22 Days in Europe

So today's the day. I'm currently sat in the airport, doing the usual holiday-maker thing of spending money in duty free, stocking up on snacks and buying enough magazines for the whole plane to read. But this isn't going to be like the usual holiday. Instead I'm going on this trip with the hope that it will change and develop me in a positive way, provide me with a new outlook and give me some stories and adventures to learn from and look back on.

My next 3 weeks consists of:

Amsterdam

Berlin

Prague

Budapest

Vienna

Slovenia

Croatia

I think I'm also going to take this time to break from social media and the internet. Give myself a re-fresh and re-charge from the norm. I think that could be good for everyone to do once in a while. The only exception is that I may post a few snaps on Instagram from each country, but only as a source of logging pictures ready for the blog posts! Plus it also ensures I have a bank of pictures if my phone/camera were to get lost. But aside from that, I will be 'social media free' for the next few weeks; an added challenge/change.

...I think its time to start my book..

Love, B 

Out of the Comfort Zone

I honestly don’t know where the past few months have gone. It's all been such a whirlwind. It’s kind of scary, but exciting at the same time because, as cliche as it sounds, I’ve had the real feeling that ‘the world is my oyster’ since completing my degree last month. This is very poignant as I am soon to begin my travels around Europe.

This trip has been in the pipeline for a long time, having been mentioned and debated here and there for over a year. Then it was decided around September last year to start considering it more seriously. This summer seemed like no better time, what with finishing Uni and all, this trip is the perfect chance to celebrate, relax and do something different before embarking upon the 'real world' of work. I'm sure this trip will give me the travel bug, as travelling seems to do that to everyone. So hopefully in the not too distant future I will have other opportunities to see other parts of the world too. But starting with a 3 week journey around Europe seems perfect for now. I also thought, why go so far when there are all these countries right on my doorstep that I've never been to!?

Me being me, I need organisation and I need to plan. So although a degree of spontaneity has been left for when we arrive in each country, the flights, tickets and accommodation have all been booked in advance. Although there must be something intriguing about just arriving in a foreign country without a clue of where to stay and what to do, I decided I would rather know the ‘where to stay’ bit, and just leave the ‘what to do’ for on arrival at each place. I hope that after this trip I will be brave enough to just rock up to a new place, but baby steps!

This past week has been about last minute purchases and piling everything up ready to pack. Not having things laid out neatly in the suitcase, ready to be hung up and displayed nicely in a wardrobe was a distressing thought to begin with... But I’m getting used to the idea of living out a rucksack for 3 weeks. I think it’s only natural to feel a little anxious about this sort of trip, but the nerves are turning into excitement now, especially when the tickets finally arrived the other day!

22 days. 7 countries. 1 large backpack. ‘Challenging’ is an understatement. Although I’m not jet-setting around the world for 6 months, cramming 7 countries into 3 weeks is still testing as it's not like anything I've done before. It’s safe to say this trip is pushing me outside my comfort zone – but that’s exactly why I want to do it, and I can’t wait to see what it holds. I’ve been very lucky in the holidays I’ve had, and as amazing as they've all been, I feel it's time for a change; time to do something that will inspire and develop me a bit more than the usual trip abroad.

Check back on Tuesday where I'll be posting a bit more before leaving for the trip!

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