Although I don't get to do it as much as I would like, traveling is a huge part of my life. I crave it. Michael and I have made it our mission to take at least one overseas trip every year. So far we've been successful. I was thrilled about today's linkup because I'll take any excuse to talk about previous travel experiences; good or bad. My worst and best vacation happen to be on the exact same trip. How can that be? I'll explain.
It was my first trip to Europe by myself. I'm using that term loosely because I was with Michael and our good friend, but I was sans parents, and everything was planned solely by us. We decided on sort of a whim to go to Tomorrowland, the largest electronic dance music festival in the world, held in Boom, Belgium. We bought tickets and somehow beat out the millions of others trying to get them. Then we settled on traveling to Amsterdam and Paris for a few days each, after.
I have travel anxiety. I'm not afraid to fly by any means, I just always get nervous that I'm going to forget something crucial and there's no possible way to rectify the situation because you're on a plane. It's silly, but it's true.
Backpacks packed, tickets printed, we were ready to get on the plane. Only there was one problem. My passport still had my maiden name, my ticket said my married last name. It was a big problem. They threatened to not let me board. There were tears. There was shouting. I finally got on the plane, sweating and terrified. But it didn't end there. I had to keep printing off boarding passes and go back through security at each stop and so it made us miss out next flight. Hours later than we were supposed to arrive, we landed in Belgium. It didn't end there, as the flight home was complete and utter chaos. I ran through a German airport, arms flailing, trying to get home, and flashing people in the dress I wore the night before in Paris. You can read the full story here. But needless to say, I learned the importance of making sure your passport matches the name on your ticket.
On to my best vacation, which was every part not spent near an airport. If you could see my face for the first year of Tomorrowland, it would look like an open mouthed emoji for 3 straight days. I was in shock. I know some people don't dig the music festival scene, but I'm telling you, this is unlike any. (I've only written about it 100s of times, but it's incredible.)
Fireworks, lasers, a stage that was made out of fairy tale books and a screen that opened, water falls, people from more countries than at the Olympics, and my favorite music playing all at the same time. It was an experience.
Basking in the glow of the music, it was on to Amsterdam. I assumed it would be all about the weed and the prostitutes in the red light district (that's all legal there.) But it was one of the most beautiful cities. The people were so kind, there was so much to see and do and eat. Michael and I have talked about even moving there.
But then, we went to Paris. And insert that open faced emoji again. I fell in love. You hear how people fall in love with a city, and that happened to me in Paris. It was like a dream land where everyone had a french accent and onion soup tasted like it was made for a queen. I remember, one night we grabbed cheese, cheap wine, bread, and sat in front of the Eiffel Tower at night. I gazed up at the twinkling tower and thought, yes, this is perfect.
