Backpacking trip across Europe...


"YOU DO NOT TRAVEL IF YOU ARE AFRAID OF THE UNKNOWN, YOU TRAVEL FOR THE UNKNOWN, THAT REVEALS YOU WITH YOURSELF"
—ELLA MAILLART
6 Months....
England
Scotland
Wales
Ireland
France
Spain
Italy
Austria
Hungary
Czech Republic
Slovenia
Croatia
Germany
When traveling to Europe, people have different approaches to their journey. Some people make sure to visit all the big cities, some follow the history or the art or the food. I appreciated and enjoyed all of that to be sure, but my guide was a bit simpler — I was in pursuit of beauty — loveliness in its broadest sense. In this quest I did not fail. There was the pure aesthetic charm of cities such as Paris and Prague, there was the creative chaos of Berlin, the untamed landscape of Slovenia, the barren highlands of Scotland, the fairytale whimsy of Austria, and so much more. When meeting new people in the current city, I would just ask them to direct me to the next most beautiful destination and I found some great places I never would have even thought of venturing to. 

Prior to backpacking across Europe, I lived in Camden Town, London. The UK is full of incredible people, incredible history, incredible lands, and oodles of cuddly sheep. I made it my goal to do something new and fun everyday — tea drinking, exploring the underground music scene, pub crawls, running groups around Hyde Park and the Thames River, hiking (my favorite!), and much more. I explored the Lake District, the Peak District, Sussex, Canterbury's wilds, and the white chalk cliffs along with a few other local London hikes. When not participating in a group activity, I did a lot of solo adventuring around the city, taking the tube to random places, visiting all the markets I could, stopping at all the free museums (why don't we have them?!) and doodling in my local pub.

I saved up for 2 years to be able to do this and I feel so fortunate I was able to meet so many amazing people and see so many spectacular sites. I am truly blessed.

Highlights from my time in Europe: 
  • Met Ghost, John Snow's dog in Game of Thrones in Croatia
  • Hiked to the cliff where Keira Knightley stood in Pride and Prejudice
  • Received my certification to pour Guinness
  • Biked the Aran Islands
  • Stood on the tomb of Henry VIII
  • Dinner cruise on the Seine in Paris
  • Met great people from over 30 different countries and made a new German best friend
  • Camping in Italy, swimming in Spain, hiking in Croatia
  • Walked over 500 miles
  • High tea in Bath at the same spot frequented by Dickens and Austen
  • Visited 30+ churches, synagogues and mosques
  • Saw some incredible buildings I learned about in my architectural history courses in college including Gaudi, Behren, van der Rohe, and many more
  • Amazing food! French Camembert, British jacket potatoes, French tabloue, Spanish tapas, Hungarian sausages, Austrian jause, Italian gelato, Turkish street food, German bakeries, etc. 
  • Backpacked around Europe with only one pair of shoes -- my Chaco sandles -- up mountains, in the cold, and through rain, hail, and sunshine (needless to say I love them dearly -- you can see the permanent tan line they left in one of the photos below)