Crazy Adventures in the Life of a Redhead

My last stop on what has become a nine-month journey is France, where I have felt the most at home since leaving the US. Knowing the language makes all the difference because you have the advantage of being much more involved in the country and it’s culture. I have often expressed how important language is, so now that I am in a place where I know the language, I cannot help but feeling more at ease. When I have a question, I can easily ask someone and when I want to express myself and I can also do so with minor errors of syntax, etc. The real reason why I feel so at ease here, however, is that I have so many friends with whom I passed the time. It was the perfect transition from my aimless wandering and fantastic adventures in Asia to my purposeful return to the US. Paris I flew from Berlin to Paris, which is generally an easy flight to take—one hour and 20 minutes and bam you’re in a new country. For me, however, I rarely have an easy time at the airport, so I cannot say that I was ...

In thinking about my travels after leaving the Philippines, I would have to say that Spain was a highlight, not because I love Spain (in reality, it is not that great in my opinion), but because it was the central meeting place of four girls from North Central and a lovely tag-a-long from Illinois :) It is amazing how fast time passes and how much can happen in only one year. They say that college is the best four years of your life, but I have to heartily disagree. College is the place where you commence the best years of your life. All the barriers are behind you and you are left with the complete freedom to make of yourself what you wish. Spain was an opportunity of a lifetime thus far for some North Central graduates who have maintained contact since graduation. This is our story. Girls I hope that you appreciate what I have written. I was planning to make it into a story, but I figured that the complete truth is just as good and as interesting as whatever else I could have spun. T...

I continued on my couchsurfing adventure in Berlin but also stayed at a hostel for a couple of nights with a German friend who I met in Washington DC two years ago as well as at an airport when some miscommunication happened with a couchsurfing host (more on that to follow). Finding a place to sleep is always an adventure, especially when you don’t want to pay that much money. I have thoroughly enjoyed the couchsurfing concept even though this time around I had some complications that reminded me of the importance of having a cell phone that works wherever you are. (I thought I learned this lesson in France in 2008 when I lost my 14-year-old charge and incurred an expensive ticket from the train company, but I guess not. It is amazing how fast we forget about those things when slightly different situations present themselves.) All in all, though, I have been very fortunate to save money on lodging while traveling alone. Hostels are nice when you are with other people and want a central...

Amsterdam After leaving India, I have to say that arriving in Europe was a relief because it felt like home. I traded the excitement of the East for the comforts of the West, which I think has been a good transition and will get me ready for going home in a couple of weeks. This entry is going to focus on my experience as a couchsurfer in a country I never really thought I would explore. Before I begin, I will explain the label “couchsurfer”: this means that I pay nothing to stay with someone who has opened his or her home to travelers trying to save money and experience more fully the local culture. Prices are so expensive in Europe, so the idea of getting free lodging and instant friends really appealed to me. I decided to embark on this thing called couchsurfing and have been pleasantly surprised. From Delhi, India, I flew directly to Amsterdam, which was the only direct flight from that city to Europe with the airline companies I am using. Instead of simply laying over at the airpo...