My bags aren’t packed, but I’m ready to go. Twelve days until I leave on my European adventure, a trip that even a year earlier felt like a pipe dream. Now, it’s on the horizon and I have this feeling it’s going to reshape how I perceive and interact with the world.
For years, I’ve compiled a list of places I’d love to visit if and when I ever got the chance. Neuschwanstein, Dachau, the Colosseum, and the Cliffs of Moher, just to name a few. I’m 32 (practically) and I’ve barely begun to experience the world.
Over the past month, I’ve been adding to my packing list. Undecided if it needs trimming or if I’m leaving off important items. And although I’ve got six spreadsheets to ensure I’ve properly planned, night after night I wake up terrified that I’ll arrive at the airport without my passport. Believe you me, that sucker is going to be the first item I pack when the time comes. Socks, I can forget, but not my passport.
My first stop is Belgium for the OutGames with DC Strokes. I doubt I’ll get to see too much of the country, but that’s okay. Over four days, I’ll be staying in Ghent, racing on the water. While I know I won’t get to see much of the country, I’m sure I’ll be ready for a change of scenery after the Opening Ceremonies, practice day, and two race days. But the experience I have on the water will make up for the lack of tours. But Belgium beer is definitely on my list.
My second stop is the one I’m looking forward to the most, Munich, Germany. There, I’ll tour Neuschwanstein, Dachau, and Munich. Neuschwanstein has always been on my list. Studying German in high school, specifically Mad King Ludwig and the origins of the castle, I became obsessed. I learned everything I could about the man as well as the architectural structure. I’d always said if I ever left the country, this castle would be my first stop.
People have questioned my desire to tour a concentration camp, but I can’t imagine being there and passing it by. I don’t necessarily expect the experience to be uplifting, but it seems to me a way of paying my respects to the lives lost. They deserve to be remembered, their stories told, and someone there to listen.
After a 12 hour overnight train ride, my next stop is Rome, Italy where I will tour the Vatican and the Colosseum. I’m excited that my hotel is walking distance to both locations. From there, I will catch a train to Florence. The first day, I’ve signed up for a horseback riding wine tour. This might be my number two most anticipated part of my trip since it combines my love of wine with my love of horses and I’ll get to see the beautiful countryside.
The next day, I’ll spend my time in Pisa, as you guessed, seeing the Leaning Tower of Pisa, although I’ve heard a lot of buildings there are leaning due to the foundation weakening over the years.
From Florence, I will take off on Lufthansa, to Dublin, Ireland where I will get to see St. Patrick’s Cathedral, The Cliffs of Moher, tour the Guiness Factory, and experience Temple Bar. My grandmother would be proud Ireland was on my list, but how could it not be given my Irish heritage. In addition to picking up postcards for my collection, I have to find a Celtic souvenir from Ireland to bring home. Probably not a nice Celtic girl, even though DOMA has been repealed and I could get her a spousal visa. Don’t worry, I’m not taking a U-Haul to Ireland.
I’ll return to Brussels, Belgium for one last night before my long flight home.  My hotel is located in the heart of the city so I could at least experience a little of what Belgium has to offer. Chocolate and beer, that’s really all I know.
People have commented that I’m insane to embark on the majority of this trip alone, but I say why wait. After all, that’s what I’d been doing most of my life. I kept waiting for someone to go with, yet everyone I dated set off on their own European adventures while we were dating, without me. Now, I’m excited about this trip being mine. I’ll never try to forget it due to a painful break up. It’s mine and I can be selfish about it. I can’t wait for someone else to start my life. I know I’m not old, but there’s still no sense in waiting either.
Come July 31st, I’m sure my fears regarding my passport will be unfounded. With the help and suggestions from friends, I will have successfully paired down my list to only the essentials. Now if only I could figure out how I’m going to shower after a 12 hour overnight train ride?
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