Five weeks.
Wow.
I can hardly believe it’s already been that long! Looking back, the time has flown by! I’ve already visited 4 countries, swam in ocean’s, taken my first over-night train and washed my intimates in a hotel sink.
Five weeks of traveling.
Five weeks worth of new friends.
Five weeks of adjusting to the nomadic life.
So, for those wishing to travel, you may be wondering: is it really as awesome as people say it is? Or, do I secretly hate every moment and just glorify it on my blog because that’s what everyone expects?
Truth: it really is that awesome!
But, to be fair, there are certain things about ‘home’ that I miss. So, for the sake of humor, and also to give you some insight on the realities of traveling, I’ve compiled a list of the things I miss about ‘home’:
1. Grocery shopping.
Pardon moi? Yeah, you’re reading that correctly, I really miss grocery shopping! Okay, if you’ve been reading my blog at all, you have probably noticed that I love food! Grocery shopping is always an adventure! But, here in Europe it’s very different. For instance, here in Spain everything is in, you guessed it, Spanish! Sometimes when I buy something I just assume that it’s edible! Also, I am a creature of habit. I miss my grocery store; you know, the one where you could probably shop with your eyes closed! Yes, grocery shopping at home has to be on this list.
2. Laundry. I think this is fairly self-explanatory. Doing laundry at home is always better!
3. Showering. I am tired of sharing a shower with 10+ other people that sometimes is broken/too hot/too cold/or disgusting because the person before apparently was covered in mud.
4. The local cafe. I miss going to my usual cafe! I knew what I liked and I recognized the people. Yepp, I miss it!
5. Lazy days. Okay, admittedly I have had quite a few lazy days during my travels. For the first 3 weeks I was constantly on the go, and it caught up with me in the form of the sniffles. Now, I take time to rest in between destinations. But, I still feel a bit guilty. I’m in Europe! I should be out exploring, eating tapas and drinking on a terrace with interesting people all of the time! Lazy days abroad just don’t have the same feeling as back home.
6. Food. Sure, eating another culture’s food is part of the experience. And, to be fair, I love to try new things! But, being a vegetarian it can sometimes be difficult. I miss food! The familiar food that I can only find back home: Veganaise, Daiya, tofu-salad, dill-pickles (a certain kind), among other things.
7. Poutine.
8. Regularity. In everything. While traveling, we expect the unexpected! We revel in the moments of uncertainty. We embrace eating dinner at 10:30 pm like the locals. Yeah, as travelers, we love that our lives have no structure. But, the home-body within me is bidding her time until she can go back to her coffee & smoothie breakfast mornings and soy-chai-latte evenings.
9. Privacy. Want to lie down and have a quiet afternoon? Good-luck! Want to use the bathroom…in peace? Forget it! I still have a hard time giving up all of my privacy, but who knows, maybe in 5 more weeks I’ll be peeing with the door open (doubt it)!
10. My people. Friends, family, Starbucks lady and homeless man at the corner of my block:
11. Street signs! And no, Europe, small plaques on the side of buildings do not count! Sometimes the streets don’t have any signs (that I can see) and this makes navigating city streets (*Seville*) very difficult!
So there you have it. A list of 11 things I miss about ‘home’. But, stay tuned, and I’ll compile a list of 11 things I will miss about traveling; and the list could be bigger!
Preparing to travel? What are you most nervous about? Traveled in the past? What did/do you miss about home?
Tay in Europe 