21 Days with the heart�
It�s 2:45 p.m. in the afternoon on the 7th of September; I�m about 33,000 feet above sea level and moving at well over 450 miles an hour. I�m on my flight back home right now having spent the better part of three weeks traveling through Europe. Having immersed myself in a culture and environment that is alien to my own, I�ve come to realize that inspite of the differences that appear on the surface, I was instantly comfortable here.
Over the last 21 days, I�ve been across two continents, stayed over in four different cities & been in transit through at least ten others. I�ve flown practically once every three days and have taken a train just about the same number of times. I�ve met literally hundreds of people and after all of that, I�ve got just one thought�. I�d never left home.
Of course right now, with the comfort of being on a flight back to my current place of semi-permanent residence, I can say that quite easily, thank you very much. But looking back on these last twenty-one days, I don�t think I�d feel too differently later on either.
If I were to go into detail about each and every one of my little adventures across Europe I might not be able to finish this on time & heaven knows, I need to begin preparing my body for the jet lag that is soon to follow when I get home! I�ll try instead to put into perspective what these experiences have meant to me collectively.
For starters, I�ve begun to believe that there�s no place like Europe anywhere else on earth. There�s a slight reluctance about the place, but at the same time there�s an overwhelming acceptance of the future and the direction its people are headed in. Everyone believes that Europe is truly a unique prototype of an open society. Someday in the future it may be refined further and hopefully I shall be on hand to witness this personally.
I�ve learnt another thing. When you�re 20, with stars and dreams in your eyes, a hummable song on your lips, and a sense of wonder about everything you do, then the world becomes a magical place. A new trick waiting to be discovered around every corner every person a magician and every street his stage.
Don�t bother traveling if you�re afraid to rough it out. Waiting for connecting trains of flights means missed sleep. Sometimes, I�d manage 3 hours a day and have to be satisfied. Most of this waiting, done on bare railway platforms or in dour airport terminals. And sometimes when you�re in a place where not everyone understands your tongue, you�ll be glad to know that most people can decipher a smile, �hello�, thank you� and �Coca-Cola�! Those three words and a simple stretch of your facial muscles can get you more directions and help than a 5000 phrase guidebook! Try and it and you�ll know how!
Of course if all else fails, (and even the best laid plans do sometimes!), a cell phone and a credit card are always handy things to have with you! Use them cautiously. Being on the wrong side of a conversion rate will make you kick yourself, HARD, when it�s time to pay up later on, with interest! Finally though, and this is the simplest bit (I found it out, so I�m assuming you definitely shouldn�t have a problem with this bit), keep your wits about you. Most people around the world are good-natured and like a laugh. And most people will step forward to help lighten your burden, just be sharp about who�s trying to lighten your pocket that�s all.
Play it smart, don�t lose your sense of wonder and smile and you�ll do just fine when you journey across this third rock from the sun!
It�s 2:45 p.m. in the afternoon on the 7th of September; I�m about 33,000 feet above sea level and moving at well over 450 miles an hour. I�m on my flight back home right now having spent the better part of three weeks traveling through Europe. Having immersed myself in a culture and environment that is alien to my own, I�ve come to realize that inspite of the differences that appear on the surface, I was instantly comfortable here.
Over the last 21 days, I�ve been across two continents, stayed over in four different cities & been in transit through at least ten others. I�ve flown practically once every three days and have taken a train just about the same number of times. I�ve met literally hundreds of people and after all of that, I�ve got just one thought�. I�d never left home.
Of course right now, with the comfort of being on a flight back to my current place of semi-permanent residence, I can say that quite easily, thank you very much. But looking back on these last twenty-one days, I don�t think I�d feel too differently later on either.
If I were to go into detail about each and every one of my little adventures across Europe I might not be able to finish this on time & heaven knows, I need to begin preparing my body for the jet lag that is soon to follow when I get home! I�ll try instead to put into perspective what these experiences have meant to me collectively.
For starters, I�ve begun to believe that there�s no place like Europe anywhere else on earth. There�s a slight reluctance about the place, but at the same time there�s an overwhelming acceptance of the future and the direction its people are headed in. Everyone believes that Europe is truly a unique prototype of an open society. Someday in the future it may be refined further and hopefully I shall be on hand to witness this personally.
I�ve learnt another thing. When you�re 20, with stars and dreams in your eyes, a hummable song on your lips, and a sense of wonder about everything you do, then the world becomes a magical place. A new trick waiting to be discovered around every corner every person a magician and every street his stage.
Don�t bother traveling if you�re afraid to rough it out. Waiting for connecting trains of flights means missed sleep. Sometimes, I�d manage 3 hours a day and have to be satisfied. Most of this waiting, done on bare railway platforms or in dour airport terminals. And sometimes when you�re in a place where not everyone understands your tongue, you�ll be glad to know that most people can decipher a smile, �hello�, thank you� and �Coca-Cola�! Those three words and a simple stretch of your facial muscles can get you more directions and help than a 5000 phrase guidebook! Try and it and you�ll know how!
Of course if all else fails, (and even the best laid plans do sometimes!), a cell phone and a credit card are always handy things to have with you! Use them cautiously. Being on the wrong side of a conversion rate will make you kick yourself, HARD, when it�s time to pay up later on, with interest! Finally though, and this is the simplest bit (I found it out, so I�m assuming you definitely shouldn�t have a problem with this bit), keep your wits about you. Most people around the world are good-natured and like a laugh. And most people will step forward to help lighten your burden, just be sharp about who�s trying to lighten your pocket that�s all.
Play it smart, don�t lose your sense of wonder and smile and you�ll do just fine when you journey across this third rock from the sun!
posted by Pierre at
7:21 AM
|
0 Comments
Links to this post
