My first time to set foot on European soil was in Barcelona, Spain on July 10, 2010. Looking back, it boggles my mind, since Europe is now a second home. A lot has changed since that fateful trip nearly four years ago that ensured my return to the continent and ultimate move to Germany. I recall feeling lost 100 percent of the time, but not giving a hoot about my whereabouts because my surroundings were so spectacular, I never cared about a destination. In reality, I could have been in the worst part of Barcelona and still thought the architecture was something scholarly. I also took photos of everything - I mean every thing! That statue looks important; who is it? Oh well, I'll take a photo and look it up later (spoiler alert: I did not research photos post-destination). As cheesy as it sounds, I learned a lot my first time in Europe. There's something to be said for being able to successfully refold a hostel-issued paper map, and even more to be said if you can actually navigate your way through a city using said map.
my first ever day in Europe, exploring Barcelona
Before I traveled to Europe, never had I ever....
Traveled by Train
This stuns me since it is now easily my favorite form of transportation. From Barcelona, we had an overnight train ride planned to Rome to meet our fourth travel mate. Upon arrival at the train station, we looked at the departures board for the platform number and instead saw "BUS" written where a number should be. With some choppy Spanish, we learned that the Italian trains were on strike and indeed there was a bus as a substitute. 14 hours, 44,000 Rupees stolen from my bank account, and several restroom stops later (yep, there were no facilities on the bus), we arrived in Milan and I was able to board my first ever train to Rome. Ever since then, I can speak highly of train travel and fear the bus, since I've now been on a few in different European countries that lacked toilet.
And there's the story of how I learned to be a flexible traveler and take things as they come.
French train in Cerbere, France on the Spanish border
Stayed in a Hostel
In fact, until I really immersed myself in the blogosphere, I thought hostels were just a Europe thing. Ha! Little did I know there were hostels all over the world, even in my hometown. Now, I've stayed in more hostels than I can count and although I am a huge advocate of the backpacking + hostel travel style, I can firmly state that I'm looking forward to the day I can afford more private accommodations.
My worst hostel memory definitely comes from Florence, Italy. We stayed in a room of 8 girls during a couple of blistering hot July days. There were two standing fans and a silent war throughout the nights of these fans being moved around the poorly ventilated room.
My best hostel memory... well, I cannot even decide in this moment, which makes me rethink my earlier statement on hostels because I've had many fun times. There's nothing quite like having all your friends bunked up in a hostel together.
weekend at Generator Hostel in Hamburg, Germany
Navigated a Subway System (or a Continent)
You'd think I am from a small town, but alas, I am from a city of 5 million inhabitants and no practical public transportation system. In Houston's defense, it is all sorts of expansive. To further explain how this happened, I'd never traveled (and still have not traveled) to a U.S. city with an underground system. I remember following around my friends who were studying in Barcelona and being so impressed how easily they moved about the long tunnels between metro lines.
Eurail timetable and map for journey planning
Drank Energy Drinks
I always thought energy drinks smelled terrible. Then, I arrived in Barcelona on the day of the 2010 World Cup Semifinal game and I had no choice but to stay up and party all night, enter Vodka + Red Bull. The effects of Red Bull (or The Horny Leprechauns, as we drank that night) were magical, and although I've weened myself off, I still indulge myself when exhaustion sets in but an important night out calls.
my first-ever energy drink in Barcelona
What "firsts" did you encounter traveling overseas?
15 comments
well shoot, i love the way you did this post. now i want to recreate a post about my travel firsts. love this Alex!!
ReplyDeletenice! i did a post about how ignorant I was my first time abroad.... and now ;) jk sort of. I happen to think energy drinks are horrible! I can't even down a vodka and redbull these days.
ReplyDeleteUrgh, energy drinks taste like cough medicine to me. Soo sticky, soo sweet.
ReplyDeleteI use to think hostels where a European thing as well, and my worst hostel experience was also in Florence. Being able to fold those maps and use them to navigate is an accomplishment!
ReplyDeleteMany, many firsts, but mine would be from living abroad. I'd only traveled to Europe once before we moved to Turkey in 2010. :-) Speaking Turkish and Polish, shopping for fresh fish (or any meat) in a foreign language, bargaining for prices at the Bazaar, driving in Turkey, eating strange things like fried pig's feet, intestine soup, headcheese, crossing from Europe to Asia with ease (in Istanbul) once a week and many more.
ReplyDeleteI was also so impressed by how my cousin knew her way around the train station... I kind of see now how it isn't such a big deal. That said, I'd be horribly confused in any other European country besides Germany right now!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you. I don't like the taste of Taurine and the other energy drink mainstays at all.
ReplyDeleteSounds like it was a great experience. I find getting around Europe SO much easier than navigating the states. Unless you're in Paris trying to find a tiny road. Then it's practically impossible.
ReplyDeleteI don't recall my first time traveling overseas because I was a baby but I can remember my first time traveling to my motherland (Philippines). I was amazed at how there weren't traffic lights but people were very organized with their traveling.
ReplyDeleteSo many people think this, and I was one as well! I discovered the best hostel ever while in Chicago and have yet to find one that tops it. I'm glad I know the wonders of a still-cheap but private 2-person hostel room these days!
ReplyDeleteThese are excellent and the navigation things are always what gets me most. Thinking back on how I did it pre-iPhone, I can only be impressed. I remember in Belgrade, Serbia (in 2007), I had to give the taxi driver directions from memory back to where I was going with "left" and "right" in Serbian simply because I couldn't actually pronounce the street name clearly enough for him to understand and had no idea how to spell it. I have no idea how I did that still.
ReplyDeleteTraveling by train is definitely my fave, always miss that in America.
ReplyDeleteI remember my first time in Europe as being so mind-boggling. I couldn't believe I was actually in Europe, of all places! Nowadays it's old hat ... but thanks for bringing back some of that magic! Also, I love that your first time in Europe was in Spain :)
ReplyDeleteStill haven't stayed in a hostel (haven't traveled enough to make it happen!), but I was the same way with the trains and the metro prior to my first trip to France. I haven't even spent that much time in Europe in the grand scheme of things, but I still feel so stifled by America's dependence on cars. Just no.
ReplyDeleteKudos to you for being able to fold those maps! That's no east feat!
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