Hey all. So while I work on some behind the scenes stuff on my blog and getting a job, I decided to share with you something I wrote while traveling to Greece from London earlier this April.
I/you/we are destined for this moment.We are all living our destinies right now. All the yesterdays and tomorrows were and are destined to happen. Most importantly today was destined to happen. Therefore destiny is not a far away location that each day guides us towards but rather, destiny is now. So we are all at this moment living our destinies. What a beautiful thing that is!
I am on a plane en route to Greece flying over the Swiss Alps, this moment was, as all before it, destined to happen. No matter what situation you find yourself in, know that you are living your destiny, it is a part of your story and had to happen in order for you to fulfill your purpose.
Knowing this, that your destiny is here and now, what will you do with it? We have the power to control our destiny via the decisions we make. So find meaning, purpose and joy in every moment because this very moment that you are in right here, you were destined for!
Now you all know I ain’t no Deepak or Maya Angelou lol. This was just how I felt that moment and being a woman I’m allowed to change my mind at least twice a second
I realize how infrequent my postings have become but believe me, it is not that I have forgotten you guys, on the contrary I think about you daily and have been dying to update you on my goings on. I read the title to one of Crazy Train To Tinky Town’s blogs which read “Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing” and I can assure you what I have lacked in the writing department I have surely made up for in the doing department. Before we even get to all of that, I feel so overwhelmed with gratitude right now and need to thank you all so much for always coming along with me because today marks a very important day for me and us. It is exactly one year since I took off from home for this adventure that we have been on. When I left and everyone asked how long I would want to go for, I said I would like to be able to make it to a year, and here we are! We made it!!
One year ago with my bags packed and my old life traded in, I boarded a plane to London a place I had never been to before with the idea of doing something entirely different than what transpired. What unfolded was a six month tour of Europe to sixteen countries all foreign to me and the adventure of a lifetime. From hotels to hostels to couch surfing you went on all these new experiences with me and were at times my only company. We lost my luggage with all my documents in Turkey and partied our lives away in the Greek isles and hiked mountains in Austria, took twenty hour bus rides to Romania, got fined in Switzerland and took water buses through Venice, had drinks with hitch hikers in Bosnia, went salsa dancing in Hungary and the list goes on. We even unexpectedly returned to the states because of identity theft, but then did get to enjoy lots of time with family and friends as well as time in two beautiful, big cities. Oh and lets not forget our little paradise that was the Cayman Islands.
So needless to say we got around (in a good way), we then returned to Europe, London and Greece specifically, and now on the one year mark have found ourselves in Australia! Yes the latter part has some missing details which in the following days I will get you all filled in on. Nonetheless this has all been way more than I could have hoped for and now for the million dollar question that I had no way of answering when this all began a year ago, “So what happens after the year, then what?” Well now that I am there I can say I have decided to stay in Australia for a while and continue the adventures down under! I had no way of even fathoming that a year ago. All I can think is WOW. Many of you have been there from the very first post and stayed with me all the way through and I just want to send the biggest hugs and thank yous that I can. I can’t wait to see where else life and God takes me, but one thing I know for sure you will be updated every step of the way
So the plan was to always travel again and even though I had a lovely time the few months I was back home, my mind was always on leaving again. However, before doing so there were a few exciting things I did before wrapping up my time at home, one of those included a trip to the Big Apple. So generally speaking I love New York, I mean I would never want to live there, but I love visiting. I was able to spend time with friends and family there in February (perhaps not the best month to go if like myself you are island blooded) and other than the weather I really enjoyed it. The first night I found myself at a lounge attending a Curly Nikki event, in the world of sistahs with natural hair she is it, lol. It was fun although women just walks up to other women telling them how much they love their hair. Very girly event, although a few smart guys who probably realized the ratio of guys to girls would be extremely favorable also attended. The rest of the time I met up with family, doing Times Square with one of my cousins and visiting my uncle’s new Jamaican restaurant with another cousin. The food was fantastic and like many island places had a little bar, with DJ and dominoes in the basement below.
With Curly Nikki
At my uncle’s restaurant
NYC Skyline
DC, MY FAVORITE AMERICAN CITY
My last night in New York I went by an area by the Brooklyn Bridge looking across at the reflection of the lit skyline bouncing off of the water and miss Liberty in all her nocturnal glory across the way. It was beautiful, until we began running to the subway for shelter from the cold night rains. The next day I was off traveling by bus to what is now my favorite American city, Washington DC. This city to me ha a very European feel, mostly expressed through the architecture of so many of the buildings. Even though like before, I found myself in some less than desirable weather conditions and I don’t know if it was just that I wasn’t prepared well enough, but my hands and fingers were so cold they hurt. I kept my eyes squinted so not to expose the entire fragile eyeball to what felt like sub zero temperatures and also kept my scarf wrapped around my mouth and nose lest I breathe in that air directly and freeze my insides! In the midst of all this of course you see the random runner in shorts, whom I pitied, poor thing probably froze his brain cells and didn’t realize what he was doing!
With my cousin by the monument in DC
Beautiful park lanes
Lincoln Memorial
THE NEXT GENERATION OF TRAVELERS
Nonetheless, there is no weather that can hide the beauty that is DC, although I could only imagine how much more beautiful it would have been in the spring adorned with thousands of cherry blossoms, definitely a trip worth taking. After my short time there I again returned to Florida, where I could once again bask in the heat embracing it like a long lost love. No dramatics, my fondness for tropical weather is really that intense. So when I returned I began to prepare for a presentation I was going to make to a class of fifth graders at a local elementary school. It was going to be based on my travels throughout Europe for the six months I was there. I was super excited about this not just because it was a topic that would have fascinated me as a child (and still does) but because I really wanted to inspire the spirit of adventure in these children, with only about 22% of Americans being passport holders, there definitely is a need for some travel inspiration. I absolutely had so much fun with those children the day that I went, we took a picture journey through the 16 countries I visited, with them following along on their maps and then wrapped up by giving them each postcards from one of the places I traveled to with personalized messages on them. The highlight of my day, one of the kids looking at me at the end saying “That was so cool!”
The young adventurers and I
Great kids!
So now this all brings us to where I am now and what I am up to, well I ended up returning to New York but just for a short two days then boarding a flight to London for a seminar, where I spent five days then another flight to Greece. If you are on my instagram @Travelwithjodi of my Facebook then you already know this! So the adventures begin!
I had a very impromptu getaway that I came back from a week ago, but find myself still reminiscing about. It proved to be a much needed vacation, and I know you are thinking how could I need a vacation after six months in Europe, but let me tell you traveling and vacationing are so completely different! While in Europe I usually fell asleep (mostly at a hostel) studying a map and planning out my route for the following day and deciding whether it was best conquered via, plane, train, bus or ferry. It was like a full time job, albeit the best I ever had!! This trip however, entailed none of the above. First of all I decided only the day before to go and my biggest concerns were what swimsuits to take! So with a large carry-on in tow I made my way to Miami airport, hopped on a flight and in an hour and a half I landed in the Cayman islands, Grand Cayman to be exact.
On my way to Grand Cayman
It was already night when I arrived so I grabbed my bag from the one carousel in the small airport, was picked up a few minutes later by friends and headed for some food. I had a fantastic steamed fish meal that I repeated the next day at a little shack/bar before touring around the island making frequent rum punch and beach stops. Now had I just stuck to the rum punch rather than feeling brave and trying multiple different drinks (hey I was in the island mood) I probably would not have found myself passed out in bed by 6:30 that evening already suffering from a hangover. Oh and uttering the infamous “I will never drink again!” lines. So yeah day one, was a success!! So I spent the rest of the night in fetal position while everyone else went out and that was fine by me.
Downtown area
Yummy rum punch
Beautiful West Bay Beach
The next few days we did much of the same, just driving around having great meals, lots of laughter and enjoying the amazing weather the island had to offer, even though one or two days were a bit cloudy I still enjoyed them thoroughly. I also went to turtle farm which I loved soooo much it is a 23 acre property dedicated to the education and breeding of the islands sea turtles. Although judging by the amount of iguanas that are there you would thing its some sort of reptilian sanctuary. Otherwise this is an amazing place they have an area where you can snorkel with sea turtles and other marine life, with one section glassed off from a large pool with nurse shark, not for the heart attack prone if you weren’t expecting that.
Turtles!
Let’s see if I can make a prince out of this one
Snorkeling area
I felt I just couldn’t end my trip without visiting little Cayman, the smallest of the three islands with a population of around 200 people. I became so intrigued by the thought that people could reside in such a small place with so few others, that I had to go. So I booked a flight and with about ten others walked onto the runway towards what looked like a model plane, surely that couldn’t be it! Oh but it was. So I was excited and nervous all at once as I climbed up the four steps into a small 12 seater plane for my half and hour flight to Little Cayman. The views were fantastic, flying at a lower altitude you have an amazing scenery of translucent blue and jade waters below, with cotton white waves breaking at sandbars offshore. Also being in such a small space you get to be pretty chummy with the other passengers and your two pilots. Very soon we landed in Little Cayman airport, now this is just a small house like structure and no carousels needed as you just stand by the plane and pick your luggage off the trolley by the runway. The charm of this island was instantly apparent and I was already snuggling up to it like a warm blanket in the winter.
Off to Little Cayman
Inside the plane
My lovely hostess met me at the airport and took me to a restaurant next door, where she was having lunch with her husband and friends. She told me that when she first moved there 14 years before there were only about 100 people! This was crazy lol, I loved it. When we got back to their home I settled in nicely and was eager to explore the island that most Caymanians had never been to. I borrowed a bicycle late that evening and rode back to airport, went on the beach and then turned around to head back home when I was stopped by someone who wanted to know who I was and then invited me to the beach resort for a beer. I didn’t have the beer but did chat for a while and then cycled back home under the moon and starlit sky, feeling complete joy! The next day I got up early, packed an apple, book and water with the intention of riding around the island and then stopping for a meal afterwards. This didn’t really go as planned. I quickly figured out that attempting to do that without breakfast wasn’t smart, so 40 minutes in, after feeling like I must have ridden around about twice, I pulled over to take a break on a lonely rocky beach, when I met upon someone who informed me that I was about a third of the way.
Entering Point of Sand
This was disappointing, but they did offer to give me a ride to where I wanted to go if I met them at an area called point of sand where their car was parked. So I mustered up what energy I had left or could be provided by my little apple and continued to our meeting point. I was so happy I went this area, it was just beautiful, even beneath the cloudy sky I was blown away to be on this beach all alone. About half an hour later he arrived, put my bike in his jeep and a few minutes later dropped me off at the beach resort. I was really grateful. I perched myself in a beach hammock with my book waiting for the bar to open as it was still quite early. As soon as it did I ordered a rum punch and fish and chips and sat in the hammock for hours soaking up the view, the sun and snoozing a bit. I took a walk along the beach and ran into the gentleman who had helped me earlier and he introduced me to his family and we all laughed about my failed Tour de France attempt. Later I also ran into the person who had offered me the beer the night before, while chatting at the bar with one of the employees. This happens often with so few people there and it is an amazing and warm feeling. I spent the rest of my day there and stayed for the resorts rum punch party which is usually reserved for guests but seeing that they knew the couple I was staying with, they invited me to join.
Beaches of Little Cayman
My residence on Little Cayman
All I need
I could go on and on about this little place, sadly I was there for just two nights. It was just so gorgeous and peaceful and welcoming. The majority of road traffic were other cyclist, the bank is only open twice a week and there are only 5 school children there! It was sweet. The next morning however I was back at the airport, and leaving this little slice of heaven that I can’t wait to return to!
Oh did I ever tell you about that time when I slept with two scorpions ? No? Oh well now is a good a time as any. Remember from my last post I had a picture up from our camping trip and said I would have to get back to you guys on that? Well, I’m getting back to you. So for the first weekend of the new year, seven of us decided to go camping on an island in Everglade City Florida. So we gathered our stuff and left at about 6 am and were off on our almost two hour drive. Before the trip I was told we will probably get an island about 5 miles away and row there with our rented canoes to spend the night. I couldn’t believe we would have to row 5 miles!!! I was getting flashbacks of my rowing experience in lake Bled in Slovenia and as you guys know that wasn’t so good, sure it was laughable but not good lol. So imagine my dismay when the “close” islands were all taken and full (they only allow a few people per island usually around 8, depending on size) and the closest we could get was 13 miles!!!!!! I was freaking out, to say the least. I kinda bitched for a bit and silently wished I could catch a ride back home. The fact that the sky was filled with heavy, grey clouds and there was more than just a chill in the air, didn’t help much either.
Can you see how thrilled I look
Getting ready to take off
Off we go
Nonetheless, I sucked it up, mostly because I had no choice at this point and carried on. I remembered the Canadian Hiking Photography blog which always has amazing photos in the most beautiful outdoor places and thought that Patrick’s photos probably don’t always come about from the most comfortable of circumstances. So off I went in my swimsuit under a sweatshirt, shorts and winter gloves, don’t ask! Luckily my rowing partner was a paddling beast and despite our not-too-accurate map of the waterways and having an extra non-rowing passenger, we managed to make it to our halfway stop for lunch. By this time the sun had come out, skies were blue, winter gloves were off and I realized I hadn’t passed out from rowing and was actually having a really good time. After lunch we grabbed our canoes again, said goodbye to the crazy lady we met on the island, which pretty much killed our idea of claiming the uninhabited island as our own, and were rowing again. This is when her husband from his speed boat told us that the place we were trying to go to, was going to take us a very long time but that he could get there in about 10 minutes. Thanks a lot mister, way to go with the motivational speech.
Parked up for lunch
Trying out new rowing “techniques”
The second portion of our journey seemed to take forever, especially when we reached a point when we could now see our destination, Pavilion Key. However, it was also the most magical because we came upon pods of dolphins that were showing off their jumping abilities just feet away from us and every now and then a turtle’s head would break the surface of the water. Even though the first time I was so startled I embarrassingly let out a preschooler’s scream. Finally after 13 miles and a few hours, we made it to Pavilion and I felt like a kid on Christmas morning. I would have loved to have tossed the paddles over board or thrown them in a blazing fire screaming, “I’m done with you!” But then I remembered I would need them the next day, plus I saw the movie “Castaway” and didn’t think the whole being stuck on a tiny island was a good look for me. Probably why I don’t still live in Barbados…kidding, but seriously.
Made it to Pavilion Key
Just pics from the beach
Setting up camp
The rest of that day was spent snacking, watching the sunset to see if we would spot the green flash, setting up a campfire, napping (in my case), dinner and watching two dolphins who decided to come really close to shore to pay us a welcome visit. Of course there were also smores the good ole American campfire tradition, this now leads us to bed time. Everyone decided to sleep in one of the 3 tents, except myself. I felt a lot safer being in a sleeping bag by the fire. Reason being when I had taken a nap in the tent earlier, I woke up to some rustling and what felt like a creature in my hair (I’m pretty sure it was a komodo dragon), I sorta panicked and tried to get out of the tent as fast as I could. This proved slightly difficult because it was now nightfall and being so far from the fire I couldn’t see to unzip the tent. So I figured being in a sleeping bag by the fire would provide a much easier escape. So beside the fading fire, which seemed to pass the baton onto the starlit sky, I fell asleep.
Waiting for the green flash
Campfire shenanigans
The next morning, while everyone told their tales of nocturnal misfortune, including scorpion bites and noises and movements of multiple unidentifiable demons, I listened with no such tale of my own to share. To everyone’s surprise I ended up having the most pleasant and peaceful rest. So we had breakfast packed up and per request removed any evidence of our existence and were off again with another 13 miles ahead of us. We made a brief stop at a sandbar then again for lunch and finally after a few hours we were right back where we had begun. It was a great experience and having 26 miles of rowing under my inexperienced belt made me feel quite accomplished. Now this euphoric high was definitely deflated when a day or so later I was informed that when they were unpacking back home, out of my sleeping bag fell two, very alive and decently sized scorpions!!
Sand bar stop
So obviously the adventures continue here at home but the itch to get to out in other parts of the world intensifies as the time draws near. A blog that definitely inspires the itch further is The Fork in my Road, it details fellow traveler, Louella, tasting and trekking her way through Asia. Go check her out!
Baby knows best! The bib my baby cousin put on me.
Oh my goodness so it’s been a month since I have spoken to you guys and let me tell you as much as I have been enjoying myself, every time something exciting happens I feel like I have to pick up the phone and call you guys like I would my best friend. I hate having so much to catch up on and it’s time I really get back to keeping you filled in. Okay so let’s get started. I returned on election day so there was a lot of excitement going on when I landed, and lines and lines of people, that I initially assumed had heard about my Euro tour and subsequent return so were anxiously waiting for autographs. Turns out they were in line to vote in our presidential elections, hmmm I mean yeah that’s pretty important too (slowly puts ball point pen back in purse).
Went to visit Santa after dinner!
Thanksgiving Day
The 3 of us worked at The Gap together when we were 17.
I came back in time to spend thanksgiving and Christmas with friends and family which was wonderful. During my travels I sent postcards from every country I visited to three of my friends and it was so cute to see them all on display at their homes, on the road it was one of the ways of keeping in touch I enjoyed the most. Okay so that’s all the cushy stuff, what else have I been up to? Honestly, EVERYTHING!! Partying, Beach, Dinners, Lunches, Beach, Rock Climbing, Beach, Camping (on the beach), line dancing err, hey gotta put my cowboy boots to use, my little cousin’s football games, art exhibitions, bike ride pub crawls (this was fun even though we cheated by eventually ditching the bikes for a car), beach and partying. More or less! I have found myself enjoying Florida in a way I have never ever done before probably because most of it was consumed with the 9-5 gig and bills and all that real life stuff, it’s amazing how much stress is taken out of the equation when you get rid of your place your car and almost everything else. Also I am fortunate to have loving supportive mom and family so having a place to stay or car to drive while home is not really an issue.
Little cousin’s team won their season undefeated!
Hanging in South Beach with the cousin and friends.
Went bowling for a friend’s B’day
My favorite solo hobby. Love beach days
Found my triplets during Art Walk. They will need a bit of tanning.
Oh and I don’t think I told you guys about my new year, so last year after being in Thailand I knew I wanted to ring it in on the beach and was lucky that some friends invited me to a beach bonfire where people brought their Christmas trees and everyone packed their bottles of alcohol and merriment. We arrived with two dogs in tow, snacks and lots of cheap bubbly and plastic champagne flutes and gathered around the bonfire with about 60 or so other people. It was a really lovely night with great conversations and laughs taking place while sparklers held by flailing hands adorned the night sky and toes dug deeper in the sand with each wave that crashed against the shore hugging our ankles. I also learned a great life lesson, do not put Baileys in a glass that previously held champagne…it curdles. All in all in was a wonderful night that ended with few of us in our swimsuits flirting with the cold ocean water and then in line at a fast food drive through at 4 in the morning, signs of a good time. What did you guys do for new years?
New year’s eve bonfire!
Toasting to the new year!
Camping trip, first weekend of the year! You will hear about this!
By the way Happy Valentine’s Day when it comes everyone! Hope you all surround yourselves with love, whether that be the love of family, friends, a partner or most importantly love for yourselves.
Table side guacamole at my fave place Rocco’s Tacos
I hope everyone had a great holiday season, I know I have been a bit AWOL but since I have been back home I have really tried to maximize my time spent with friends, family and also myself. This however, has limited my time with you guys. So we haven’t spoken since last year!! Yikes! I have been back home for two months now and have been up to so much it’s unbelievable, will have to catch you up on all the mischief in another post though. This one is about a Skype conversation I had with a friend in Romania who suggested I write about it, and I felt no better time like the new year!
Do you remember when you were kids or even when you speak to children today and you ask them what they want to be when they grow up and with strong confidence they would say something like a princess and then maybe an astronaut after, or a ninja and a fairy, without even flinching? In their minds believing it to be something completely and entirely possible, not feeling as if it is even remotely absurd, which the chuckling adult obviously believes. When we are children there are no such things as impossibilities, this is something you learn as you grow older, but who teaches such a horrid subject. I mean who says these things are impossible, the world? The universe? Or just other people. I believe when you want and believe in something badly enough the universe, the world, God or whomever can show extreme flexibility in bending in your favor.
Who are these people that tell us our dreams are impossible, aren’t they just people who were told that their own dreams were impossible because, well, that’s just how life is. What a sad moment when a child who was absolutely sure they were going to be what they wanted is told it can’t happen and to be real and dare I say…grow up! I don’t subscribe to that and if you do I urge you to cancel your subscription and asked to be removed from the mailing list ASAP. A very good friend reminded me of a conversation we had about 2 years ago I guess, that had completely slipped my mind, where I said I wish I could just travel, not work, just travel. I guess It slipped my mind because I said it so casually it wasn’t even a dream at the time because I didn’t know I could even dream of such a thing. Yet I had exactly that amazing experience and trust me I know it’s easier said than done because once when I was commending a friend on their 3 month excursion through South America and they asked why don’t I do the same. My response was an exasperated “Oh come on I can’t I have so many responsibilities.” Don’t get confused no I’m not delusional and think everyone should stop working, but remember the saying when you love what you do you will never work a day in your life.
In reality all the reasons we can’t do things are mostly the ones society tells us. Sad to say misery loves company and there are many people who will try to distinguish your dream because well someone did that to them. Don’t believe the hype, it is not the world that will deny your dreams but yourself. The world is eagerly waiting if not begging for you to take advantage in all that she has to offer. Waiting for people to come alive and really live the lives they had only silently dreamt about, if they were even so brave to have dreamt it. So with this new year I would love for everyone to ditch the list of resolutions to just one. LIVE YOUR DREAM! So happy new year to all the Princesses and astronauts and fairies and ninjas as for the rest of you it may not be all that happy it will be just like last year!!
Now I don’t think I have to tell you how much I love traveling or what a big part of my life it is, or go through the laundry list of advantages to participating in travel. I would just be saying things we almost all already know. However, there is another part of travel I have never shared before, mostly because I wasn’t aware until experiencing it, and that is the cons of long term travel. Although mostly a fantastic experience there are things that arise when traveling for extended periods of time that aren’t an issue when just vacationing. For example the things you miss out on and I don’t just mean parties, (okay sometimes parties) but life events. Including births and birthdays, graduations, weddings or the more somber moments like loss of loved ones or just being there for the ones that you really care about when they are going through something difficult or having them there for you.
I remember wondering if my baby cousin that I had a good bond with would still remember me when I returned, and when a really good friend had a baby girl the day before I left that I never got to see, it seemed to be a reminder that life would be going on with or without me there. It took about two weeks after I left, to stop thinking about all that I left behind and gave up and really start enjoying the amazing experience that I was having. A moment that I remember clearly, but with that new found vigor and excitement came the stealthily creeping guilt. Why guilt? Well, then I felt guilty about all the wonderful things I was able to do and see and I wished sometimes my mom was there to experience some of it with me, it made me feel a bit selfish. I am an her only child, and although she was always encouraging and excited for me, always letting me know how she was living vicariously through me, there were many moments when I wished she didn’t have to. Despite all this though, I never felt homesick, I never missed home I missed people and instead of wishing I were home with them I usually wished they were there with me.
There are moments when you will want nothing but to be home though, whatever way you define home, like if you have the misfortune of getting sick while on the road which I did. Or if you get left in the middle of a country, early in the morning that you have never been to before with no one that speaks your language, like what happened to me in Berlin, or if you leave you back pack on a mini bus in Turkey. Nonetheless you forge ahead and keep going, because in a weird twisted way, you live for this stuff and you keep reminding yourself, as I did when trying for days to get home from Paris, that the bad moments will soon be nothing but a memory. Or you skype with your mom who stays up all hours of the night to accommodate for the time difference of you being so many hours ahead, and comfort finds you once again.
Oh and then there are the relationships, of all kinds. I made friends that I wished I could have spent more time with but the lifestyle just did not allow, usually one or both of us had to take off again. Naturally there were also the one or two guys that you find really interesting and have chemistry with and wished you could pursue something with further, but again the lifestyle made no room for, because as always the love of travel overrode all else. However I will say that it was this same lifestyle that afforded me the great pleasure of meeting those people, many of which I still keep in touch with and had such an instant connection with I wondered how we weren’t friends before. It was great meeting so many people that shared my same zest and philosophy about life and the way we chose to experience it, each other and literally the world. It was nice knowing that I wasn’t so crazy after all or that I at least was not alone in my insanity.
Now don’t think that this is to discourage you, because as I write this I am amidst planning my next and very soon long term departure. Also these are just some of the experiences and emotions I had while traveling long term some of which may or may not apply to others. Plus amidst all this is the silver lining, when I did return it made me spend time and appreciate my friends and family in a very different way. And judging by the high pitched laughing scream emitted by my little cousin as he ran circles around me when I saw him, I wasn’t forgotten at all. I did also see my friend’s baby girl albeit six months later, but it sure did mean a lot to me. So you will miss out on things, but for me I would have missed out on my own life had I not gone. Also the trip really strengthened the relationship between my mom and I and reminded me just how much of a support system she is for me. To answer a question I get asked all the time, no I never felt alone or got really lonely. When I look at how much I have done between now and When I first took off, I am amazed and quite frankly couldn’t imagine my life any other way.
First of all I have to say that I hate when I take so long to update you guys on what’s happening. I keep feeling like I need to fill you in. We have some catching up to do but before that let’s start here.
So after spending five days in the hotel by the airport in Paris, I was over it! The last time I went to check in and they told me there was no way I was going to make it on the flight, I decided to jump ship and went to the train station and caught a train to Rotterdam to spend some time with a friend in the Netherlands until the flight situation calmed down in Paris. So a bit under 3 hours and 112 euros later I arrived in Rotterdam and was ready for a new adventure! Night one we dropped my bags off and went to dinner to catch up and also have some drinks. I was pretty excited about what Rotterdam had to offer, but that was before the rain began to fall.
My lovely view from the airport hotel
So it rained every single day I was in Netherlands, I don’t mean a lot of the days or so much that it seemed like everyday but literally, every single day! The mornings all started out overcast and cloudy, then you would have a nice moment and decide to go out for a walk but by the time I got dressed it would be raining. The best part of the days were around 5 it would all clear up and be just lovely, problem was the sun would set around 5:30 so you had very little time to enjoy the actual day. Now don’t get me wrong despite all that I still thought Rotterdam was lovely and I would definitely want to return especially since I didn’t make it to Amsterdam as I had planned, but it would have to be a different time of year. I thought it only rained in London that much, although to be fair London is a whole other species because it’s always rainy season.
Just after the rain
Best part of the days, before sunset
Despite the weather some fun was still had, one night my friend and I took off for a night out which began at the SS Rotterdam a hotel that looks like a boat, or is a boat I am not quite sure. The bartender was hilarious, but his accent was so thick that even when he was speaking English I thought it was another language. He informed us that he had been married 4 or 5 times, when I asked why he said that he liked parties and every time you get married you get a party. I guess he never heard of birthdays! Another character was the older man that approached us and offered us drinks letting us know as well that he is kinda famous! He used to play football (soccer) for some teams and lead us over to the wall that had his picture on it, vain much? After this we left for a hookah (not hooker, as my best friend thought I was saying with a fancy accent) bar or shisha as it is also known.
Crazy Bartender
Mr. I am Kinda Famous
Now I normally feel nothing when I smoke hookah, it’s usually just a flavored accessory to a good time, however, this time I was feeling kinda tipsy for lack of a better word, and seeing that we were in Netherlands you kind of have to wonder if maybe there was a little something extra they added to the mix. Also my friend was quite hungry after hmmm food for thought. Nonetheless, we had a great time and the cute bartender didn’t make the night too bad either. After we had exhausted the night there we headed off again in the cold, windy night for food finding ourselves at a McDonald’s in the wee hours which was packed. We then made our way home after a quick snack and were knocked out for the night and well into the next day. Oh and yes it rained the next day too.
My friend and I enjoying some Hookah
Now after a few days it was time for me to leave again, so I went to the station to buy my ticket and head back to Paris airport since things had calmed down now and flights were wide open. Unfortunately the cashier said they didn’t take credit cards like the one we have in the states without chips. I was not happy as I had a tight timeline including a flight in the morning. I saw they had computers set up so I could purchase online but then the system was down and they had no idea why and the number we were alerted to call would be of no use seeing that they closed at 6 and it was now 8pm. Not a happy camper at this point! The night ended with me heading back to my friends place after driving around for a while with the taxi because I didn’t have her address. The next day however, with cash in hand and flight rescheduled, I got on the train and was on my way back to Charles de Gaulle airport.
I arrived in London from Germany and spent just two nights there, as I was only returning to pick up luggage that I had left a few months before. So I spent the time with my cousin who had now moved to an area well outside of London in the middle of nowhere, and I am serious! We drove around on my last night to try to find a place to have a drink, but it definitely was not going to happen, there was nothing open and it was like 9pm. Anyhow the next day I was off again on a train headed to Paris, the city of love. So you guys know that the train to Paris from London travels under the sea right?! That was my first such train ride, pity you can’t really tell cause everything is just dark and since it was night anyhow, it didn’t look much different than the rest of the journey. However, just the idea of it is pretty cool, or scary depending on your perspective.
My chariot awaits…the red one that is!
So late that night my host in Paris meets me at the train station we head back to his place and soon I am off to bed. The next day I head into the city and since I only have two days (or so I thought) I decide to just hit all the major touristy spots and not venture out too much! So first stop, the top of the Champs Elysees by L’arc de Triomphe, similar to the one in Milan and Berlin. I just love Europe for their monuments and fabulous streets . I get on one of those hop on hop off buses, buy a two day pass, and with camera in hand and in full tourist mode I get on the top deck and begin the tour around the city, ready to see the Eiffel tower. I mean seriously, you can’t go to Paris and not see the Eiffel tower, I think it’s actually illegal. Although the worst crime is not seeing it at night when it’s all lit up!
L’arc de Triomphe
The Eiffel Tower
Later that night my host takes me on a walk to other areas such as the moulin rouge and along narrow streets lined with bars that are not as crowded as thy would normally be since their major busy season had died down a bit and I quite liked that. We stopped also at a cathedral perched atop the city and had great views of the center of Paris, watching the spotlight from the top of the Eiffel tower piercing its way through the dark night sky. After my first day I am really impressed with Paris, since to be honest it was one of those cities that everyone says you have to go to but I never had a huge desire or pull towards. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how beautiful it was and the city center is just huge, with gorgeous bridges and waterways everywhere. At first I felt like this should more be city of fashion than love, I mean every corner is some high end designer’s store and every other corner is a bigger better one! But then as you walk around the city and take it all in you realize there is definitely something romantic in the air and it just transforms your mood. Kinda useless when you are there alone, but hey!
Cute little bar
Boat Tours of the city
On the next day I continued to explore the city stopping again at the Eiffel tower, where I met a couple who live minutes away from me in Florida. I also made stops at the Notre dame cathedral and the Louvre. I have to wonder what it would be like to live in a city that just offers so much, would I take it for granted or still pass by in awe? I think I would love it, I live close to the beach and still love detouring to drive by it or just sitting there as the sun goes down and from what I can tell Europeans really appreciate and adore their culture, architecture and what their different countries have to offer landscape wise. I will for sure return to Paris as the two days were just not enough. Oh one cool thing I was there when they had the premier for Skyfall the new James Bond movie and the cinema by Champs Ellysees were filled with paparazzi and news reporters and security, not to mention wild fans as they all were awaiting the arrival of Daniel Craig. Seeing that I am not a huge fan of crowds or pushing and shoving, probably the reason I don’t go clubbing much, I left the commotion behind and headed back to where I was staying.
Another view of the tower
Notre Dame
The Louvre
So now the next morning at 6:45 the taxi comes to take me to the airport and well, if you read my previous post I’m Stuck In This Place, you know it all went to hell after that! Final tally, I ended up spending another 5 days in Paris but by the airport before finally getting on a train to Rotterdam, where I am now!
Pulling the man through the wall. Based on Marcel Aymes story
