You know what? I am so proud of all of the adventures I had while traveling!
People ask me about my travels, and I tell them about all of the amazing things I did. In all their envy, they tend to ask questions like “How were the gondolas in Venice? That’s SO on my bucket list!” It’s incredibly sobering to think that gondolas were on my bucket list up until the exact moment that I got to the docks and saw the price tag on a one hour gondola ride.
People I talk to try to make graduating a semester late, or not doing all the cliche things in Europe out to be a bad thing. I beg to differ, and I will never apologize for the decisions that I made while traveling.
Here are the choices I will never, ever apologize for:
- Not getting a gondola in Venice – 80 Euro can be much better spent mainland, without a time limit. 80 Euros could last me a week, and blowing it in an hour on dirty, stinky waterways with a pompous driver is not how I want to spend my Venetian afternoon. Sorry Not Sorry. I’d much rather spend $120 booking tickets to Turkey, or eating pizza, or on my ever growing collection of location-focused shot glasses.
- Skipping class –Most of these times were spent hitchhiking across the country to swim in the Mediterranean shipwrecks, spontaneously meeting locals and going on mini adventures, and knocking other amazing things off my bucket list.
- Getting ill in Athens – I’m not perfect, but I can say that I’ve tried every traditional Greek drink. In one night. Turns out I can also vouch that they don’t mix well.
- Meeting a ton of Americans – There is no better way to learn about yourself than meeting other versions of ‘you’. It is humbling to take a step back and looking at my culture from the outside.
- Graduating in 9 semesters – Two terms abroad. Two transfers. Two majors. One minor. I chose my adventure!
- ‘Stealing’ hotel food – See #1, there are better ways to spend my time and money than in lunch lines. I shamelessly carry a mini tupperware to store breads, and eat the breakfast buffet fruit throughout the day.
- Sleeping through drives across beautiful countrysides – Sometimes, I was just too busy in the cities to find time for R&R. I’m young, and I sleep well on car rides (thanks mom and dad for countless weekend road trips!). Sure, I missed the vineyards of France and the rolling hills of southern Germany, and there’s nothing better than the landscape of Austria! Which leads me to this:
- Taking the long way – I wouldn’t change these road trips for anything. I recommend to anyone to take the time to travel across countrysides, and see countries for more than their landmarks. Beyond that, I’ve loved seeing Europe and far western Asia’s smaller cities and getting to know the authentic cultures.
How did I spend my greatest adventure?
Doing exactly what I wanted. I am so happy 🙂