Eurotrip: Midpoint Check-In

Angie and I are officially mid-way through our Europtrip 2013! To recap, we have been to the following places:

• Copenhagen, Denmark
• Malmo, Sweden
• Berlin, Germany
• Potsdam, Germany
• Prague, Czech Republic
• Krakow, Poland
• Auschwitz, Poland
• Vienna, Austria
• Melk + Krems, Austria
• Bratislava, Slovakia
• Salzburg, Austria
• Hallstatt, Austria

Still to go are places in Germany, Croatia, Montenegro, and Italy before heading back to Barcelona. I feel really good about all that we have accomplished, and I have not yet come to loathe my giant backpack!

 

I thought I would take a moment to share some of my thoughts about a monthlong European adventure.

1. The Eurail pass was the best decision ever. I can't imagine how stressed we would be if we had to figure out the cheapest/best train options to get to different cities. We also would not have made so many day trips, many of which were kind of impromptu. Lastly, by getting the first-class saver pass, we get to enjoy the benefits of first class passengers, including: nicer train cars, free snacks on some trains, the use of the train lounges (free snacks, coffee, drinks, beer, wine, wifi!!), and the curious looks of businessmen wondering what these two greasy, rugged, dirty American students are doing in their car.
2. While winging it might work for some, having a general plan has been helpful. The times I am most stressed are thinking about what the second part of our trip (the unplanned part) would look like. I tried to do as much research as possible before hand, but I got stuck in the unfamiliar country of Croatia and it's been like a monkey on my back in terms of booking things. Now that we managed to figure out a basic plan for part two of our adventure, I feel much better. And because it's general, and not set in stone, we can still wing it when we want to.
3. The backpack is the way to go. Angie jokes that I am leaving an Erin trail behind because I try to get rid of something in each city. Whether it's an umbrella, clothing, or an endless supply of NuGo bars, I try to lighten my load each time I pack. Additionally, when your train is late and you have to run through the station, not having to drag a suitcase helps you catch your next train.
4. My travel partner is awesome. I fear sometimes that we might be sharing the same brain. Sometimes it is because she will say exactly what I'm thinking, jump into a song with me, or complete my sentence. Other times it's because at times, neither of us have full brain capacity so if you put our brains together it nearly makes up one semi-competent person. Additionally, we each have different strengths and we work well together. She can read the train schedule like a pro, I can choose good hotels and read maps. When I'm not thinking, she thinks for both of us. And vice versa.
5. I sent my laptop back with Joe and am only using my Ipad to blog, research, etc... I am a huge fan of travel apps and use them at least once a day. Booking.com, DB Navigator, XE Currency Convertor, and TripIt have made this journey so much easier. I'm also pretty in love with my Logitech keyboard. (Ironically, Angie & I both won our Ipads during a case challenge, and I had thought hard about selling it. So glad I didn't!)
6. We are obsessed with my pedometer. On non-travel days, the unspoken (and sometimes spoken) goal is to walk a minimum of 10 miles per day.
7. Even though blogging takes a bit of time, I am already thankful that I've documented what we have been doing. Judging by the lack of comments, I think only Taline, Laura and Kevin actually read it... but that's okay. I know I will be thankful to have it to look back on once I enter the real world again.

I'm sure there are more thoughts, but I think I will stop for now and spend some time gazing out the window at the German countryside.