified my flight search and ran a multi-city flight. With the click of a mouse, I made the leap. One week in Italy and one week in Spain.
Nothing about this trip was planned. I preferred it that way. The only definite plan I had was a flight into Milan and a return flight out of Barcelona. Everything in-between I would piece together along the way. Word got out quickly that I was doing this trip on my own .Everyone from work and back home in Ohio began questioning me. "You can't travel alone, are you crazy Julie?" I wasn't listening to their concerns. I knew I could do this and I knew this was going to change my life.
A few nights before my trip, my girlfriends came over and showered me with travel gifts for me to borrow. My friends in California were world travelers. They had all been to Europe and swore by hostels. It was really cute, I felt like they were all preparing me for college. They each brought something for me to borrow and went through each step to ensure I would be okay while I was on my own. Lauren brought me her iPod Touch. She demonstrated how to use the Italian App. She walked through how to click icons like "travel" and select "bus", then select the phrase you would need to ask "where is the bus stop?" The App speaks the word out loud along with the correct spelling. Emilie brought me the International conversion plugs for my iPad and downloaded all the Apps on the famous sites to see in Italy and Spain. Becca downloaded the Hostel world App and showed me how to search for safe hostels. She pre-booked two hostels for me that she highly recommended, one night in Rome and one night in Florence. The rest I would figure out along my journey.
I was so lucky to have them all over, helping me prepare for my trip. I felt like they were all talking a million miles per hour and giving me an overwhelming amount of information all at once. I started to get butterflies and wondered if this was all something I would be able to do. The trains looked complicated, the Italian language- I didn't even speak. I've lived by myself for so long and now I was going to be sleeping in a room with seven other strangers. I took a deep breath and realized it was all part of the fun and that I would be just fine.
The day before I left, it was chaos at work. I have a million projects going on right now and was trying to fill a sales position in California beforehand. My sales representatives were calling me non-stop with last minute questions because they knew I would be unreachable for two weeks. By the time five o'clock rolled around, I was able to breathe again. I put up my away message on my work email and changed my voicemail to "out of the office." It felt good. I had been so overwhelmed with work and was eager to shut down my blackberry and leave it behind. I would not be taking my phone, I would not be able to be contacted. I would be completely removed from work, stress and the real world. The real world was great, I loved my new life in California, I loved my job, I loved my friends. But I just felt this undeniable urge to see what else is out there. I want to be moved, I want to be removed- from everything that I've become accustomed to. I want to feel something. I don't know what, but I know on this trip I'll find out. I just know deep down in my heart that there is something drawing me to some answer that I could only discover on this trip.
I have no idea what will happen in Europe. Will I get mugged? I prepared myself for the worst. I photo copied my passport, my credit card and my birth certificate and emailed it to myself. If I did get robbed then I could access my email from anywhere. I know I will be fine, but I tried to prepare myself as best as I could. I know things are bound to go wrong, they're not always going to go right. That I can accept, but what I do know, is that this trip was meant to be. I'm so excited to see what was ahead of me for the next two weeks.
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Crestwood Owl Bout time I found out how this started!!!