The travel bug has got a tight grip on me here lately (I can't even lie, it's been my entire life story). I miss a lot of obvious things about living overseas, but then there are the weird and strange ones. Here are a few...
- "Bitte Warten."--This phrase always flashed up on my computer screen when loading pages on my laptop in Germany. "Please wait" is what it translates to. Anytime I would search something in Germany, it would bring up the German page version. It took me about a month to get my computer to translate the pages to English. Of course I never knew that until I learned the language, but there was something comforting and fun about seeing it for the first time because I knew that I was not in Kansas (albeit Georgia) anymore.
- Train station food--Yes, I LOVED train stations obviously. Wonderful European transit. The cold air rushing in from outside with the smell of a warm chocolate croissant and coffee looming from nearby. Comfort food when you are far from home and picking a random place to go next...Amsterdam? Prague? Paris? Hmmm...
- Good airlines--Lufthansa, British Airways, Emirates, Air France...just to name a few. I got "homesick" for Germany just seeing Lufthansa's little yellow bird symbol the other day. Then I promptly downloaded their app for my new iPhone. But seriously....a lot of European Airlines are like flying in style...even in coach class.
- Language barriers--I love the sound of foreign languages...especially when I do not understand them. There is that option of choice for it. It is like music when you choose to listen, and background noise when you do not. With English, I have a harder time drowning it out...it just sounds noisy!
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| At least this sign was in Welsh and English both... |
- Grocery stores--It will always be one of the best places to immerse yourself in culture. The best part is you cannot avoid them because they are necessary for traveling. It is a great place to see locals with their walls down, to see the differences and the similarities in cuisines, and of course, to discover new wonderful things to satisfy the belly. I also learn everything I need to know about currency and language pleasantries as a result of my frequent grocery store trips. If you ever want to learn a language, just make sure to stay hungry!
- Living out of a backpack--It makes you realize how much you really need to live....and how much junk you packed the first time. I got good at packing very quickly after I brought what seemed like my entire wardrobe to Wales and England for my first trip abroad. Never again will I be caught dead rolling my huge suitcase down narrow century-old cobblestone roads. I've whittled it down to an nice 30 litre backpack...I seem to enjoy it better and it makes it a lot easier to start up conversations and feel more spontaneous when your luggage isn't a factor.
- Shopping and buying absolutely nothing--I learned to enjoy shopping immensely when I didn't feel like it was necessary or smart to buy anything. I could peruse and search for hours in piles of antiques and vintage goods or street markets and feel like I got more satisfaction just by exposing myself to it. It was all foreign and special to me, so even being able to see it was amazing
- Starting over--This is probably the hardest one to admit because I am such a homebody. I found a real home in being away and in starting over multiple times whether it was re-locating cities are taking a train somewhere random. I liked feeling like everyone was a stranger (and then a potential friend of course). It seemed to be a new beginning a lot for me. It is something I still crave even being in the comforts of home surrounded by people that I know love me for exactly who I am. But still, nothing will beat meeting someone from worlds away who makes you feel instantly connected. Travel has a way of making you feel amazed at the human experience. Things feel so big out there in the world, but then, even one person or place can make you feel like you are exactly where you are supposed to be.
