Photo Essay of My Changes Through Travel
Realizing that I Won't Be Coming Back the Same Person
Am I the same person that I was months ago? Do I know where I'm headed in life? These are questions that I'm having a hard time finding words to describe the sentiments that I'm feeling. Truthfully the answer to both is no. No I'm not the same and no I don't know where I'm headed. Something in me has shifted. So instead of trying to find the words, I'm going to do a little photo essay of the changes that I've made through travel.This is me, twelve months, ten countries, twelve kilos, and a couple thousand dollars ago. I doubted myself, thought my dreams were far fetched, and cared too much what everyone thought of me.
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| Me and my Cousin at a Cousin's Wedding in June |
This is me over a year ago on my very first solo travel in Italy, scared, but excited at the same time. That trip helped me decide that I wanted to live in France for a year.
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| The Vatican, Rome |
This is me right after I signed the papers for my apartment. It is the first time that I ever rented an apartment. I found the apartment within two weeks of moving to the country. Finally a big weight is lifted off my shoulders.
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| The Eiffel Tower, Paris |
This is me in my first month of France, taking advantage of what Paris has to offer and falling in love with the city's beauty.
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| Opera, Paris |
This is me traveling alone to a country where I didn't speak a word of the language. Sure I went to Italy before, but I know enough to ask for directions and understand them. This was the first time I went really outside my comfort zone.
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| Royal Palace, Amsterdam |
This is me learning what cold feels like. Notice the forced smile and the tired eyes from walking around in the cold.
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| Atomium, Brussels |
This is me experiencing snow for the first time in my adult life. It is also me falling in love with Germany and it's sausages.
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| Brandenburg Gate, Berlin |
This is me in front of "Stalin's Penis" proving that a good dirty joke will always make me laugh and that Poland is actually a nice place to visit. I also realized how much my mom likes to travel and I think we may have opened a can of worms with this trip. Good thing she understands me and my humor!
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| Center for Culture and Science, Warsaw |
This me after power walking up the Bavarian mountains, showing that I won't stop at much to save some money and see the world. Oh and I had a sausage at the top. History and sausages, now that's happiness.
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| Neuschwanstein Castle |
This is me celebrating my first birthday in the country that I was born in with family. Nothing like a Nutella eclair to start 24 off right!
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| So I'm 24 Now... |
This is me braving my fears and going to the 56th floor to see all of Paris. Thanks papa for being there as I tried my best to hide my fear in the elevator.
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| Tour Montparnasse |
This is me finally understanding my fathers culture and adopting some of his customs. Moving to France explains him so much now! Love you papa!
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| Chateau de Chantilly |
This is me learning more about communism and I have to say, I'm petty skeptical of it. And this sums up all the kind of museums that I tend to visit.
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| Memento Park, Budapest |
This is me making it to a city that I thought I would never make it to. It's too far east, too different for me to have thought I would ever realize this dream. I'm glad it happened.
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| Danube River, Budapest |
This is me, once again braving the fear heights and not succeeding at hiding my fear.
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| On the Eiffel Tower |
This is me excited to be in Paris, the city that I live in, the city that I was born in, and not caring how many double chins I have in the picture.
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| Trocadero, Paris |
This is me in Prague, a city which I never thought I'd visit alone because of the extreme language barrier and my shyness towards it's culture. But after months of travel I got brave enough to brave this city on my own. And it became one of my favorites, proving that you can't judge a city because of it's communist past.
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| Tyn Cathedral, Prague |
This is me now, a seasoned traveler who doesn't care what other people think, only how they treat me. This is a version of me who is proud of herself and can't believe I ever doubted my dreams. This is a me determined to ind a way to keep traveling.
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| Bruges Canal |
