I’m off to a great start: I forgot my toothbrush.
Reframe: I didn’t forget my passport, wallet, iPhone or my capacity for
reframing.
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So here’s the very, very flexible agenda for my travel this
time:
Alicante, Spain: May
11th- May 14th
Budapest, Hungary: May
14th- May 17th
[GIANT UNPLANNED TIME]: May 17th- May 26th
Brussels, Belgium: May
26th- May 28th
Madrid, Spain: May
28th- May 29th
Fly home: May
29th
“Giant Unplanned Time” will consist of me deciding on North (Vienna,
Prague, Berlin) or South (Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia) from Budapest, then booking
transportation to Brussels from wherever I am. I’ll figure it out.
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As a refresher traveling course and to procrastinate on
actually packing last night, I read through my old journal for forewarning and
recollection.
Here are some of my favsies:
1) Thou shall not look American. This means no
T-shirts with brands, no khaki shorts (woops!), no flip-flops, no athletic
shoes, no boating shoes, no hoodies, no North Face. Of course, this careful selection of clothing
is completely in vain; all of it is being carried around in my L. L Bean
backpack. Fail!
2) When you are lost, don’t look lost. Nothing says
“Kill me and take my L.L Bean backpack” more than looking around at street
signs and squinting with a giant map in your hand. Don’t know where you are?
Just keep walking. You’ll eventually figure it out. Sometimes it just takes
several hours.
3) Don’t smile. Americans smile at everything and
its super obvious. When abroad, walk around with a face that says “Hey, I’m
have a totally average not bad but not good day.” Natives will pin you as a
native and ask you for directions! Seriously! Then you can tell them you have
no idea where you are so you sure as hell can’t help them.
4) Ziplock bags are always useful. Only want half of
that apple now? Put it in a ziplock! Half an apple could mean the difference
between life and hunger later. Dirty socks, loose change, keeping things dry; You
can never pack to many! Yes, you may look like a drug dealer at the airport. But
since you wont have any drugs, the worst they can get you for is being
mysterious. Which isn’t a real crime any civil country (so watch where you
travel).
5) Be suspicious of everyone. On the hole, people
aren’t evil because it takes to much energy. But if someone walks up to you and
is smiling--- they want something from you, want to sell you something, or want
to kidnap and sell you. Or they are American. Just trust your gut
instinct. Yes, telling strangers your
name is okay; No, its not customary anywhere for strangers to ask for your
blood type.
I intelligently didn’t pre-book transportation to Alicante,
so I get to find a bus or a train or hitch a ride. Who plans ahead anyway?
