Looking Back on our Trip

Larry and I returned home to Seattle yesterday afternoon and agree that our trip was a success. We both had fun. We had so many new things to do and see that we didn't seem to go crazy being together 24/7 for 19 days. In fact, we were only separated for 1 hour while I went window shopping by myself. We did fine without cell phones to communicate with each other. Whenever we started to head toward disagreement about what to do, we just picked up a guidebook and did what it told us to do. We didn't watch much TV at all and each managed to read a few trashy novels. We did have a computer along since we had Wi-fi at each place we stayed. That was helpful in tracking down sights, entrance fees, and figuring out train time tables and airline notices. It also doubled as a DVD player when we needed to veg out. We ended up opening a Skype account so we could make phone calls or receive voicemails if needed. We liked all of the places where we stayed. The format for our trip worked for us pretty well. We wonder if we would be happier participating in an organized tour vs. renting our own apartments here and there. We were able to feel settled in each city, but had to figure out many things for ourselves, even with our trusty guidebooks at hand. If we were on an organized tour, we wouldn't have to worry about little details, would have an agenda for most days, and may make new friends. The down side could be that we might be stuck with a few people we might find irritating, would have to pack up and move frequently, and I may not be able to find vegetarian/vegan food that could work for all meals. We'll probably try an organized group tour to a place we are less sure about than Europe to see how it feels.

What would we do differently? First, packing. I tried to travel light and succeeded to some extent. I could cut down on clothes even more as long as I knew we would have a washer available. I didn't need shorts, my skirt and top, and batik outfit. I was glad I brought both my knit hoodie as well as pink nylon rain jacket. The temperatures of the cities we visited varied by 20 degrees. We had both warm weather (Budapest) and cool, wet weather (Prague). Athletic shoes and sandals seemed to do both of us well. I'm glad I brought my most sturdy pairs since we sometimes walked on rough cobblestones and were on our feet so much. We could have used another tube of sunblock. I brought too many US dollars along for emergencies. Cash machines worked well and we never used the dollars. The foreign exchange booths had poor exchange rates for dollars, so I'm glad we didn't need to use them. Next for next trip, which is probably at least a year away, I might consider an e-reader of some sort. It would have been handy to have books downloaded as well as maps and travel guides. I keep thinking the technology on them will improve and it is better to wait a little while.

What did I get out of traveling? One big thing I noticed is that I lived in the moment more. It was refreshing to be concerned only with what was going on around me and observing life instead of thinking about day-to-day worries. Many people showed us small kindnesses. In Paris, where some people think of the natives as aloof, several people stopped and asked us if we needed help when they saw us discussing the map. That was also true in Budapest and Prague. I felt good about the nature of people on this trip. I also got a feeling of confidence from trouble shooting the many day-to-day problems that came up, such as figuring out how to get to places on public transportation, understanding money, going shopping in grocery stores, reading signs, and using appliances with sketchy directions. Larry and I seemed to pull together as a team in figuring out things, which helped us bond. And, of course, we learned more about how other people lived.