That's a wrap!

The past few years of my life have been rather challenging. I didn't know how much I needed this three months of travel time to heal, clear my mind, and find a more true way to be until I had left Canada. Truth be told, I had a lot of mixed feelings in the days leading up to my trip. Falling in London about four days into my journey felt like the universe was trying to tell me "Hey! Who are you to take a break from life and go off gallivanting around Europe for fun?" In reality though, who was I not to go off and do just that?

Travelling gives you a sense of freedom that cannot be matched by anything else. Each morning I got up and thought, What do I want to do today? Whatever I want! Travelling alone makes you be resourceful and more open (as I've mentioned previously) to meeting others and to new experiences. It makes you simplify your possessions as you have to carry everything and it allows you to reevaluate how you live your life back home "in the real world." Travelling exposes you - mind, body, and spirit - to cultures, peoples, languages, and places you have never been exposed to. It changes you. It changed me. 

Since I've been home, I keep thinking back to what it was like traipsing around Portugal and Spain on my own, and how Morocco was both alien and familiar at the same time. My trip may be finished, but the memories and experiences I have stay with me in my thoughts. I hope that the friends I made overseas stay with me too. Each time I reflect on my time off, I feel happy and grateful. Happy that I gave myself the time I needed have a real break from life, and so grateful that I was able to. The only regrets I have is not seeing some of the places I wanted to (specifically, Tomar and Evora in Portugal) and not taking more time off as the travel bug has bit me hard. I've also noticed how much more expensive it is to stay in one place and live vis-à-vis travelling around. A former university professor once told me the same thing, but I hadn't believed her at the time. I do now!

Adjusting back to reality has been a bit strange as I have been on "Spanish Time." No longer being in a warm climate, no more siestas, now having a home and stuff to deal with/clean, and going back to work has been a bit of culture shock for me. I'm sure it will pass soon.

Wrapping Up:

I've put together a map of all the places that I went to (although the above one is not quite in chronological order). There are 36 sites in total! I really got around!

For an interactive map, click this link. As you can see, I focused my trip on these few countries rather than trying to see as many European cities etc. I like to stay in a place to get a real feel for it, rather than simply checking off places on my bucket list.

There are some tips, tricks, and thoughts about travel that I would like to share with my readers at large:

• The #1 thing I wish someone had told me ahead of time: DO convert your bank account into the local currency (in my case, Euros) if you are planning on staying in one area for a long time. You will save so much money (I was charged €4 each time that I withdrew money, it really adds up over time). I'm a bit angry that my bank (RBC) didn't mention this option when I let them know I was going to be in Europe for 3 months.

• DO research the places you want to see and chart them out on a map to try and figure out an order to see things in BUT stay flexible while you are on the road (life is unpredictable!)

• DO buy a good travel guide and tear pages out of it so that you only carry what you need while discovering a new place. Throw out the pages as you go and your guide will get lighter over time (and believe me, guidebooks are notorious for adding weight to luggage/backpacks).

• DO research transportation schedules, prices, and determine whether or not a rail pass etc is a good investment. Looking back, I would've only bought a rail pass for Spain and not Portugal as the buses in Portugal were often cheaper and came more often (some were even faster than the train!)

• DO invest in travel clothes that are light, quick-drying, comfy and versatile.

• DO talk to people in your hostel, they can offer tips/tricks and also suggestions for places to go eat/stay/visit. Some of the best hostels I stayed in were recommended to me by other travelers.

• DO have savings that you can dip into if you go over your budget (hey, life happens!)

• DO take extra memory cards for your digital camera, tablets etc to take as many photos as you can.

• DO always use a toilet if there is one available to you as you never know when you can find another public one.

• DO carry water and snacks with you, its exhausting walking around for hours while taking in art/culture/surroundings. Its very easy to get dehydrated, cranky, and overwhelmed when you haven't eaten/drank anything in a few hours.

• DO use a reusable shopping bag. Some countries don't recycle plastic (I'm looking at you, Morocco). Save the environment and bring your own collapsible bag.

Roll Credits:

I'd like to give thanks for some key people in my life that made both my trip and my blog a reality:

• C. Farmer - without whom this blog would likely have not been written. My dear friend lent me their iPAD2 without hesitation so that I may have a way to share my thoughts with the world. This friend also bought me a belt with pockets (seen in many photos from the blog) that made exploring better as I had my hands free to snap photos and touch things, and was a safe way to transport my money, cards, camera etc.

• D. Davies - without whom my sanity would've suffered greatly during moments of insomnia, panic, frustration etc. The support you have shown me while I was away kept me both buoyant and grounded. Much love to you bear.

• My travel agent friend at the Adventure Travel Company here in Vancouver. I would've not had the ability to get some of key travel arrangements made without the help of Bernie Abromaitis. She helped me figure out the complexity of my Eurail Pass, booked my flights to ensure the best connections and pricing, and supported me via email while I was away.

• My Aunt Breda (I hope you are still reading!) - thanks for being so enthusiastic and encouraging about my writing. It made me feel that what I was sharing had value and was enjoyable to read.

• My friends and family who read and shared my blog, and generally gave support and encouragement while I was on the road.

• My RMTs, chiropractor, and personal trainer - without whom I would still be suffering lots of physical pain and disability from my car accidents.

• My Financial Planner, Kelsey Smart, who helped me invest my funds and make me financially able to travel.

I wish all of my readers a very happy New Year and all the best :)