A few weeks ago, after a lovely and relaxing stay in Cork, I flew from Dublin to Brussels to commence my European backpacking adventure. There I made friends with several French Canadians at my hostel, one in particular named Colette. Together, Colette and I set about exploring (and getting lost, really, more than I'd like to admit) in the circular city, enjoying the thirty degree weather and indulging in trying everything Belgian - chocolate, waffles, and of cou...

It's hard to believe that four weeks ago I was preparing to set out on this journey, filled with wonder, expectations, and frustration at how difficult it was to pack for such a lengthy and cross-climate excursion. I left home feeling pretty content and looking forward to my adventures, though I was struck with some awful virus in the days leading up to my departure and was, overall, pretty darn miserable. But my thoughts focussed on getting better and wer...