The first step to self-discovery in your twenties, I’ve decided, is accepting defeat and realizing that the one thing you know is that you know nothing at all. Sometimes we, as in the hopeless 20-somethings of the world, like to pretend we know it all and we have it all together. We don’t. Or at least I don’t, and I will be the first to admit that. Yet when you are brave enough to accept that you are just a lost soul searching for answers, then and only then will your mind be free to open up and soak in a world of information. The second step is to get rid of your fears. Fears are inevitable, but unfortunately they can hold us back from trying and learning new things. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, talk to strangers, take a crazy leap of faith, eat snails, wear leggings as pants…whatever it may be, my advice to you is just to go for it. Regardless of the outcome, the process will be an adventure in itself. The kind of adventure that you won’t soon forget. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, if something scares you, it might be a good idea to try.
I always used to wonder why people would say that you must travel the world in order to find yourself. Of course it’s an idea that I appreciate and believe in by default because I love to travel, but I couldn’t help but wonder what exactly it was about traveling that led to a better understanding of oneself. After seven weeks of being away from home and anything relatively familiar, I think I am starting to get it. Escaping from your comfort zone and thrusting yourself into a new world forces you to become stronger, more confident, and extremely versatile. You must be ready at a moment’s notice to talk to someone new, possibly in another language, and explain to them who you are and why you’re there, because you are the stranger in this situation. They might want to know more about you, like what your interests are, what your future plans are, what makes you happy and what makes you tick. This could happen once a week, once in a blue moon, or everyday. Regardless of how often, these interactions really make you think and re-evaluate yourself, because you want to give honest answers. You want to know the answers to those questions, too. And time away from your everyday routine can give you the chance to truly figure that out.
Traveling also forces you to become extremely adaptable to change. It’s pretty well known that things in other countries can be quite different, and when you are fully immersed in this other culture you have no choice but to become accustomed, or die trying. The language, the food, the people, the traditions, the expectations, the wine…all are very different and very wonderful in their own special way. Traveling means that at any given second you have to be ready to go. Whether it’s to meet your host father’s mother who doesn’t speak any English, give an entire 30 minute presentation in French in front of 20 strangers, or to greet the Queen of England (no, that hasn’t happened yet, but you never know), you don’t always have time to prepare, but being able to think on your feet is an excellent quality to obtain. I have to say, if you ever have the opportunity to experience a new “world” firsthand, not just as a tourist, I highly recommend you jump on it. A bit of ethnographic research, if you will. Already in my time on this crazy journey I have managed to gain a totally new perspective on life, and that is a priceless gift that no one can ever take away.
Much of my discoveries happened as of late, during a time that I will call “The Best Week Ever”. My girls had a week off of school which they spent at their grandparent’s house to ride horses, meaning I had the week off to do whatever I please. I had been planning for weeks to try and make this break perfect, and a few days before I left it was finally all in place. It started Saturday morning, October 25th at approximately 7:24 am. I loaded up a week’s worth of luggage and hopped on a train, full of uncertainty and excitement. I left all my hesitation at the platform and set forth to make this adventure all I hoped it would be. I was heading to Bruges, Belgium to meet up with a girl whom I had never met before and spend the weekend exploring the city and being tourists. After a four hour train ride, I had arrived. I searched the station for her red hair, which was about the extent of the knowledge I had about her. I found her quickly, and within minutes we were laughing, joking and sharing secrets. After a couple hours, we had mutually decided that we were somehow separated at birth. Both Americans living in Belgium, both au pairs, both 22 years old and both equally as confused about life. We were best friends by lunch time. People that we met asked how long we had been friends, assuming it had been many years, and everyone was shocked to find out we had just met a few hours before. She shares my same yearning for knowledge, wanderlust, and fairytale endings. Yet she possesses a few qualities that I wish I had, like an untainted, uncynical view of the world and the ability to act without thought or hesitation. At one point she even asked a total stranger to dance in the middle of the street with her to the sounds of an accordion from a solo street performer. I envied and admired her for being able to be so impulsive. But I was happily entertained. With her being her carefree, lovable self, I was able to take on the role of the compass and the timekeeper. We got to see everything we wanted to see, eat delicious foods, meet interesting people, see live music and even indulge in a bottle of wine in the middle of the city square after a late dinner. I swear, Europe has no rules, and I love it. We laughed, we sang, we learned, we smiled, we stayed out too late, we made lifelong memories, and we lived. Those 2 and a half days spent in Bruges were some of the best days of my life. See what taking risks can get you?
After sadly separating from my bestie Monday morning, I was back to dragging myself and my luggage to the train station to venture on to Ghent, Belgium. This trip was going to be solo. I had my train ticket and a reservation at an airbnb, meaning I would be renting out a room in someone’s apartment for the night. Somewhat risky, sure, but adventurous and totally worth it. I arrived in Ghent and shoved my luggage in a locker, then proceeded to ask about 17 different people for directions to the city center. I rode a tram and found my way. I explored the beautiful city on my own for about 4 hours. It was much like Bruges, with the canals and the cathedrals and the fascinating, historic culture all around. However, it wasn’t the same without my other half, and the wine from the night before was starting to take it’s toll on my body, so I had to call it a day. I made my way to the airbnb, despite my luggage trying to weigh me down (note to self: pack lighter). There I met some of the most interesting people, all different yet unique in their own way. One guy, a composer, a singer, an entrepreneur and a really good cook, much to my delight, as they invited me to join them for dinner. One girl, from Seattle no less, who also pursued a career in music and taught yoga on the side. And one other girl, a visitor, who had the most interesting perspective on life. We talked about our dreams, our goals, our passions, and our views. As they were older than me, they were able to give me some advice on how to pursue the things that I enjoy in order to live the life I want to live. Their thoughts were unique, revolutionary even. I felt lucky to have met them. We watched a movie and drank wine. I went to sleep that night exhausted, full, and thoroughly happy. The next morning I had to be up almost before the sun to catch my train to Brussels.
I was able to ride the train to Brussels with my airbnb host, because he happened to be heading there the same day for work. We got the chance to chat more about life and how to get what you want out if it on the way there. I thoroughly enjoyed the chat. He had great advice, unlike any I had been given before. Once in Brussels, we parted ways and I found the route to my next airbnb. This time I would be staying with an older woman, probably in her mid-50’s, in a lovely loft overlooking the canal. She was very pleasant to talk to and made me feel very welcome. She recommended a place for breakfast, and I was quick to make my way because I was starving. I sat in a nice little cafe and enjoyed 2 cappuccinos and a croque monsieur. Afterwards I decided to tour around Brussels again. I did some shopping, indulged in some of my favorite foods, and soaked in the beautiful sights once more. In other words, it was a “treat yo’self” kind of day. After dusk, I headed back to my apartment for the night and prepared myself for the next day. My parents and boyfriend were planned to arrive the next morning, and I could hardly contain my excitement. I went to bed with a huge smile on my face.
The next morning I found myself once more dragging my luggage to yet another train station to go meet up with my parents. I had a light, floating feeling that morning. It was almost surreal. I couldn’t wait to see a familiar face for the first time in almost six weeks. I finally found them sitting outside of a cafe across from our hotel in the center of Brussels, and the reunion was just as great as I had hoped. Alex had a little more trouble getting to Europe, with a missed connection flight and a redirection into Amsterdam, but by 2pm he had finally made it. Tears involuntarily came to my eyes when I saw him standing in the train station. I knew I had missed him, but in that moment I was able to realize just how much. We embraced each other and I smiled so hard that my cheeks hurt. I proceeded to show them all around the city. We drank, talked, laughed, and ate too much. After dinner, my jet-lagged crew was ready to call it a night. We had an early train to Paris the next morning, so we all decided to head back to the hotel. But not before stopping in to have a Delirium Beer at the Delirium Cafe, of course.
After a comfortable night’s sleep, we were up and at ’em Thursday morning preparing for our journey to Paris. I had butterflies in my stomach. I couldn’t believe I was about to go to the city of my dreams. The City of Light. With the love of my life, no less, who had traveled over 5,000 miles and almost 24 hours to come see me (bless his heart), despite the odds against him. It was romantic and wonderful and I couldn’t wait to get there. After a short train ride, there we were. We took a cab with a knowledgeable driver who was able to tell us where to go and what to do. Upon arriving at the hotel, we only gave ourselves enough time to drop off our luggage before we set out to explore this beautiful city. Needless to say, we were eager. I’ll never forget the first time I saw the Eiffel Tower. It nearly took my breath away. I couldn’t wait to get a closer look. But first, we had to make our way down the Champs d’Elysees and up the Arc de Triomphe. Everything was so beautiful. I was in awe. We drank French wine, ate escargot, got up close and personal with the Eiffel Tower, drank champagne under it’s sparkling lights at night, and spoiled ourselves with all things Parisian. It was absolutely magical and lived up to all my of my very high expectations. The next day we were still in Paris and decided to take a boat tour in order to soak up more of the city’s beauty. We saw the Musee d’Orsay, Notre Dame, the Louvre, and more. And, of course, we grabbed a beer at every stop along the way. By 5pm, it was time for Alex and I to gather our things and head to Amsterdam.
After saying goodbye to my parents, Alex and I made our way back to Gare du Nord and awaited the train that would bring us to our next adventure. We were excited but sleepy, so we napped together for a little bit on the train. We woke up feeling a little more rested and ready for whatever the night would bring. Bare in mind it was Halloween, and although that doesn’t mean too much to Europeans, we were determined to do the American tradition justice. So we drank some Heineken’s to pre-game on the train and after a couple hours we had finally arrived. We met up with our airbnb host, dropped off our stuff and headed out for a night of fun. This trip with Alex gave me the chance to fall in love with him all over again (sorry- sappy moment). He was everything that I already love about him and more. I had never seen him be so adventurous. He was eager to see everything, chat with strangers, try new things and make the absolute most of the experience. It was wonderful. We had a great time together exploring the city. We went to touristy clubs, local Dutch bars with funny music, and even a place called “Hotel Atlanta” for red bull vodkas and a little taste of home (but not really). We finally put our exhausted selves to bed around 3am and slept like rocks. The next day we woke up ready to seize the day. We drank cappuccinos, ate bitterbals, and soaked up the culture around us. We even toured the Heineken brewery and drank our way through. We were like kids in a candy shop. To put it simply, we had a blast. We didn’t want to leave. But alas…
Saturday night we boarded our train back to Brussels, and I couldn’t help but feel a little somber. I knew our time together was about to end and I wasn’t ready. I also knew that I should only be thankful, because the fact that I didn’t want it to end meant that I had a great time. I was very lucky to have had such an incredible experience. We ended our time together well, with a delicious late night dinner in Brussels. Again, we ate too much and slept like the exhausted rocks that we were.
Sunday morning I said goodbye to Alex and sent him on his way back home. It was a difficult goodbye, but we had made it to the halfway point. We did it once, we can do it again. Long distance is definitely tough. But the saying is true, absence does make the heart grow fonder. And I know that our next reunion at Christmas time will be twice as sweet.
Sunday also meant it was time to head back to reality. My parents and I traveled back to my hometown of Arlon, where they were able to meet my host parents and enjoy a nice dinner together. I was so happy to see the girls again after a whole week. I really missed them. I wasn’t dreading going back to work at all. I love what I do. Of course I was feeling like a little piece of me was missing, but I was so grateful to have had such an incredible, fulfilling, life-changing week. I learned so much, and I was filled with ideas and dreams about future plans to travel again.
I know that was lengthy, probably more than you bargained for, but if you take away anything from this post, I hope it’s this: Travel. Take chances. Don’t hesitate. Don’t think twice. Just go for it. You never know, all of your wildest dreams could come true.
Until next time.
xoxo-
HP
Diary of a Daydreamer 