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solo trippin' (portugal)
There are vacations you take to see interesting architecture, thought-provoking museums, historically rich monuments. And then there are trips you take to lay on a beach, eat seafood, and do very little thinking. After working the whole year (including July!) with preschool-aged children, I had little desire to see anything that wasn't an ocean. So, in the interest of my mental health, I bought a ticket to Lisbon, with a plan to go south to the 
beach. I didn't think much about buying a ticket for just one person. I mean, my American friends were visiting America, and my Spanish friends were working. The last thing I wanted to do was coordinate a group vacation, finding dates that worked for everyone, and ughhh. Already exhausted. So, I went alone. I planned to stay in hostels anyway, and I figured I would meet people there. Which I did. But on a side note. Are there any people between the ages of 18 and 27 left in Australia? Does the entire country come to a standstill for six months to a year to go on a backpacking trip around Europe? And, is there enough alcohol to sustain their lockstep march to self-destruction? After this trip, these are all valid concerns about the sustainability of Australia. But, I went to Portugal, and not Australia, let's move on. Since I've lived in Spain for a year, I assumed the two places would be similar. They're both on the Iberian peninsula, and the languages have a lot in common. However, Portugal was a lot different. For one, it was incredibly beautiful. I'm not saying Spain is not beautiful, but Portugal is truly stunning. In Lisbon and Sintra, the architecture was incredible, ranging from Medie
val castles to Romantic palaces. And then there were the beaches and the mountains. And the tiles! Everything is covered in ceramic tiles! And I'm gushing. In my defense, I was traveling alone, so I had quite a lot of time to notice all of these things. However, this trip was not without its downsides. One, meals really suck when you travel alone. Two, there's no one to tell you when something is a terrible idea. Example: "Hey, don't take your bag in the water with you. Your camera is in there. Thats' a TERRIBLE idea." You learn something everyday.
There are vacations you take to see interesting architecture, thought-provoking museums, historically rich monuments. And then there are trips you take to lay on a beach, eat seafood, and do very little thinking. After working the whole year (including July!) with preschool-aged children, I had little desire to see anything that wasn't an ocean. So, in the interest of my mental health, I bought a ticket to Lisbon, with a plan to go south to the 
beach. I didn't think much about buying a ticket for just one person. I mean, my American friends were visiting America, and my Spanish friends were working. The last thing I wanted to do was coordinate a group vacation, finding dates that worked for everyone, and ughhh. Already exhausted. So, I went alone. I planned to stay in hostels anyway, and I figured I would meet people there. Which I did. But on a side note. Are there any people between the ages of 18 and 27 left in Australia? Does the entire country come to a standstill for six months to a year to go on a backpacking trip around Europe? And, is there enough alcohol to sustain their lockstep march to self-destruction? After this trip, these are all valid concerns about the sustainability of Australia. But, I went to Portugal, and not Australia, let's move on. Since I've lived in Spain for a year, I assumed the two places would be similar. They're both on the Iberian peninsula, and the languages have a lot in common. However, Portugal was a lot different. For one, it was incredibly beautiful. I'm not saying Spain is not beautiful, but Portugal is truly stunning. In Lisbon and Sintra, the architecture was incredible, ranging from Medie
val castles to Romantic palaces. And then there were the beaches and the mountains. And the tiles! Everything is covered in ceramic tiles! And I'm gushing. In my defense, I was traveling alone, so I had quite a lot of time to notice all of these things. However, this trip was not without its downsides. One, meals really suck when you travel alone. Two, there's no one to tell you when something is a terrible idea. Example: "Hey, don't take your bag in the water with you. Your camera is in there. Thats' a TERRIBLE idea." You learn something everyday.
1 comentario:
Backpacking Australians should absolutely have the obnoxious, drunk traveling stereotype that Americans have abroad.
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