I was feeling lightheaded and weak even though physically I should have been fine. Regardless, once I had secured myself a bunk bed in the youth hostel and freshened up a little bit, I felt way to exhilarated to stay put.
And suddenly, I got cold feet. Planning the trip had been the easy part. But when the plan was finally about to become reality, I was afraid of my own courage.
My struggle during the planning phase was how to figure out what to take and what to leave behind. After all, I would have to carry all of my belongings for a good portion of the trip. And every unnecessary kilo hurts eventually.
I did some additional research to figure out what would be a reasonable budget. I figured that some countries (e.g. Italy) would require a little bit more daily allowance while other's would be cheaper (e.g. Turkey).
Somehow I came up with the idea of booking an Interrail ticket and touring Europe. Additionally, I felt the strong urge to do it alone. Considering how sheltered I had been up to that point, it surprised even me.
Even though there are measures you can take to travel safely, it seems wise to decide on a case by case basis whether you should venture out further than a staycation.
I manage to incorporate that mentality into my life on a lot of occasions. This happy-go-lucky attitude takes a lot of pressure out of life and travel for me and gives me confidence that everything will turn out alright someway. So, fake it 'til you make it!
It was such a simple thing to say, but he said it with such confidence and certainty, that it filled me with a sense of calm and awe at the same time. And it has stuck with me ever since.
My dad ingrained in me that there are a couple of bare essentials: Passport, banking card and (nowadays) your smartphone. If need be, you can figure out anything else along the way.
Whenever you plan a trip, one question might pop up sooner or later: Who (if anyone) do I take with me?
Whether at home or while abroad, we have all run into tourists that stuck out like a soar thumb and made us cringe at their behavior or inappropriate attire. Here are a couple of thoughts on how to be a good traveler (and not an obnoxious tourist).
There are countless things that I love about traveling. Here are the main ones for me personally.
Wandering Explorer Travel 