The Europe Trip – Why wander?
I decided to go to Europe very much on a whim, and very last-minute compared to the months some people probably spend planning. A large part of me going has to do with not being able to cope with finishing school. I graduated from university in May, and by July, I was freaking out over the fact that I wouldn’t be going back in September. I am very lucky to have an amazing job, but that doesn’t make the real world any less scary. I would wake up every day and be like, “What am I doing with my life?” I would worry about what I should do next and if I was making the right decisions. I could not stop stressing about the future. Then, while I was dealing with my post-school freak out, I got two really good pieces of advice:
- “Relax. You’re 21-years-old, you just graduated, you don’t need to figure real life out yet”
- “You need to just go to Europe or something”
And then it clicked. I looked at my bank account, realized I could travel comfortably for about a month without going bankrupt, and I was going. Just like that. I went on Kijiji the next day and bought a backpack off someone before I had even told my mom my plans. Obviously, I am also going because I want to see all the amazing places you read about and see on TV. But more than that, I really want some time to just be 21, explore amazing places and meet new people. I know one month isn’t enough time to “find yourself,” but hopefully I’ll come out on the other end with new perspectives and experiences.
