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5 Takeaways From Europe (So Far)

K man, so I lied apparently. We're not back to regularly scheduled programming, likely because every time I have a free second to settle down with my computer, the bright glare of it lulls me into deep sleep. Every. Time. Summer woes, eh?

Instead, I thought I'd try my hand at semi-regularly scheduled programming and go with the flow for the next couple of months. To start things slow, I thought I'd share some of the things I'm learning / remembering / noting about Europe travels.

Calories actually don't count. And in particular, Coca Cola is every American's best friend in the summer. You're on your feet all day walking, exploring, and generally not being on your hiney attached to the computer like you'd usually be doing at home. That's my justification for every glorious cheese-oozing, oil-drenched meal. And for the Coca Cola I crave and indulge in four times a day. There's simply nothing more refreshing. I overhear American accents all day long: "I need a (Diet) (Lemon) (Cherry) (Poison of Choice) Coke, and stat."
The summer daylight is beyond amazing. In London, the sun was up and shining until just about 11pm. In Paris? After 9pm, every 15 minutes you could hear us exclaiming in disbelief: can you believe it's 9:15 right now? 9:30? 9:45? Can you believe this is what 11pm looks like? It was so wonderful, having dinner in the dusk, but also messes with your brain a bit. You think you have a good, like, eight hours to derp around before bedtime but no sirreeeee. You don't.
The things you didn't plan for always turn out to be the best stories. That is not to say that they are funny or entertaining at the time. They more or less actually seemed to be like the end of the world, not trying to be dramatic or anything. But looking back, the moments that make me laugh the most or the ones I'm sure to remember for decades are the ones like when I locked us into our AirBnB for the entire morning, when we brought one bag too many to our flight and spent thirty minutes in a flurry trying to make it all work. When we were caught in a rainstorm in Venice and powered through a walking tour in dorky yellow ponchos. None of this was planned, but they will be remembered.
I can pack light, and I can hardly even believe it. A month and a half abroad, with all my stuff in a tiny little carry-on suitcase and a Longchamp purse. I reserve the right to brag, which I am doing right now. The End. (Please send help in the form of an international care package in about... eight days.)
For every Pinterest / Instagram worthy moment, there will be five not-so-great experiences as well. I follow quite a number of travel accounts on both social media channels, and they never fail to have me all wistful and wanting to me on the other side of the world. Floppy hats against the Mediterranean, tapas in Spain, cool huts in Thailand. I'm doing the same, sharing my favorite highlights from my adventures. And that's when I realized that those snapshots are the 1%. The 99% = my roommate falling ill with bronchitis and seeing only the hotel room while we were in London. Mean bus drivers, getting tricked out of 5 euros by a "nice man who was going to show us where our train seats were," ALL THE TIMES WE WERE HANGRY, getting snappish, frustrated, or exhausted. It's all a part of the same game.

Off to eat more pizza! How's your summer goin'? Any traveling for you?

13 comments

  1. Enjoy the pizza! If you ever stop by Milan, you should head to Luini for a pizza snack that will change your life :) and yes, there are so many people out there trying to trick us out of our money! Definitely 1% - 99%, and the 1% is mainly because whenever I see something beautiful it distracts me from the heat and mosquitoes for a second ha xxx
    Lucy @ La Lingua Italy

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  2. I can't wait to go on vacation so I can consume all the calories without worrying! Hope you are having a wonderful time in Europe!

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  3. Sounds like you're having an amazing time! I just got back from DC and have trips to Charleston and NYC coming up. Not as exciting as Europe, but still fun :) Can't wait to hear about the rest of your travels!

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  4. That's some serious light packing! I'm so impressed! How do you do it?

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  5. There are definitely highlights and lowlights when traveling. I remember breaking down into tears outside the Vatican when I visited and missing my train in Venice but even the bad memories make the story interesting! Loving all your gorgeous photos girl!

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  6. Noooo!!!! So sorry your rookie was sick the whole time. So sad. How is she now? And it's true...for every great picture there are a million terrible ones (and terrible moments). But those ones make for great stories later.

    So glad you're a fellow Coke drinker as well..love it. All day every day.

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  7. I agree, sometimes the unplanned moments are the best!

    xx Kelly
    Sparkles and Shoes

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  8. I got back from Europe in May and I felt the same way, calories don't count, and with all that walking they feel like they don't! Agreed most people don't document the times of the travel that are hard and annoying. It ain't all roses, but the pay off of the places you get to see are priceless. Enjoy your trip :)

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  9. oh my gosh I NEED to be in Europe right now! looks so amazing!!! oh girl eat all the pizza for me haha I bet it is soooooooo yummy!

    xo, Candace | Lovely Little Rants

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  10. We just move to Sicily and I can totally relate to this post. Of course it's beautiful but that isn't everyday real life. My family and friends think I have this glamorous life now but forget about all the not so great moments I don't take pics of. I have to remind myself of that when I'm on Instagram next time being jealous of some other girl's life too.

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  11. New to your blog! Ahh, Europe! Love Europe! And I am seriously impressed at your packing capabilities. Will need some tips off of you!! ;) It's perpetually always summer here, so traveling is definitely on the cards...!

    www.jewelswandering.com

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  12. Ohhh give me some of that summer daylight please!! We were just in Ecuador and you know, the days are exactly 12 hours long.

    Just found your blog and am loving your voice and humor! Keep up the amazing work!

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  13. I love that the days feel much longer over there, great your list!

    https://mythoughtsthroughthelens.wordpress.com/

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your comments truly make my day! :)
thank you!

xx Caroline