It’s been over a month now since my return from Europe and yet almost everything here in Toronto has stayed the same.  Lucky for me though, I feel different (: – new perspectives, insights, and feelings about me, myself and I. On the other hand, I can’t say that my experience was ‘life altering’ either.  I think many graduates go to ‘find themselves’ but for me, the trip has only reassured me about the person that I am.

It’s a big world

I’ll admit it.  I do not know my world history, culture, or language.  Flying from country to country, visiting museum to museum, and (barely) speaking Franglais has confirmed that I am not a worldly individual.  There were so many instances where I would stand in front of a statue and wonder to myself, “what am I looking at?” only wishing that I had paid better attention back in highschool. *sigh*  Nevertheless, the culture was intriguing, and the architecture was stunning; things that were more memorable than any fact could ever be.

Tip: When in doubt, get an audio guide.  They cost on average 4-6 euros, but it’ll be worth it if you’re anything like me.

(Not so) Independent woman?

The answer is both.  Externally, I am an independent woman – I don’t need, I want it.  I don’t complain, I do it.  I don’t cry, I get over it.   But what meets the eye is not always true because at the end of the day I am a Type A that needs to be around people 24/7.

It’s not new information, but it became very evident during those three weeks.  It was nice to have someone to talk to all the time, someone to shop with, someone to laugh and share memories with….  I could never do it alone (without a purpose of course).  In fact, I wouldn’t want to as it would bring me no joy to have personal time half way around the world away from everyone I care about.   Ha, I guess you know you are a social butterfly when times like these remind me of quiet res nights when I would sit in Bran’s room (for no reason) while he played poker. lol

Tip:  If you can’t do it alone either just remember to be selective.  Go with someone who you bond with, trust me. (:

If I could it all over again… (shortlisted)

…I would bring a cellphone that worked!  My Blackberry Pearl failed me as I was only able to receive incoming calls and text messages.  Luckily I never got lost and pay phones and Internet access were somewhat readily available to us.

…I would bring more memory for the camera and a transfer cord.  For all those who complained that no pictures were ever uploaded, now you know why!  Belle and I had poor communication prior to packing regarding camera stuff so we only had a 2GB memory card for 3 weeks. lol

…I would plan our trip itinerary and make reservations earlier.  One of our biggest ‘omg’ moments was when we couldn’t use our Eurail Youth Passes to purchase train tickets from Paris to Nice.  And because we thought in advance reservations were not necessary, it costed us an extra $122!  Although it was worth it for Nice’s stony and sandy beaches, and Monte Carlo’s baller visit… it could have been used towards our shopping escapades!

In the end

Every story has an ending but I think this traveling one is far from over.  I don’t know where I’ll visit the next time I have vacation but what’s most interesting is that as I grow older I only realize that there is so much more to see, learn, and experience. (:  It only gets better from here, just wait and see…

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How about you?  How has your traveling experiences changed you, or what have you learned about yourself that you didn’t know before?

With the sun shining and the Mediterranean Sea surrounding us, sipping on sangrias (carbonated red wine mixed with fruit) by the beach has been the perfect way to end a backpacker’s journey around Europe.

The Magic Fountain

Although not as incredible as the Bellagio fountain in Las Vegas, the Magic Fountain in Plaza Espanya is an amazing centre piece for the city and brings hundreds (maybe even thousands) of tourists and locals together every Thursday to Sunday evening. The fountain is lit with bright colours and entertained by several songs throughout the night. At the background of the fountain is the National Museum of Art which has cascading waterfalls all the way down from the top of the hill. Luckily for us, we arrived in time on Sunday evening to catch the show! But after watching the grand fountain, it was obvious that Toronto seems to lack an attraction so simple but yet so appealing.

All it takes is a large projector screen…

Who knew that watching a movie outdoors on a mountain could be so entertaining! In fact, the experience was amazing and I could only wish that such culture could be brought back to Toronto. In Barcelona,they hold weekly Monday, Wednesday, and Friday screenings of movies on top of Mont Fujic and last night we watched Death Proof with a couple of travellers that we met on the Fat Tire Bike Tour. It was hilarious because the movie was played in English (with Spanish subtitles and we were the only ones laughing during the comedic parts! And although we had to walk up the mountain and back down again, (almost getting lost after the movie) being part of the culture was without a doubt worth every little bit it all!

Beach Bum (even in another country)

The beach here is beautiful and getting a full body massage while tanning for 10 Euros is even better! Not much to say about the beach except that I have gotten so dark that some of you will not recognize me. Belle likes to refer to me as her Indian friend, so be prepared to see a darker but hotter me (haha, I’m kidding)!

Over the past sixteen days of backpacking throughout Europe, I have made quite a few discoveries about myself. In fact, I have tested my tolerance and have learned a lot; both about myself and about different people, cultures, food, and so much more.

Unfortunately, you will have to stay tuned for that in-depth post upon my return to Toronto in a few days!

It’s 9:15am and Belle and I have finally gotten ready and packed again after waking at 7:30am this morning.  Our time here has been amazing so far… I wish I could tell all but I only have 10 minutes before we’re off to the Louvre and Musee D’Orsay for the day.

In the Air with President’s Choice

So who said airplane food wasn’t good? Flying on AirTransat from Toronto to Ottawa, and Ottawa then to Paris, we were fed President’s Choice curry chicken (haha I know, curry on a trip to Paris?).  Belle and I slept decently but while we were there we met a guy named Jean who was also travelling to Paris.  He told us about his adventures in Mexico, Australia.  The cool thing was that he was also in the Canadian Military and was being deported to Afghanistan in a few months!

Paris is Beautiful 

You haven’t seen Tour Eiffel until you’ve seen it in real life.  It’s absolutely stunning… and everywhere you turn there are couples in love (or making out).  In fact, we fell asleep on the grass staring at the Tour Eiffel two times in one day!  (:  We were also were frenchie yesterday, did I mention we had a bottle of win, bread and cheese for dinner?  Yum!

The Fat Bike Tour was amazing and fun too.  I don’t think I’ have ridden a bike since high school but I was still doing okay.  We passed by many attractions and the tour guide Marqus told us about the history and the significance of the all the places.  I wish I could show you pictures but you’re just going to have to wait for that!  Overall, the tour took about 4 hours to finish and tonight we are going to go on the night tour (:  It involves going to the best ice cream store and a cruise on the Seine river.   I’m so excited and ready to fall in love with the city all over again!

Change in Plans

So far so good except for one major thing that I skipped… our trip to Nice, France won’t be happening anymore.  When we got to the train station right from the airport, we didn’t realize that reserving overnight trains were important!  All the seats are booked and full price first class is too expensive!  We don’t know where or what we’re going to do for those two days because we don’t have hostels in Paris either!  We’ll keep you updated, but I guess this is the most amazing part of traveling with a half itinerary!

That’s it have to run now!