The Sum Of My Trip
Greetings one and all. I am here to do a brief overview of this amazing European Trip that I just went on. This will hit the highlights and hopefully leave you wanting more... Enjoy.
The Places
I went to basically seven different places in Europe. Which for two weeks… I would say is a good amount. Some of these places were only for seven hours and some were for four or five days but still… I got to see a lot. The variety was the thing that I really enjoyed because I got to see small Spanish country towns to one of the richest cities in the world. Perspective is everything. And you know what? I really enjoyed seeing the small Spanish towns. It’s something that was really off the beaten path and I had a friend who showed me, as an outsider, what living there was really like. If you just went there by yourself… I can bet you that you would’ve had a drastically different experience. I am forever indebted to my friend for giving me that experience.
The People
Traveling by yourself can sometimes be a lonely experience. Especially when you don’t speak the native language. I was extremely fortunate enough on the first half of my trip to have been traveling with my friend who lives over there. Which was amazing. After I left my friend to continue onto the next cities of my trip… I was then confronted with the reality of traveling solo. I’m okay with it but it's been since 2019 since I was in a place where I didn’t really speak the local language. It all worked out but I was a little rusty with it all at the beginning.
The nice thing is… I am pretty good at making friends and I’m even better at it when I’m at a bar. In Donostia-San Sebastian, I quickly was able to make some great friends at Basqueland Brewing - which I will be having a great deal to write about - and it made my stay there immeasurably better. Especially considering there was torrential rain and high winds on a couple of the days I was staying there. That certainly can put a damper on the fun as you can imagine. Then through the friends I made in San Sebastian, I was invited to a Beer Collab release party in Barcelona… which led me to making even more friends. It’s funny how that works, eh? On the next night I was then sitting at a Craft Beer bar in Barcelona where I met another awesome person who enjoyed Craft Beer and we got along so well that we hit up a European Football game the next day together. I really love it when that kinda stuff comes together.
The Best
I will have to say that the best part of this trip for me was hanging out with my friend who lives over there. I was able to see a completely different side of Spain that I’ve never seen before. Big cities are all well and good but to see how people live in a small town is a very unique and awesome experience. You get a different feel and pulse for the country by doing this which I greatly appreciate. Barcelona is amazing but it is SOO big. It's a cacophony of humanity. In the smaller towns I visited… I was able to hear all the different instruments play and could hear the harmony that makes these places work. I hope that music analogy wasn’t too much.
The Worst
Language. Oh man. This one was difficult. And truly a barrier. When one is in another country… there is already a separation. You don’t live here. You don’t know anyone. And now… you can’t even read/write/speak so that you may improve your position. Google Translate can only do so much. But here is another barrier that I kind of expected but didn’t really feel until the end of my trip in Zurich. The very fact that I am traveling in the middle of a pandemic that seems like it may never end. (I will quickly preface that I have been vaccinated with three shots of Moderna… which is amazing.) I really don’t know if it was just the fatigue from constantly pushing myself for two weeks straight or if I was being just paranoid? I don’t think that was the case. But Zurich seemed… very… unfriendly to strangers. This may also be from the fact that the news has been very recently telling us about the variant, Omicron. Which I hear is just the worst. So… there is that as well. I am glad my trip ended when it did because it seems the cat is out of the bag and I am glad I got home with no issues. I am very grateful. Who knows what restrictions will be put into place in the coming weeks once the full effects of Omicron have been studied and diagnosed? More shutdowns? More lockdowns? More travel restrictions? Who knows?
Final Thoughts
I have been working towards this trip for a good part of this year and for it to actually happen… I am insanely blessed. I had to make some difficult choices for this trip to happen but I would make them again in a heartbeat. Travel is something that is very important to me and as with everyone… this Pandemic took that away from me. Throughout the trip I was in a constant state of gratitude because the past year and a half+ has been extremely difficult. I know I am not the only one who has felt this. To be able to actually completely get out of my world and explore the unknown parts of Europe has been very… good for the soul. Living Life to its fullest may seem like a bumper sticker that is very much cliche… but there is some Truth to it. I can only wish that when you are reading about my experiences that it gives you some insights and also some enjoyment from all the antics I will be telling you about.
