Before I do, I have a special note for STA: Although I might have not started a blog back in 2005 when I started my international travels, I hope that the content on this blog, and my efforts to provide your team with as much information about me, my travels, and my writing in such a short amount of time, shows my dedication to becoming the 2010 World Traveler Intern. And I also much say thank you for finally giving me the push to start writing down my thoughts and experiences with the people I love.

P.S. This blog will make MUCH more sense if you start at my first entry and read up until the newest one!! Cheers

I strongly urge making new friends while you travel, as they can prove to be lifesavers. Usually one to be very smart and careful I managed to get wrapped up in conversations amongst a large group we were going to a bar with, and did not notice when my friends split from the group into a different bar. When I realized I lost them, panic set in. Thoughts raced through my head about being alone in a foreign city with strangers whose character I really didn’t know. However, the rapport I created with them at our hostel allowed me to have faith that these new friends were good people. They were and assured me that they would stick with me to make sure I had a safe and fun night. My lesson learned is that the majority of people are good, be smart in your judgments, and its not always the best idea to leave a group to try to find your friends solo.

If you really want to immerse yourself in a culture or city the best advice I can give is to get “lost.” I put this in quotations because in this day and age it’s pretty hard to actually get really lost. However, jump on a metro, spin around in a circle, and get off at whatever stop your finger lands on. You will be refreshed by the normalcy of the neighborhoods you end up in as well as getting the chance to observe ordinary people in their everyday environment. These are also the times to stop by a local café or bar and speak with the workers. Practice a new language, chat about life over a drink. Breathe it all in and experience the perfection of moments like this, they will last a lifetime.

For those of us who travel on a sabbatical year from school, our main focus might be to go a little party crazy in Europe. For some, it can be the first taste of true independence, self-reliance, and the ability to make your own choices. It is also the first time for many to legally drink whilst under twenty-one years of age. While this is a main attraction of a European adventure, don’t forget you’re in countries with long traces of history all around you. Take my advice and do a little research about the historical sights of the city. Train trips are perfect opportunities to inform yourself. Go to a museum, see the gothic quarters, cathedrals and castles. Take pictures and bask in the glory that people hundreds of years ago stood in the same spot staring at the same building as you do now. Touch the walls, admire the art and realize that in that moment you have bridged the gap of time.

While your trip to Europe might be all about you, your friends, and your experiences, try not to forget that you also represent your country. Travelling abroad and being American automatically comes with a steriotype. Recognize that most of the European countries view Americans as loud, attention drawing and semi-obnoxious people. Not that this opinion is right, but it does exist. With that in mind try to tone down your attitude or voice while you’re with friends, we have a tendancy to get loud the more excited we get. Remember how annoying it is when people come to America and don’t try to speak English. At least make an attempt to speak the native language. The people will appreciate you butchering their language more than your laziness to try to speak it at all. Making a bit of a fool of yourself is also a good way to show humility to counter the widespread opinion of Americans as self rightous. Be polite, respect culture and don’t get too defensive if people constantly ask you how we as Americans could have elected Bush for president…twice. If you follow these tips I can assure you that you’ll have a wonderful, confrontation-free trip. And perhaps learn a thing or two.

Strange, unpredictable things will happen to you while you travel. You just have to roll with it. Don’t freak out on the waiter if he gives you a hamburger with a raw egg on top. Don’t panic if you miss your train. If you end up alone, people WILL help you get home safely. If the sprinklers go off while you’re sitting in front of the Eiffel tower, just laugh. This is the time to feel carefree and happy, so don’t sweat the small stuff.

Hey if the opportunity presents itself, take it. Call it the whimsical ideals instilled in me from romantic comedy movies, but passionate European love exists. Prior to my backpacking extravaganza I never thought love could happen quickly. I never thought a relationship could exist between two people who didn’t speak the same language. I never thought two people from practically two different worlds would have enough in common to create a solid relationship. Boy was I wrong. I fell in love in less than a month with a guy from Barcelona who didn’t speak English. We were from separate worlds, but somehow a mix of sign language and Spanglish managed to create the most beautiful relationship I’ve had to date. No we did not end up together, I had to come home at some point, but my perception and belief in love, relationships, and communication drastically changed me for the better. And I can truthfully say, I made a lifelong friend out of the experience.

Regardless of how much planning you put into a trip, spontaneous things are bound to happen. This is a fact that you need to prepare yourself for. In my case, my best friend/travelling wingman fell really ill and in the matter of two days was whisked back to America. So there I was, 19 years old, alone in the middle of Barcelona. The first night alone, I spent in my hotel room hysterically crying to my sister on a phone call that ended up being almost more expensive than my hotel room. It was my first full on panic attack. For the first time in my life I felt alone. I felt like I wasn’t old enough to survive in a city, much less a foreign city, by myself. However, after my good cry, I woke up the next day feeling surprisingly empowered. I tried my best to hide my puffy eyes and decided, hell I can do this. In life all you really truly have is you, so what better than to be comfortable being alone with you. This was the though I had as I put on my bikini and headed out to the beach solo. And I must say I learned quite a bit about myself, about travelling, and about the phenomenon that guys are much more likely to hit on a woman when she is alone. Consider it a small added perk ☺

Unless you are fluent in every language in the countries you travel to, the chances that you’ll have a funny mishap is quite large. For example, I stayed with my friend Oli in Munich. He is fluent in English, but his parents are not. Nor am I fluent or even proficient in German. When I arrived from the airport, his mom greeted me with warm welcomes, asking if, “I would like to take a douche?” Needless to say I was speechless, but thankfully my knowledge in Spanish allowed me to realize that she was most likely asking me if I wanted to take a shower (dusche in German). Oli who was already embarrassed, proceeded to tell his mother what she had just asked me, who was in turned mortified. Needless to say it was the most successful icebreaker I’ve ever experienced. Now I was lucky because I wasn’t the one who made the mistake, but regardless of who messed up, the lesson here is just to laugh. Try not to be embarrassed/or embarrass others over language mistakes because attempting a foreign language makes anyone feel vulnerable.