My European adventures

While I’m still feeling refreshed from my recent travels, I think I ought to share some of the “firsts” I experienced during my trip. Each of these firsts, however small, seems especially meaningful to me, since I tend to avoid change like the plague! Whether I like it or not, 2010 is a year filled with change for me… and more so than not, I like it.

My firsts, in no particular order:

1. solo transatlantic flight (and only my second transatlantic trip ever)
2. visit to a country where I don’t speak the language (twice covered, with Slovakia and Hungary)
3. time eating many things, but especially bryndzové halušky and ostrich
4. holiday with Ewan, who ended up being (as expected) a wonderful travel partner
5. European train trip, with coaches and compartments just like in Harry Potter!
6. view of the Alps (in Salzburg)
7. view of the Danube River (in Bratislava and again in Budapest)
8. opportunity to speak a foreign language in the country where it’s natively spoken (German, in Austria; it’s a good thing I learned how to say “check, please,” or Ewan and I would still be sitting in a cafe in Salzburg)
9. trip covering three countries (Slovakia, Hungary, Austria… I don’t really count the stopovers at London Heathrow as a fourth country)
10. time taking more than 50 photos in a single day (at least, as best as I can recall)
11. funicular railway ride (and my second, as well)
12. time spending €
13. visit to a former communist country (Slovakia)
14. swizzle!
15. time being in four countries in a 24-hour period (US, UK, Austria, Slovakia)
16. taste of Hungarian and Slovak wines, both of which are quite tasty!
17. chance to speak a little Slovak
18. time ordering food off a menu without being exactly sure what I was getting, and taking the risk anyway!