When planning this trip last year, if you would have asked me my rough itinerary, Europe would never have been on it. I’m going to confess something here: Europe has never really got me fired up as a travel destination. I know what you’re thinking: “How can a whole continent not get you fired up, you crazy woman?!”, but let me explain.
Living in the UK and being only a short flight away from many of the destinations in Europe, as well as taking several city breaks with family and friends over the years, have left me jaded about considering Europe as a backpacking destination. I have only ever seen it as one thing: somewhere you go for a weekend break, a stag party or a quick stock-up on some duty free. It has never seemed “exotic” enough to me to be included on a round-the-world trip.
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I know many people will scoff at that, particularly those who have dreamed to visit Europe their whole lives or who think I am being spoiled or ridiculous. But it is no more ridiculous than North Americans not wanting to include a different state to the one in which they live on a major backpacking trip. The flight distance is the same, as is the variance in local cuisine and sights, and yet that would be seen as something completely different.
All that aside, whenever I have thought about taking time out to travel long-term, I have always dreamed of destinations that were far away – Australia, New Zealand, South East Asia, South America. And yet, here I am, having now spent the better part of six months in the continent that I always considered as “not exotic enough” to be backpacking around. I’ll allow you a few minutes here to laugh at me while I eat humble pie…
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And the truth of the matter is that even though I had never expected it, I have been pleasantly surprised. Particularly about the destinations that I was ignorant about, such as Bosnia, Serbia and Romania. I can actually say that these have been some of highlights of this summer, despite the fact that I arrived in those countries knowing nothing about the food, the people or sometimes the history. I’m ashamed of that, but my only reason is that because I never expected to be there, I hadn’t done my research.
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If I’ve learnt one thing this year, it’s been that you can never write off a destination until you’ve been there yourself. In fact, the ones that I was the least impressed to visit have amazed me in a way that only having zero expectations can. And the irony is that the destinations that I’ve always held in high regard have fallen short in comparison (sorry, Venice, but I’m looking at you here, with your ridiculously crowded streets and over-touristy-ness).
Which is why, come 2013, I’ll be heading out into the world with a more open mind, particularly to those destinations which I know nothing about yet and if I happen to end up in somewhere unexpected, I can only hope it’ll be as much fun as the last few unexpected months have been.
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