Dear mum, dad & friends,
I know you're worried, I know you're thinking I might have lost my mind for doing this, and that I don't have the ability to survive such a huge adventure in my life, but please, don't worry, I'll be ok and I promise I am coming back to tell you all about it.
I know you're worried, I know you're thinking I might have lost my mind for doing this, and that I don't have the ability to survive such a huge adventure in my life, but please, don't worry, I'll be ok and I promise I am coming back to tell you all about it.
Mum,
I know you're just worried when you yell at me because you don't want me to go, I know you really don't mean it, because deep down you want me to be happy and I am telling you right now that I will be extremely happy out there - something I haven't been for quite sometime! I also know you don't mean to call me selfish for doing this, you're just afraid, because you think I can't do this on my own, but I will prove you wrong. Remember when you were my age? All your crazy dreams and ideas that maybe some people didn't understand? Well, it's my turn to be a little crazy now. Please be by my side on this one. And when you tell me that If I go to Naples I will be kidnapped by The Mafia (well mother, I'm sure you don't actually believe that!), and that if I go to Bosnia I'll be in war zone (WHAT?? Mum...the war ended in 95...). I know you don't believe in any of this, but you're so scared for me that all you can see are the bad stuff.
I know you're just worried when you yell at me because you don't want me to go, I know you really don't mean it, because deep down you want me to be happy and I am telling you right now that I will be extremely happy out there - something I haven't been for quite sometime! I also know you don't mean to call me selfish for doing this, you're just afraid, because you think I can't do this on my own, but I will prove you wrong. Remember when you were my age? All your crazy dreams and ideas that maybe some people didn't understand? Well, it's my turn to be a little crazy now. Please be by my side on this one. And when you tell me that If I go to Naples I will be kidnapped by The Mafia (well mother, I'm sure you don't actually believe that!), and that if I go to Bosnia I'll be in war zone (WHAT?? Mum...the war ended in 95...). I know you don't believe in any of this, but you're so scared for me that all you can see are the bad stuff.
Now,can you please try to imagine all the good stuff?
I am going back to ask for a wish at the Trevi Fountain as I throw a coin, I'll eat the best pizza and pasta in the world, I will explore Venice's canals (OMG I am actually going to there!!), I'll finally learn and be able to speak Italian and I will learn it from the best right there as I cross streets yelling cazzo (accompanied with many angry gestures) and acting like Elizabeth Gilbert on Eat, Pray, Love saying attraversiamo every time I will raise my hand to make the cars stop so I can cross the street - because that's how Italians do it.
And then I will keep on exploring to countries I've never been, know cultures I know nothing about, I'll paddle surf in Slovenia and I'll be on a tiny little boat that will take me to Bled Island, and see the Plitvice Lakes in Croatia, and I'll be able to see what the civil war has done to Bosnia (and I will send you photos and tell you how amazing it is and how I'm happy I went there besides your fears).
I will face my fear of flying once again - every time I get inside a plane I believe I am going to die...let's hope not! -, and I will explore Ireland like a crazy person in love, because yes mother, I know every time I step foot in a different place I will be in love with it, and I'll be in love with Ireland - even if you tell me I shouldn't go there because it's expensive and cold -, and its warm people and the beautiful green places all over the place. Can you imagine standing at Cliffs of Moher? I mean, if that doesn't look like heaven to you, I think you might be insane! I will sleep at the airport to save money, and I will get my ass to Edinburgh and watch the view from Arthur's seat, and I will make my dream of going to London true. Are you following me here? Are you reading all the amazing things that expect me? And how it just sounds amazing and not scary at all? And to finish it all, I will dance Flamenco and eat Tapas in Spain, put on my bikini and get a tan at San Sebastian beaches and I will dance until late hours in Madrid, I will try couchsurfing (and prove to myself and to you there's nothing wrong with it) and I will hitchhike my way to Portugal until I get home. And I will do all this because I've had this voice screaming in my head that this is what I gotta do, and I with no exaggeration my heart races every time I think about how my trip is less then 2 months away, it is racing right now just for writing this!
I am going back to ask for a wish at the Trevi Fountain as I throw a coin, I'll eat the best pizza and pasta in the world, I will explore Venice's canals (OMG I am actually going to there!!), I'll finally learn and be able to speak Italian and I will learn it from the best right there as I cross streets yelling cazzo (accompanied with many angry gestures) and acting like Elizabeth Gilbert on Eat, Pray, Love saying attraversiamo every time I will raise my hand to make the cars stop so I can cross the street - because that's how Italians do it.
And then I will keep on exploring to countries I've never been, know cultures I know nothing about, I'll paddle surf in Slovenia and I'll be on a tiny little boat that will take me to Bled Island, and see the Plitvice Lakes in Croatia, and I'll be able to see what the civil war has done to Bosnia (and I will send you photos and tell you how amazing it is and how I'm happy I went there besides your fears).
I will face my fear of flying once again - every time I get inside a plane I believe I am going to die...let's hope not! -, and I will explore Ireland like a crazy person in love, because yes mother, I know every time I step foot in a different place I will be in love with it, and I'll be in love with Ireland - even if you tell me I shouldn't go there because it's expensive and cold -, and its warm people and the beautiful green places all over the place. Can you imagine standing at Cliffs of Moher? I mean, if that doesn't look like heaven to you, I think you might be insane! I will sleep at the airport to save money, and I will get my ass to Edinburgh and watch the view from Arthur's seat, and I will make my dream of going to London true. Are you following me here? Are you reading all the amazing things that expect me? And how it just sounds amazing and not scary at all? And to finish it all, I will dance Flamenco and eat Tapas in Spain, put on my bikini and get a tan at San Sebastian beaches and I will dance until late hours in Madrid, I will try couchsurfing (and prove to myself and to you there's nothing wrong with it) and I will hitchhike my way to Portugal until I get home. And I will do all this because I've had this voice screaming in my head that this is what I gotta do, and I with no exaggeration my heart races every time I think about how my trip is less then 2 months away, it is racing right now just for writing this!
I know you're afraid, I am too, but I will be ok.
I've followed solo female travel bloggers for months, I've read all about their stories and their adventures, how it seems scary to step out the comfort of your home, and how the world seems like a big scary place and that all of them have the same opinion: you need to see it for yourself, you can't trust other people's opinions because they may not be true or they may be different from yours.
Mum, dad, I wish you took the time to read these girls stories, you'd understand me so much better, you'll see why I am doing this, and you would stop telling me "no one does this!", they do, you just don't know about them, but I've followed them for weeks, months and I read their stories as I seat in my room chair in front of the computer wishing that was me. And I believe in it you know? I believe there's more to life than having a 9 - 5 job you don't like, more than the same routine in the same place over and over again, more than only having 2 weeks every year you're allowed to have a vacation and go somewhere beautiful. I don't like the idea of being stuck in one place for too long - of not being able to leave whenever I want -, and I believe that if you only live once you should't waste your time inside an office or working long hours (will that really matter when you're old and look back? I don't think so..). And partly, this is why I'm going, I know there's more out there, I mean, I have the entire world just a few hours away and all I have to do is open my mind and have the courage to step out of my home.
Maybe I've just lost my mind, I'm sure you think that after reading this - or maybe you're like me and you totally get what I'm saying, and maybe, just maybe, I've inspired you to take the chance to go travel on your own -, but when a voice as strong as the one I have inside me comes up, you can't ignore it. I've waited for too long, its time to go now!
#WeGoSolo
Mum, dad, I wish you took the time to read these girls stories, you'd understand me so much better, you'll see why I am doing this, and you would stop telling me "no one does this!", they do, you just don't know about them, but I've followed them for weeks, months and I read their stories as I seat in my room chair in front of the computer wishing that was me. And I believe in it you know? I believe there's more to life than having a 9 - 5 job you don't like, more than the same routine in the same place over and over again, more than only having 2 weeks every year you're allowed to have a vacation and go somewhere beautiful. I don't like the idea of being stuck in one place for too long - of not being able to leave whenever I want -, and I believe that if you only live once you should't waste your time inside an office or working long hours (will that really matter when you're old and look back? I don't think so..). And partly, this is why I'm going, I know there's more out there, I mean, I have the entire world just a few hours away and all I have to do is open my mind and have the courage to step out of my home.
Maybe I've just lost my mind, I'm sure you think that after reading this - or maybe you're like me and you totally get what I'm saying, and maybe, just maybe, I've inspired you to take the chance to go travel on your own -, but when a voice as strong as the one I have inside me comes up, you can't ignore it. I've waited for too long, its time to go now!
#WeGoSolo