The Art {and surprise} of Travel
It's officially beyond the honeymoon phase, my travel director says. To date, our group has experienced some travelers losing some of their cash during breakfast, and a family staying behind in Dresden. One of the girls experienced some liver infection and the doctor ordered they stay behind. Maybe they will catch up, maybe they won't.
That's the thing with travel: you discover things you normally don't experience, and there are always surprises.
For example, I am caught unaware that I have to shell out €0.70 every time I hit the WC {water closet or restroom} everywhere in Germany. This is ok, I'm traveling anyway plus it's not like I have a choice. Another surprise was that most hotels didn't have laundromats, so I had to hand wash stuff upon arrival. I noticed that European pillows are much softer, too but by now I am used to it. There will be times your hotel won't have an aircon, a single-person elevator or none at all.
If you're traveling on a tour, you will most likely be with different cultures and not surprisingly, the first few days took a bit of getting used to. Some can be too noisy, some won't follow rules and some will photobomb your photos. But some you will be friends with. This is, however, the best time to get to know yourself, too and see how patient you can be.
I'm still patient, as I had discovered.
The rumor about water being expensive in Europe is true. It's either spring for still water, save on sparkling water or bring a water bottle everywhere and fill it up with water from your hotel. This tip saved me several euros for how many days now. Dehydration, after all, is the enemy of traveling.
Right now, I'm on the coach, seated behind a British guy whose smoke I can smell but that's ok.
Traveling is one of the most rewarding experiences in the world. With those breathtaking experiences come the tiny details that make us all different.
That makes it even better.