I am finally back home! I arrived early afternoon yesterday and slept for… the entire day. I’m not kidding. I don’t think I have ever slept for that long before. After a month of travelling, it was much necessary. I feel better now. I was definitely in need of some rest, especially with the month I have ahead of me. I have 5 big assignments due the next three weeks. I have started a few of them, but it won’t be easy. In fact, I am heading to the library as soon as I finish writing this blog post. Hopefully I will have a productive day that will result on me finishing the first draft of one of my assignments. Wish me luck.
After Greece, I went to Bulgaria for four days, then Spain for almost a week. It was wonderful! The weather wasn’t on my side: the places were sunny and nice for weeks, then windy and cold as soon as I arrived. The places were jaw-dropping, though, and I met some incredible people during my travels. Altogether, the month of wanderlust was more than worth it. If you are travelling alone, then I have two huge recommendations: (1) Stay at a hostel and (2) Go on free walking tours!
I visited a childhood friend in Spain. I arrived at Pamplona on Tuesday and we planned on taking a train to Barcelona the following Friday.The plan was changed because my friend was too scared to stay at a hostel in Barcelona. I have stayed at hostels many times and I have yet to have any problems. It is not as comfortable as having your own room, of course, but hostels offer you something that most other places don’t: friends. Now, you might not make life-long friendships (though it is certainly possible), but meeting people during your travels, touring the city with them, going out with them, this is all an incredible experience that I have welcomed during my travels.
The free city tours are another incredible hack. I’ve done them in Edinburgh, Spain, and Bulgaria, and I wish I had done them everywhere else I have travelled. The tours are entirely free, though I prefer to think of them as a pay-what-you-can service. The tour guides accept tips at the end, and I have yet to meet a tour guide that I don’t think deserves as much as I can afford. I have become friends with the tour guides, as well as fellow travellers. It’s really an incredible experience, and you get to learn not only about the country you are visiting. but also about the people you are walking the city with, their experiences, and their own cities and countries.
So, trust me: staying at hostels and taking free walking tours have yet to disappoint me. I recommend them 100% (though looking at reviews before signing up is entirely advisable).