Lessons and rules from my three week trip at the end of the semester to London, Dublin, Prague, Berlin, Tuscany, Rome, Naples and Pompeii.
48. When eating lunch at a giant open air market, stand near the funny guy selling bags and make friends with him.
49. If you have to share a twin bed with a friend, just sleep with your heads on the same end of the bed. Logistically it’s much harder to sleep with your heads at opposite ends, and you need more pillows.
50. Bring multiple sweatshirts. Especially if you’re going to both warmer and cooler places. And one should always be waterproof.
51. If people describe a place as magical, expect magic things. Like seeing full rainbows and people proposing on pretty bridges at night.
52. When a friend tells (not asks) you that you are going to an amazing concert with them the night before they have an exam, and you end up walking up some crazy hill in the rain out on the edge of town to get to a kinda dingy looking community center thing, don’t be skeptical. It could turn out to be one of the coolest shows you’ve ever been to.
53. Note that it’s a small world. You might even run into some of your friends from your school back home on a random alternative art walking tour in Berlin.
Oh hi guys. What are you doing here?
54. Taking public transit home at 3am on the weekend might not actually be sketchy. Depending on where you are, don’t be surprised if it’s as crowded as rush hour and every other person has an open beer in their hands.
55. Some of the coolest cities tend to have some of the dreariest weather.
56. Make buddies, and if possible meet up with them again later on your trip.
57. Keep your travel plans flexible. You don’t need to plan everything. Really.
58. Always be prepared for an awesome surprise day hike, and keep your camera charged.
59. Try the local drink, but be prepared for strange tastes.
60. If the place you’re staying at has a rooftop terrace, you absolutely should go hang out there--read a book, eat dinner, drink, whatever. It’s also always a great place to make new friends.
61. When in Tuscany, go on a wine tour.
62. Don’t let bad (or just plain crazy) roommates ruin a fun hostel for you. Just go with it and laugh about it later.
63. If there is an Irish pub in town, it’s usually worth checking out. *Note: in Ireland, it is generally not feasible to check out every Irish pub in town*
64. Never underestimate the gastronomic quality a simple 3 euro sandwich can have if you know where to go.
65. Get lunch from the cheap hole in the wall sandwich shops in Italy.
66. Ask the locals where to go.
67. If someone invites you to come with them to their favorite bar
in the world later that night, you
must go, regardless of any other plans you may have had.
68. Find a place you like staying in and do some day trips from it to cool places nearby.
69. Go to couch surfing meetups.
70. Sit on the steps of a church in Florence to watch the sunset and drink good (though incredibly cheap) Tuscan wine out of plastic cups with the locals and enjoy what a wonderful thing it is not to have an open container law.
71. Pay for a tour of the colosseum, it’s worth it.
72. Go on a quest for the best gelato in every Italian city you visit and try a new flavor every time you get gelato. You might wander around lost for a little while, trying to find some of the places, but you won’t be disappointed.
73. Build a fort.
74. Always brush your teeth after a night of drinking red wine; don’t wait till morning.
75.Go see the Pope give his weekly public address. Expect people there to be cheering and waving signs like it’s a rock concert.
76. Bring sunscreen.
77. Make friends with hostel bartenders. They’re cool. And often crazy. And sometimes climb on the bar and make up sports in hallways using ping pong balls.
78. Give yourself some extra time in case you wake up late for the one connection you cant miss--your flight out.
79. Get the contact info of the friends you made; you’ll want to stay in touch.
80. Sometimes it’s more important to have fun than it is to sleep.
