Ok, I can’t sleep which is not a big deal since I don’t have to work on Sunday–thank God! So to entertain myself, I was responding to comments and reading some of my favorite blogs just to see what everyone was up to. I was reading this really cool post on Luchessa’s blog about traveling and suddenly I got super sad about the fact that I never get to go anywhere anymore. I don’t think I’ve taken a proper vacation since like 2003. How sad is that? This is especially sad to me because I spent my early 20’s basically living as a nomad. If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you have probably read my stories about all my traveling misadventures: spending my junior year of college in Paris, getting my wallet stolen on a train from Florence to Aix-en-Provence, almost getting killed in a drive-by in NYC, buying tickets on Priceline to Rome while drunk…do I really need to keep going?
I know I was always complaining about Paris while I was living there because I just found the adjustment to be really difficult. I lived in this pretty tiny chambre de bonne which was basically where servants used to live. This place was tiny but, it had almost everything that I needed: a bed, storage, a hot plate, a fridge, a radio, phone, heating and a shower…but no toilet. Whaaaaaaaaaaat? Well, the toilet was actually outside, down the hall and it was a shared toilet. AND it was a turkish toilet to boot. WTF? I remember when I first saw it, and I couldn’t believe my eyes…is this Paris, or what? I ended up getting used to it, but there was another thing I couldn’t never get used to: my psychopath neighbor. She was this older lady whom I assumed had some issues because she didn’t seem to have any friends or family and tortured the hell out of me complaining about every single noise I made. I couldn’t talk on the phone at night because she would start banging on the wall–and this sucked because my friends and family were all back in California–and she even complained that I was walking around too loudly…huh? The sound of my footsteps was too loud for this hag? I tried to spend as little time as possible in my tiny studio so I didn’t have to deal with her. But who would want to stay in when you’re in PARIS??
I have a bagillion stories about my misadventures in Paris: having to move 3 separate times, babysitting and then realizing the building was on fire, accidentally going to a porn movie theater by myself AT NIGHT (and yes, this was an accident and I don’t think I should be recounting the full story here). Seriously, you can’t even imagine how much trouble one stupid American girl can get into. In my defense, I was 19 and had never been to Europe so cut me some slack! Despite all the dumb things I did there and all the horrible situations that I managed to get myself into, I had such an amazing time! I got to travel all over France and wound up going to Italy like 5 separate times during my stay. Then when I came back home, I got a job with an airline so my traveling adventures continued for at least a few more years. I got to fulfill my dream of going to Morocco and Tunisia (I’ve got plenty of stories about those trips as well, especially about Tunisia since I went there alone–real smart).
So what is my point with all of this? I don’t think I have one so I guess the title of this post is pretty accurate–this is just me rambling! Oh, wait…I do have a point. Get out there and travel! The world is so big and beautiful. It’s really something to get to see a different way of living and experience a new culture. I can’t imagine what I would be like today without those eye-opening experiences. So tell me: if you could go to one place, anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
Asia &Africa. Which countries are still up in the air. Also Brazil. Heck anywhere I love traveling.
I love your travel stories. I stay within the US because we spend out vacation visiting my grandma, but i do like hearing about your (mis)adventures. 🙂 What is a Turkish toilet??
Nicole recently posted..Silver Hexagon Stud Nails from KK Center HK
I loved reading this!
If I could travel anywhere it would either be Scotland, Germany or Japan. I’ve always wanted to travel to all of those places. Germany and Scotland because I am German and Scottish (don’t even ask the rest LOL) and the cultures are just interesting to me and I would love to see where my family came from. As for Japan I have a long time friend who moved there a couple years ago with his wife and I would love to meet up with him again. Plus, I mean come on, who wouldn’t want to go to Japan just to go to Tokyo because shit is cute over there!
Hi dear, glad you liked the post i did on Traveling and all the (not so) fun things that come with it.
Yoru time in Paris def sounds like a huge adventure…
if you could pick a country or a destination, where would you liek to go and why?
Luchessa recently posted..Max Factor Facefinity All Day Flawless 3-in-1 Foundation {Review}
I love travel stories too, but I haven’t done nearly enough of it myself! I’ve flown on planes more times in the last year and a half than I had in my entire life combined, but there’s still so much more I need to see. One of my bucket list dreams is to make it to Egypt to see the Great Pyramids.
Bailey recently posted..Sweat Roundup of the Last Few Weeks
You’ve traveled way more than me, I’ve never been out of Canada ever. The fairest place I’ve been was probably Victoria for a little family vacation. It was by a ferry just to get to there too, lol.
Your trip to Paris doesn’t sound like the most wonderful trip. Crazy that the neighbor was like that! Must have been awful to experience.
Lisa N. recently posted..Oh Mon Dieu! 31 Day Challenge Day 6 – Neon
I haven’t traveled outside the US and Canada, but when I was in my 20s I lived in the Midwest and used to go for long drives all over the place with my then-boyfriend. It was super fun. But I do want to do more international travel.
For those of you out there not familiar with the Pacific Northwest, I highly recommend the WA and OR coasts – they are not beaches like in warmer areas, but very rustic and wild. Sometimes it can be cold there, layer up!
I love your stories! 🙂 I haven’t really travelled at all, I mean as kids every summer we’d get dragged everywhere across the U.S. (west of the Mississippi that is). I am not a good traveller, I get motion sickness really bad, plus I’m claustrophobic, plus I’m anti-TSA; BUT if I could go anywhere, I would love to go to Ireland. I just feel like it calls to me! 😛
Jessica Dymphna-Rose recently posted..OMD Rather Awesome Challenge: Day 7 Holo
It kills me that I’m too poor for travel! Also, there’s this issue that I’m in a wheelchair and it’s a pain going to places that are not fully adapted for me (that totally includes my own country, Argentina). My dream is to visit Greece, but I also want to see a lot of places in Europe. Maybe some day, who knows?!
Iriel recently posted..Birthday Nails!
puedes visitar europa, paris e italia están completamente adaptados para discapacitados!
mariaemmafaria recently posted..Spun Sugar Nails
well.. i’ve visited Colombia and Brasil a lot (my dad’s from brazil, mum from colombia).
also i used to visit Costa Rica a lot, business related.
I went to chicago last year, (best trip ever)
and when i was just married i lived 1.5 years in italy, so I visited paris and amsterdam.
i think my favorite trip was Chicago..
mariaemmafaria recently posted..Spun Sugar Nails
I have to see Italy, France and India before I die. I’ve been to most of the states (grew up in a road-trippin’ family) and Canada/Mexico, but I’ve never left North America. Considering that I have a degree in European cultural history, that is kind of tragic. (India is just because I’ve always been fascinated by India.) Hopefully when my husband is done with med school we’ll have enough time/money to go places! Of course, then we’ll probably have ten kids and won’t want to drag them to historic buildings and museums and stuff. I guess Disneyland is fun, too.
Your stories crack me up! I spent junior year abroad in London which was amazing, & so it was pretty easy to then get to a lot of other countries; the Netherlands, Greece, Spain & France. I’ve also been lucky enough to visit Bermuda & some countries in the West Indies. I love to travel! I would love to someday get to Italy & China.
My first reply would be I’m too poor to travel, but then I think that if I redistributed nail polish buying I could do it haha!
I would want to go to Ireland. I have a thing about the Celts and castles 🙂
India because I’ve wanted to go there my whole life. It just looks magical and amazing, the colours, the food, the spices, the people, the Temples, the people. Just everything.
I am bummed about not taking much vacation time for myself, either. Just going to L.A. for a few days was nice! I am always scared to take time off because the company I work for is so small and it just causes so many issues. Maybe that’ll change someday and I can schedule more official vacations.
I’m interested in France because I studied French (not that I think I can speak it, just it’d be cool to see some of the stuff I learned about) and Italy (because I’m Italian!).
I’d love to go to paris,italy,England anywhere and everywhere. I have lived in the same place I was born my entire life. I’ve traveled a little but not much. I live in Indiana about 10 mins from KY. I’ve been to Chicago and st Loise,Louisville,Indianapolis, and actually sight see. I took to the road my senior year with my step dad who was a truck driver and got to go as far north east as PA and south east as West Virginia. And everything between Indiana and there. But it was just a pass through I didn’t get to see much in that 1 week. My family never did vacations and I’ve started to try to do them now. Just wish I could do more.
Mad typer recently posted..Black Friday shopping.