Versant Views of a Verbose Vagabond

So, here I am on my one monthaversary of being in Europe! I flew out the 14th, but didn’t get in to Hamburg until the 15th. Wow, it’s hard to believe that it’s been so long! Of course I miss everyone at home, but I have learned SO MUCH since I’ve been here. In honor of the anniversary (and of my 10th blog post!), here’s a list of things I learned on my travels that I wrote in my journal a while back. Enjoy!
•You can survive through any situation – keep a cool head and your wits about you. When you get frustrated, reset, refocus, and look at things logically – don’t panic.
•You can generally trust people
•Free internet is a BLESSING. Find it and hold it forever.
•Hotels are great places to get directions – they have English-speaking clerks and city maps.
•Always know how to say “I don’t speak X language” in the place where X language is spoken
•Look both ways before you cross the street in Italy
•Don’t take overnight trains into Switzerland
•Don’t pre-book hostels on the internet. A phone call or email will do just fine, and you don’t have to pay a booking fee.
•Don’t trust Google maps directions in Italy. The street names are not even close to the same.
•People are nice, especially if you are nice to them.
•Always find out which direction public transit is going BEFORE you get on.
•If you need something, ask. You never know what kind of answer will arise that you never even thought of.
•Go skiing in Switzerland.
•Food at grocery stores is cheaper and healthier than restaurants (and shopping in a foreign country is kinda fun).
•Staying with a family can be a GREAT experience!
•Tourist information centers are very helpful and generally friendly.
•It’s better to beg forgiveness and play the dumb American card than it is to ask permission and play the overcautious American card.
•Free things are rare – take advantage of whatever you can.
•Metros, buses, and trams don’t check if you bought a ticket – but it’s probably still best to have one though…
•You have to eat, no matter how expensive it is.
•Don’t assume something will be free – it’s probably not.
•Obey “Forbidden” signs, usually.
•Public transportation is not as scary as you thing – you can get familiar with it after 1 ride.
•Metro is always the preferable public transport.
•January in Europe is foggy, but has very few tourists.
•You can always find joy in any experience, even ones that seem terrible.
•Longer train rides DO check for tickets, and will fine you 40 euro if you don’t have one.
•If you can handle it, walking is always a good option – free, and you get to see more of the city.
•City maps are ABSOLUTELY necessary. Get one as soon as you can.
•Locals know where the best stuff is, and seem willing to help a nice tourist.
•Trains always leave on time – no earlier, no later.
•A bird in the hand can be worth 3 in the bush.
•Hostel breakfasts are generally pretty scarce and pretty sparse.
•If you don’t feel safe in an area, don’t look all worried and freak out, but get out as quickly as possible.
•Carrying one bag around is SO much better than carrying around two.
•Finding friendly people to talk to can brighten you day.
•Facebook and Skype are wonderful things (in moderation).
•Aperatives are cheap
•Get off the beaten path – you may find unexpected hidden treasure there.
•Traveling alone is fun for a while, but really exhausting and a little lonely.
•Hostels are usually OK.
•Flying can be cheaper than train.
•Learn each country’s train system BEFORE you go (and yes, they are all different).
•Euro @ 1.5 dollars add up.
•A little privacy can be worth a lot.
•Carbonated mineral water is not as weird as you think.
•If something seems too good to be true, it’s sometimes legit – especially in Switzerland.
•Go to concentration camps while in Germany – it’s always worth it.
•People watching can be just as entertaining as a 7 euro museum.
•Don’t be too uptight about your stuff getting stolen that you can’t enjoy yourself.
•Check timetables BEFORE you buy your tickets. Avoid stopovers longer than 4 hours and shorter than 3 minutes.
•Get directions to your hostel before you get to that city. Don’t trust the directions they’ve written out for you.
•Not everyone automatically assumes you’re American – that’s kind of nice.
•Don’t always strike up conversations with other Americans – sometimes they’re the most obnoxious.
•Latin American-European Spanish is hard to understand, but better than Italian.
•Yes or no questions are best in an unfamiliar language.
•Have faith that trust that things will turn out how you planned, but ALWAYS have a back up.
•Keep your mind open – something that at first seemed terrible could turn out to be okay (and vis-versa).
•Enjoy every moment and take advantage of every opportunity available to you – you only get the chance once!