Summer Summary (And Conclusion)

The more I travel, the lazier I get. Or maybe I’m just getting more selfish? Wanting to keep my experiences all to myself? Well, I’m kicking my lazy self, and I’m going to share with you what’s been up. When we last talked I had successfully made my way through Northern Ireland, Scotland, and was writing happily from Spain. Since then, I had four days in Barcelona, five in Grenoble, France, and finished my trip with two nights in Paris.

So, first, Barcelona:

What a beautiful city! What a contrast to the cold wet of Scotland! It was actually kind of hard acclimating from super cold to super hot so quickly.  But let me tell you, I totally did. On my first day in Barcelona I had a plan. I swear I did. But as soon as I saw those aqua blue, refreshingly beautiful waves, I dropped everything and “accidently” spent the day on the beach. It was so nice sitting there, soaking in the warm sunshine, dipping in the cool water. I returned to my hostel that day salty, slightly burned, and happily relaxed. Despite staying in a hostel with eight other people in my room, I had the best night’s sleep I had in a few weeks.

This is the street my hostel was on!

The next couple days were a blur of wandering across Spanish squares, swimming, Gaudi architecture, and sitting on little streets with ice cream and a street performer softly strumming guitar strings. Attending Tango and Samba lessons at a local bar was definitely a highlight. It was an expat bar, so it was a great mix of fellow independent travelers. Unfortunately, I saved the world-famous Picasso Museum for my last day, and the tickets were sold out by the time I made it to the entrance. I can’t lie when I say I almost cried when they told me it was sold out. It’s just too easy to get caught up in Manana while staying in Spain. Oh well, next time.

I also made friends :3

Regardless, I still managed to find some lovely tapas and Spanish wine to console myself. I also got to stand where Columbus stood when he first came back from the Americas to greet the king, which is pretty sweet. Early the next day I got up and headed to the airport to catch my cheap flight to Lyon.

Now, here’s something awesome about Europe- flights cheaper than bus tickets. Indeed, I managed to snag a last-minute flight from Barcelona to Lyon for only thirty Euros! Now, there’s something else about these cheap flights—they’re often not timely and at strange hours. When I got to the airport early on Wednesday morning, I was planning on being out the airport in less than two hours, and in Lyon before noon. But nooooooo. Instead, my flight was delayed and then canceled, and I spent the next twelve hours in airport security lines, rebooking lines, and stopping in Madrid. When I finally got to Grenoble, my final destination, it was well past midnight.

I think the airport fiasco was probably the hardest part of my solo traveling. It was difficult watching all the people who had family or friends or groups to keep them company in such a stressful situation. After almost crying because of the stress, a fellow passenger saw my scrunched up face and invited me to come sit with her. I swear, usually I wouldn’t cry. It was just. . . I don’t know. I was tired. Lonely. Far away from home in a place where I don’t speak the language. I didn’t have the energy to try to connect with new people again. It was surprising to me, but I was very emotional and not very proactive.

Anyway, my fellow delayed passengers and I bonded over the experience, and I made friends with an artist from France, a mother starting her own business, and a backpacker from Brazil. It was so nice.

In Grenoble I was meeting up with an old exchange student from my high school days. Meryl and I became great friends/running buddies during her six months as an exchange student in Bend. Staying with her was so lovely! Not only was it a relief to have my own room to stay in, but also a familiar face was exactly what I needed. Meryl was working a summer job as a mailwoman, so I spent most of Thursday and Friday cycling around Grenoble with her, delivering mail and catching up on the years we’ve missed. It was really beautiful, and it felt almost like being home, surrounded by the incredible French Alps.  I also got to enjoy her family, which was lovely. Her grandmother is an incredible artist, and I really enjoyed having dinner with them and touring her studio. Meryl’s father introduced me to The Fifth Element, which is a classic I guess I’ve been missing out on. I also was introduced to a new (French) way of drinking coffee in the morning. The French like to put some black coffee in a bowl, butter some baguette bread, and dip the bread in! Duuude. 

My French hosts also taught me how to use Blah Blah Car, which is like legal hitchhiking throughout Europe. I caught a ride from the French Alps all the way back to Amsterdam for 60 euros (a trip that would have cost be upwards of 160 through train and bus).  I would totally suggest using Blah Blah Cars!

Before I made it all the way back to Amsterdam, Meryl’s family connected me to their family in Paris, who were kind enough to host me for two nights! It was so nice to break up what would have been a whole day of travel with some time in Paris. Plus, I have to say, I was disappointed that I never got a chance to just sit in a Parisian café with a coffee or a glass of wine and enjoy the atmosphere during my last trip with Stephanie. Well, this time I got that chance. Meryl’s mother also gifted me with a ticket to Museum D’Orsay, which is an absolutely fantastic museum! I spent half of my day in the presence of the greatest impressionists of all time: Van Gogh, Monet, Renior, Degas, and many, many more. It. Was. Awesome. *Mini artistic freakout happy dance.*

Proof!

I also managed to grab a crepe and sat under the Eiffel Tower, photobombed lots of Asian tourists, and got a chance to sit in a French café and draw people on the street while sipping from wine. You simply can’t describe a day like that through words alone.

Cheers!

Each evening of my stay in Paris, my hosts spoiled me with a fantastic dinner (with a view of Paris from their flat balcony) with cheeses, breads, French wines, and fresh fruits. My hosts couldn’t speak much English, but we still had a fun time with the dictionary and what they called “the wine bible.” I even got to see the Eiffel Tower sparkle from their rooftop. It was absolutely beyond anything I could have asked for.

Rooftop Paradise

Finally, after three weeks of solo travel, I caught my Blah Blah car and made my way back to Amsterdam.  I did it. Three weeks felt like an eternity to spend alone. Northern Ireland, Scotland, Spain, and France. But I think I learned a lot while I was out there. I learned you’re never as alone as you think you are out there. I learned that traveling alone means you can do whatever you want, when you want, and that means it feels like you have MUCH more time on your hands. I learned that Blah Blah Car is awesome, and you should use it. Northern Ireland has a surprising history. Scotland feels like a Harry Potter movie and might be the most beautiful country in the world. Barcelona has a-mazing beaches, and you should make sure to book tickets to the Picasso Museum online. The French Apls are breathtaking, French wine is absolutely lovely, and old friends are good friends.

I think the most surprising aspect of traveling alone was what I learned about myself. Mainly, I was surprised my very real desire to be with people. I’m not as much of the lone Wolfe I thought I was. I really prefer to be with people. But before this trip, I would say I liked to travel with people mainly because I want them to bear witness to the experience, like I needed someone to validate my very existence. Almost out of fear. I would say now, if I wanted to have a person with me, it would be because the experience is really richer with another person, not because I need them so make the experience a reality. I can make trips happen without people, but they’re better with people.

I. Love. People. Especially these ones.

I’ve been back in Amsterdam now for two weeks. Summer in Holland is so beautiful! I've been told that it's been an abnormally good summer, but temperatures hover between 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit,  air is so clean and beautiful, and it's so, so green! I finished painting sunflowers on my host family’s kitchen table (they like it a lot) and my hosts and I have been enjoying squeezing the last lazy moments out of this summer. The children start school tomorrow. They took me to their sailing club, for swimming and dinner, which was such fun. I also now have an art studio in the garage, complete with an easel and a desk! So far, my host children have been painting with it more than I have. Otto and Cato have been so fun, I really missed them this summer. It’s good to be back.

A day at the sailing club

Overall, I can’t believe everything’s that happened this summer. I can’t believe I get to be in Europe, that I did what I did and have been where I’ve been. My life feels so incredibly rich.  This has really, truly, been the best summer ever.

Catch you next time!

Jessica J Wolfe