Back in August, I remember airport security snidely commenting, “you must not travel often.” I don’t know what gave it away: the tears pouring down my cheeks, every electronic I owned in it’s own separate container, or my busting-at-the-seams “carry on” suitcase that toppled over backwards each time I momentarily let go. If they could only see me now... they would probably still be laughing.
I am indeed still traveling with that raggedy suitcase that flips off curbs, stumbles over the smallest pebble, and should never have left the top shelf of my parent’s closet. I debated throwing it away before my trips and immediately regretted it the morning we sprinted through the Opéra metro station to catch a bus to Charles De Gaulle airport. I again regretted it as it screeched along the sidewalk on the way to hostels with new friends I’d met on the train. And even more so on my last night when I sprinted across Pont des Sèvres in attempts to make it to the bus stop, only to have the bus driver ring it’s trolley-like bell, lock eyes with me and shake their finger non non mademoiselle at me. 1:30 am, exhausted from 11 days of traveling, and hysterically laughing, I debated throwing the whole thing into the Seine, but was forced to drag it up the hill home.
The French school system has four 2 week holidays that I fortunately get to take advantage of. For our March break, I booked a trip to Prague, Vienna and Budapest traveling alone but meeting friends in each place. Growing up with a tendency to be late to everything and an overall dismissiveness to specific details, I was extremely apprehensive of the trip, but knew I had to prove I could do it, so I pulled on my big girl pants.
My trip got off to an interesting start at the airport when I skipped the whole line assuming I had speedy boarding, had to pay for oversized luggage, forgot to take my computer out of my checked bag, went through security, remembered my computer, had to claim my baggage and do the entire process again. I also foolishly got a large amount of euros out of an ATM before I left, realizing afterwards I had disregarded the fact that both Prague and Budapest don’t use the Euro. I had also failed to realize Wien is the European term for Vienna. I’m learning...
I adored Eastern Europe. The way the red rooftops overlap one another and the pastel colored buildings with intricate designs. The general emptiness of the streets and slower pace of life-- so slow that at times I wondered where in the world all the people were. I loved the way the cities were based around the rivers and the beautiful reflections off the water. And of course the beer ain’t so bad either.
My favorite parts of the trip was a hike up the gorgeous tree lined Petrin hill with overlooks of the entire city of Prague, guided by a sweet old man in a bucket hat. I stood in awe of the intricate stained-glass in St. Vitus Cathedral in the Praha Castle and enjoyed many evening walks along the Vltava river and Charles Bridge. In Vienna, I oohed and awed over every single exhibit at the MAK museum and enjoyed dinner at the swanky restaurant attached, though our coats got locked inside and we had to walk home in the cold. All the artwork was fantastic and it was incredible to see the Austrian native, Gustav Klimt’s, The Kiss, in person at the Belvedere Palace and the lovely gardens covered in snow. I fell in love with all things falafel and would daily stop by Naschmarkt, an open air market, for samples dipped in hummus. I attended Aida at the Vienna State Opera for a mere four euros, standing beside a local who wants to be an opera singer and taught me all there is to know. In Budapest I almost passed out when I withdrew $30 and was given 10,000 HUF, all in one bill. I was obsessed with the ruin bars, built in abandoned buildings, with vintage mismatched furniture, great music and hipster art hanging from the ceilings. We spent a long sunny afternoon enjoying the thermal baths and steam rooms in their famous hot springs. And watched the sunset over Pest from the Fisherman’s Bastion, as a sweet old woman played songs from The Sound of Music (wrong country, lady!) on her violin.
As expected not everything about the trip was ideal. Coming from a girl nicknamed French Fry, I had much higher expectations of the potatoes on a stick from Old Town Square in Prague. I got a 100 euro ticket for riding the Vienna U-Bahn without paying and am now probably banned from the Austrian Alps because I left the country sans paying. I had to use my pajama shirt as a towel because I didn’t pack one and our hostel didn’t have any. And my bus to Budapest was canceled because of snow so I had to buy a last minute train ticket, which was expensive and stressful.
All in all my trip was amazing. I had a great time being a tourist and felt refreshed to be in places that, unlike Paris, actually welcome Americans. My trip taught me a ton of little things that you can’t prepare yourself for while traveling, no matter how much research you do beforehand. Like mixed dorms or all girls, your hostel roommates are probably going to be weird. I learned to pack lighter because I will probably favor one outfit and re-wear it constantly. I learned contentment in eating and exploring alone. I cherished conversations with strangers everywhere that I would never have met had I had friends with me. But more so I developed a humble swagger of sorts. A confidence that it’s possible to do it alone, but to be prepared that things will not always be perfect and you just have to roll with it. And just so you know, I will be ditching the suitcase and using a hiker’s backpack for my summer travels.
{prague}
{vienna}
{budapest}
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