Homeward Bound

A few months before I left for Europe, I put the house on the market.  I was hoping the house would sell either before I left or after I returned, but because I would be gone during the summer months, I knew there was a strong possibility it would sell while I was gone.  And sure enough, I got an offer on the house.  Actually, I got two offers on the house, with both parties wanting to close by July 31st.  Virtually certain one of the two offers would go through to closing, I knew that I had to return to Knoxville.  All of my things - furniture, clothes, boxes, everything I own - were at the house, and I had to come back to deal with it.  

With my stay in Amsterdam drawing to a close, it seemed like the appropriate time to end the trip.  So 75 days after leaving for Europe, I returned to the States. I wondered when I left Europe if I would feel like I had fallen short of my goal, but I realized that my goal was an arbitrary one.  Originally, I had planned a 90 day trip for no other reason than by law, I could stay in the European Union for 90 days without a visa.  Because I had started my trip outside the EU, I was technically going to be traveling for roughly 100 days.  But was my goal one of time or experience? Experience, of course. And experience I got. Even with just a short time to reflect on my trip, I am astounded at all that I was able to see and do in 75 days.

It was what I learned in Europe, though, that I will take with me above anything I saw or did while I was there.  I learned lessons that may seem basic or obvious, but I needed to experience them to learn them.  I learned that if I get lost, I can eventually find my way.  I learned that if I can't speak the language and no one understands me, I can gesture enough to where they eventually figure out what I want.  I learned that I can get by on a lot less luggage than what I thought was necessary!  I learned that for the most part, people are very nice and helpful.   I learned that the best experiences are the simple ones - walking through the city or a park or sitting by the water writing, listening to music and watching the people around me - and have nothing to do with any tourist attraction.  

But I learned one lesson above all others...

If I had to do this trip over again, would I?  Absolutely. Will I do this trip over again?  No.  Not that way.  Not by myself.  I proved that I can travel by myself.  But what I learned is that I don't want to travel by myself. There were countless times that I saw or did or ate or heard something, and I desperately wanted to turn to someone I love and share in that moment.  Like when I stepped onto the Paris streets for the first time to be greeted by the Eiffel Tower's light show.  I stood there, dumbfounded, and said out loud, "I can't believe I'm really here."  But there was no one to hear me. So I sent a picture and an email to one person who I knew would instantly understand the enormity of what I was feeling, but it simply wasn't enough.  I needed someone beside me.  

Next time, there will be.