Europe (Take 3) by the numbers...

Five years ago I went to Europe for the first time, solo, and thrilled for the opportunity. I was gone for about three weeks and saw 8 countries and 22 cities in that time. It was one of the best experiences of my life and I was hooked on traveling and exploring new places. It gave me such a sense of independence and gratefulness and just overall joy. I knew I wanted to keep doing this kind of thing as long as I had the time, the money, my health, and just the enthusiastic desire too. 

Three years ago, I went back to Europe for the second time and saw more countries and cities and all new-to-me sites. Again, it was an unbelievable experience that changed me and reminded me how much of the world I still need to see and learn about. I knew again, there was more out there for me to see and do. A Pacific Northwest trio, another London trip, and some NYC, Boston, Philly, DC, and Florida trips, I needed something more. However, with an expensive move back to Chicago and a year of virtual unemployment, I didn’t know if financially, the smartest thing was to do to plan another European trip, but I was jonesing. 

Working all of the fall and winter this year, I figured now would be the time to make another European trip happen whether or not I had a job in the spring. Luckily I did, but I still I didn’t have a job for next year yet. However, I felt that I had saved enough back up for another trip so I started planning. I mentioned this trip to J, who had never been to Europe, and she wanted in. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about traveling with someone else as I’m so used to doing it by myself, but felt it would be good for me to have a friend with me this time around. I wanted to make it clear how I travel (up early, constant walking (at a fast pace), and efficiently seeing as much as possible). Basically go, go, go. She was down. We planned it all out and made this shit happen, and soon enough it was time to do it. We just had the best two and half weeks together, all on the same page, at the same speed, and were able to accomplish so much, all while having a ridiculously good time. We laughed until we cried, walked hundreds of miles, danced our faces off, and sweat an insane amount during a European heat wave. 

I think traveling with someone was a good learning experience for me. As a type-A control freak, it was nice to have someone calm me down and balance me out a little bit, but also having a partner in crime to go out and party with and bounce all our obnoxious American annoyances and observations with (and there were A LOT). If you’ve been keeping up, you’ve read what J and I had been up to the last couple of weeks, and if not, here’s a slight round up, aka Europe by the numbers, take 3: 

17: Number of days abroad (16 of those planned and one extra due to a missed connection)

4: Number of Countries traveled to (Greece, Turkey, Croatia, and Germany) 

2: Number of Continents traveled to (Asia and Europe)

11: Number of Cities visited (Athens, Mykonos, Milos, Santorini, Crete, Kusadasi, Split, Hvar, Sibenik, Dubrovnik, Munich)

5: Number of hotels stayed in 

1: Number of celeb sightings (Michael Strahan)

11:  Number of different modes of transportation take (airplane, cable car (funicular), cruise ship, tender, coach bus, public city bus, subway, taxi, speed boat, ferry boat, golf cart)

5: Number of beaches gone to (Mykonos, Milos, Santorini, Split, Dubrovnik)

2: Number of times we did laundry (once ourselves and once sent out)

3: Number of times I ran (Athens, Split, Dubrovnik)

2: Number of seas I swam in (Mediterranean and Adriatic)

22,442: Average number of steps per day

10.6: Average number of miles walked per day

9: Number of cool people we met and hung out with

4: Number of times I ate ice cream

1: Number of holes in the ground I paid to pee in

6: Number of hours of sleep averaged per night

Things I lost count of:

- Number of Coke Zeros I drank (I don’t drink pop in “real life”, but it was so hot out this whole trip and sometimes water wasn’t cutting it and I needed something else cold and without calories.) 

- Number of ancient vases seen

- Number of Coronos drank 

- Amount of greek salads and tzatziki eaten
- Number of places and amount of times we twerked and shook our booties 

- Number of inside jokes we shared (many are far too inappropriate to even share here)

Favorite sights: The Acropolis followed very closely by Ephesus, Krka Waterfalls, and Dubronik old town city walls 

Something I found super interesting: One thing that I knew coming into this trip, especially to touristy locales is that so many people speak English. And I’m super grateful for that, as not only do I not know any other languages (besides un pequito of español), but I sound ridiculous and stupid trying to speak other languages. Anyways, one thing that we noticed on this trip is that pretty much everyone from all the other countries (the ones we visited and people visiting from other countries there) speaks English. It was interesting to see, for example in Greece, a Greek local trying to communicate with an Italian, and they spoke English to each other because they don’t know each other’s languages, but knew English.

Every time I go on one of these trips, I say it’s a trip of a lifetime and it certainly is. It’s all so fun and exciting and I just love every minute on it. I go to bed totally exhausted and happy and wake up just as happy and super enthusiastic to take on the new day. It's just so fulfilling to see what is out there beyond these Chicago (and NYC) walls. The nature, the history, the culture, etc... I love taking it all in and always come back a better, smarter person. It was definitely different having someone travel with me this summer, but I didn't ever feel lonely and the amount of time we spent laughing was incredible. In fact, we are already thinking of all the places we can go next year with the Amalfi Coast at the top of the list followed by Copenhagen, and Budapest perhaps too. I can't wait for another big trip and even thinking about makes me giddy with excitement.