It's an absolute cliche, but also an absolute must, so that's exactly what I did -- solo for a month.
With a pack stuffed with clothes and camera in hand, I hit my first destination -- Amsterdam -- and never looked back.
Starting my travels in a liberal city with a fairly fluent English speaking population served as a stepping-stone, a way to ease into the myriad languages and culture shocks I would no doubt encounter.
After settling into my hostel, I took to the streets to digest the vibrant Dutch culture awash with street performers, international cuisine, celebrated museums and an abundance of bicycles.
Before long, I overcame my lingering reservations about journeying solo and began to take pleasure in the sights and conversations with locals and fellow travellers. This changing cast of characters included two girls from Edmonton I spent the day with after meeting them in line at Anne Frank House, my Austrian roommates who spoke broken English, but loved Canada for its flag, and Erma, a local I met on a patio with whom I spent two hours talking about everything from Dutch healthcare to holiday traditions, while she blithely filled a page with names of restaurants I should consider.
I soaked up the sun in Rembrandt Square, unabashedly explored the red light district, went wild with the locals at the Heineken Music Hall, and got lost in Vondel Park.
As the days ran on and my appetite for all things grew, so did my debt. Not even a week into a month-long trip and I was overwrought with anxiety and afraid I would run out of money.
So I hopped a flight to Prague, Czech Republic, determined to be a true backpacker by adopting a frugal lifestyle. I didn't exactly have a choice in the matter.
Once I'd found my hostel, I tossed my bags -- which alarmingly had already reached full capacity from unwise spending -- in my room and immediately befriended a girl from Chicago in the hostel's common area.
Being on a budget, we raided the nearby supermarket and made use of the hostel kitchen before navigating the confusing cobblestone streets in search of an outdoor market. Our excursion led us to many of the city's famed attractions including Powder Tower, a gateway to the Old Town and Charles Bridge; Wenceslas Square, Prague's central boulevard; and Charles University, the oldest in Central Europe, founded in 1348.
Determined to see the rest of the city after we parted, but wary of the winding, maze-like streets, several days later I joined a free walking tour, which led our group to the Old Town, Lesser Quarter and Prague Castle. Our guide gave a remarkably detailed history of the city and sights, which included the Czech parliament, Franz Kafka's house, and John Lennon's wall, an expanse of wall formerly covered in anti-communist graffiti in the '80s, now filled with positive messages, artwork and poems.
With two cities mastered and my confidence boosted, I took to the skies with Ibiza in sight.
Going directly from an historical, inland city to an island paradise is an exceptional change, but a welcome one. I stumbled into a problem almost immediately, though. The tiny island off the eastern coast of Spain is teeming with couples, families and friends on vacation -- it's not exactly a hot spot for lone travellers.
My family friendly hotel was hardly the best place to strike up conversations and the public transit left something to be desired, so I resigned myself to wandering the strip and enjoying a sun-soaked getaway. A vacation from my vacation if you will.
Fate, however, is a funny thing. Soon after I sat down to dinner the first night, a young woman walked in, also looking for a table. Also on vacation. Also alone. She was perhaps the only other single traveller on the island, and we had somehow managed to cross paths.
In an instant, my week of lying on the beach turned into a week of exploring. As luck would have it, she had rented a car. Together we discovered Ibiza's tiny towns, lounged on a handful of the island's beautiful beaches, and sauntered through crowded, tourist-ridden San Antonio. We went kayaking in the Mediterranean, caught the world renowned sunset at Cala Moli beach, and took in the DJs at night at some of the world's most famous -- and biggest -- clubs.
I had made a lifelong friend in an instant and agreed to meet her in Paris, where she was working, before I flew home.
My sights were set next on Barcelona, a stone's throw from Ibiza. I arrived at the hostel after a bit of confusion on the subway -- nothing a friendly Catalan couldn't help with -- and was immediately invited by my new roommates, all from New Zealand, to go on a bike tour of the city.
The four-hour ride took us through Barcelona's most central park -- Parc de la Ciutadella -- showed us modernist architect Antoni Gaudi's amazing work throughout the city -- including his breathtaking masterpiece Sagrada Familia -- and explained the significance of Barcelona's only bullfighting arena (the only one in Spain where people come to protest the sport).
I spent the rest of the visit traversing the city on foot with friends from the hostel and watching the entertainment erupt each evening along Las Ramblas, one of Barcelona's major boulevards.
Originally, the trip was to end in Lisbon, Portugal, but my plans took a turn. I cancelled my hostel in Portugal and booked a flight to Paris, where I met my new friend from Ibiza. She graciously shared her apartment with me for the week, showed me all over the city, and provided unforgettable adventures and conversation.
I flew home with a sense of accomplishment -- and a lot more money than I had expected. The trip cost a meager $3,500, including the gifts I brought home.
My return flight to Europe ran about $1,400 when all was said and done, and accommodations totalled $1,000, keeping in mind the five-night stay at a hotel in Ibiza accounted for about half of that. The average price of a hostel can run anywhere from $20 per night and up, depending on its location, the time of year, the type of accommodation requested and availability.
The remaining money was spent on additional transporation, food and drink, entertainment and mementos from each city.
Embarking on this trip with nothing but a backpack, a smile, and an open mind, I'd say I fared pretty well.
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TRIP TIPS
- Don't book your entire trip in advance. Play it by ear while travelling as plans can, do, and will change.
- Do some research before leaving to see if any events or festivals are going on during your stay.
- Keep in mind currency conversions when making purchases.
- Don't overpack! Remember, you have to carry your bags everywhere you go.
- Look for hostels that have common areas, kitchens, and whenever possible, laundry facilities. Common areas are a great place to meet new people, hostel kitchens help save you money by giving the option of cooking your own food, and on-site laundry facilities are a bonus when living out of a backpack.
- Rent a bicycle. They're cheap and in most places can be picked up and dropped off at various bike hubs around the city. Some hostels offer bike rentals as well.
- Keep an eye out for brochures in and around your hostel advertising free walking tours. A decent tip to your guide at the end ensures the sightseeing programs stay up and running for others to experience.
- Avoid taxis whenever possible -- they're a cash guzzler -- and rely on public transit, biking or walking to get around.
- Be open to just about everything on your travels -- if you don't try, you'll never know!
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