Fin

Well, here I am on the train from Salzburg back to Munich, where I spent a lovely day with some Aussies exploring the town. It was the perfect way to end this euro trip for a lot of reasons, but mainly because it epitomized the experience of traveling in Europe. In the sense that you met people you never would have before and suddenly, due to circumstances, a bit of luck, and the occasional pint you wind up becoming friends and casually driving to another country for the day. Just. Like. That.

The past six months cannot be summarized in a blog post, they cannot fit neatly into the constraints of a postcard or letter, they can't be measured by the number of likes on a Facebook photo, and they definitely cannot compare to anything else I have experienced before. From the beginning days "studying" in Leicester (and I use the term here loosely, and in the best ways possible), to the final days spent in train stations, trying desperately to catch up on sleep, walking through sore feet, and juggling bags of luggage on the tube, I wouldn't change a moment.

There is a quote that says, "the point of traveling is not to step foot onto foreign land, but to eventually set foot onto ones homeland as a foreign country". As the day to my flight home draws nearer and nearer I can't help but feel this quotation gets it all right. Sure, I'll know the bus routes and the street names back home by heart, but I'll be experiencing my hometown in a whole new light. I'll be visiting the same places and seeing the same wonderful friends I have had for ages, but with a new perspective. A new perspective that incorporates all of the cultures, histories and traditions I have learned about while being abroad.

Those perspectives will also incorporate my own personal moments. Moments that include, getting lost in Brussels, wandering around Stirling in the pouring rain, watching a bullfight in Spain, eating pizza in Italy, swimming in the Mediterranean sea, walking alongside the Berlin Wall, drinking the worlds first lager in Prague, visiting the Dachau concentration camp in Munich, and so much more. And these will be the experiences that no matter how much I try to talk about them in stories or share them through photos, will be uniquely mine and shape the course of my travel. Not all are good, some are stressful, others lonely, others complicated, or messy; but all are a part of it.

And for the opportunity to experience these moments, good and bad and entirely indescribable, I am eternally grateful to the family and friends I have back home, and to those who I have met along the way. Near or far, you were a part of every smile, cry, laugh, cheer, chant, scream, whisper and awe inspired sigh I had along the way. See you all soon! 

Cheers,

Alison 

Eastern euro

During my recent visit to some of eastern Europe, a friend asked me what's the appeal? Everyone talks about Paris and Rome, but rarely do you ever hear tourists rave about The Czech Republic or Hungary, what gives?

To answer that I'll break it down into three B's: beer, bucks and bizarre history.

It's no secret I like my beer. Ales, lagers, stout; I'll take 'em all. So naturally, the flourishing amount of beer produced, distributed and consumed in eastern Europe has to be one of the reasons I loved these countries. Specifically, the coty of Prague is home of the world's first lager and boy, does it show. These thing line the walls of every supermarket, whole sections are dedicated to varieties of beers, and on average a Czech person drinks 1.5 liters of beer...per day. Enough said.

On to the next B, bucks. By this I mean dollars, euros, pound, korunas, whatever you call it. In Budapest they call it fornits - a word I would come to love. The live affair began my first day in Budapest as I sauntered up to the money change desk and handed over a 50 euro bill to (my disbelief) receive over 14,000 fornits in return, for an exchange rate of 1:300 At first I was skeptical, what could this actually get me in the stores? I walked over to the nearest grocery store and went to the beer section (of course), amongst the most expensive beers there were 175-200 fornits...an equivalent of less than 1 euro. Again, enough said.

Finally, bizarre history. This B I was not expecting to encounter. I like reading about history and learning new things so I thought I had a good grasp on what has happened on this side of the pond, but that was to change. A few walking tours later and a trip to some of the memorial sites still standing and I realized I had no clue about most of eastern European history. Suddenly I was acutely aware of kings and queens, rebel religious leaders and Protestant martyrs I had never heard of before, but who each played a significant role in shaping their country as any name I ever had.

So there it is. Beers, bucks and bizarre histories. Just three of the reasons why eastern Europe should be visited, viewed and veered towards.