Back home and a recap of my journey

Now the long-awaited break is finally over. I have been back in London for half a year and have settled back into my daily routine. I fondly think back to my adventure and I must say, it was definitely the right decision!

And yet, writing this report is difficult for me. It feels like a real conclusion now, but at the same time, so many thoughts about it are still swirling in my head. I want to use this post to sort my thoughts a bit, to reflect on my journey once again, and who knows, maybe I will also answer some of your lingering questions.

For a final stop, I went from Cornwall to Oxford. There, I visited dear friends. A last stop before heading back to London for good. There was no individual post about this, as I simply didn't take any photos and just enjoyed the time. 

Back in London, I had five days left before returning to work. The summer weather was perfect here as well, allowing me to enjoy the days in our little garden. On the other hand, I also had to use the time to completely reorganize my room. 

And then it was back to the kindergarten. I was so nervous about it, it felt a bit like the first day of work. In addition to a few new kids, the team had changed a bit during my absence. But all worries were unfounded. I was warmly welcomed by everyone, and everything quickly fell back into place.
But back to my journey:

Four months traveling all over Europe. Just my backpack and me!

Overall, I visited 13 countries and took you along with my digital postcards, sending them to you in the form of 55 posts (this one is the 56th). I explored 69 cities and places, met many different people, and was able to gather countless experiences.

In recent years, I increasingly desired to travel for a longer period. To see a bit more of the world. Preferably by Interrail across Europe. So, exploring as much as possible by train. For that, I purchased an Interrail ticket in advance. There are different passes available that allow different things. In the end, I opted for the longest one.
Three months with unlimited travel. After extensive research, I also decided on the first-class ticket. My roommate also said if you’re traveling for such a long time, you might also enjoy having a quiet cabin with a bit more space. And yes, sometimes that was really nice, even though it felt a bit strange the whole time. I had never traveled first-class before and often felt that my huge backpack just didn’t fit among all the suited people.

Traveling by train is certainly one of the most relaxing modes of transport. Of course, it’s best when you have a seat. Unfortunately, there were also times when I had to sit on the floor, but overall, I was mostly lucky. I wasn't only reliant on second-class, which was quite pleasant. During my journey, I, of course, traveled with various types of trains. Especially in Eastern Europe, there were many trains with the classic six-seater compartments. Not my favorite compartment, as it gets quite cramped when all the seats are occupied, but if you have it all to yourself, it's premium!

Then, for the first time in my life, I traveled by night train. Where you have your own little bed. Here too, there are different options, from six-bunk, three-bunk, two-bunk, and singles. You can sleep better than in a seat, but I was never really well-rested afterwards.

Since we're directly on the topic of trains, let's stick to the topic of routes. Numbers are always interesting, and the Interrail app summarized it nicely for me.
For example, I spent a total of 6 days and almost 16 hours traveling by train. And that was just in the first three months. My travel time in the UK (one month) doesn’t count because I’m not allowed to travel in my country of residence with the Interrail ticket. Only the entry and exit count. In total, over the four months, I spent 7 days, 14 hours, and 48 minutes on trains.

And probably even more hours waiting for my trains at various stations.

On my journey through Europe, I traveled almost everything by train. A total of 11,474 km plus 1,253.44 km in the UK, resulting in a combined total of 12,727.44 km, which is almost a third of the Earth's circumference!
The train routes looked like this in total:

And that's only with the train. Routes I had to take by long-distance bus and car don’t even count in there. That was another approximately 1,303 km. Additionally, but I don’t have exact data on this, are my bike tours and the exploration trips I made by car. 

However, I do have precise data on every step I took and how many kilometers that actually was in total. I was almost blown away when I calculated that recently. 

Overall, I walked 1,561,374 steps in my four months, which is approximately 1,111 km. The first place goes to a day in Budapest with a whopping 31,040 steps. 

The most frequently asked question I received about my journey was: 'What was your absolute favorite place?' and next came 'And how much did it all cost?', but there were also questions like 'What was totally overrated and what surprised you the most?' that kept coming up.

For the first question, I find it so hard to find a single answer. After having seen a total of 69 places, I experienced a lot and it can't always be pinned down to just one thing. If we're talking about people, I would definitely say Bled. There, I met so many lovely diverse people in my hostel. Those four days just flew by in a moment.

If we're talking about nature, then definitely everywhere there is the sea, but especially I found the Croatian coast to be so beautiful.

And I also saw the most beautiful sunset in Croatia. I spent a total of two hours on a roof to admire this sunset over Dubrovnik.

But which place did I find totally overrated? Definitely Milan. One thing I can tell you is that if you want to visit the major attractions, you should plan it a bit in advance. Unfortunately, I was too spontaneous for that. So I was very disappointed with the cathedral. But I also wasn't in the best mood that day. Maybe I will give the city another chance sometime. And Split also did not impress me that much, despite being told in Italy that I absolutely must see it. And yes, sure, this place has pretty corners, but it didn't impress me as much as some other cities did. Nevertheless, I took one of my favorite pictures in Split, and there are four really beautiful islands off Split. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to visit them. 

What surprised me the most was Knin (also in Croatia). A place where I had to stop by force to spend a night. The accommodation is definitely in the top three of the worst, but the hike the next day was unexpectedly beautiful. I hiked first to a waterfall along the river 'Krka' with ultra-clear water, and then Knin has a massive old fortress, partly in ruins. This is located on a fairly high mountain, and once you reach the top, you have a really nice view over the Dinaric Alps, which border Bosnia and Herzegovina. From there you can also see Dinara, the highest peak in Croatia, with around 1300 meters of altitude.

I was also often asked where I slept? Most likely in hostels or with friends and family. I spent a total of 25 nights in 14 different hostels, and in most cases, I had only good experiences. Of course, there were a few weird ones; in one in Split, it felt like everyone working there was smoking, in many the bathroom was always flooded, or there were strange kitchen rules, for example, no cooking after 8 PM, which I find quite early.
Otherwise, I always found it hard to decide. Prefer a big room with many others? Then you have a better chance of meeting cool people, and those were often cheaper. Or would I rather move into the smaller room for a bit more peace and quiet? Mixed or only women, there were often way too many options. 

In hindsight, one could often be wiser. How comfortable did you feel? How were the people? Was the hostel well-equipped or just a total flop?

The best hostels were definitely in Bled and Mostar.

Another important, also a rather crucial point is how safe you feel. Worst experience in Poznań. You can read more about this in that post. But I can count myself lucky. Thankfully, it was only that bad once, and that was quite at the end of my trip. The ratings weren’t great, but I thought it would be fine for one night. Well, now I always look at different reviews on different platforms. 

Sometimes, from time to time, I also treated myself to a hotel room or a little Airbnb. But to be honest, as a solo traveler, it’s not really worth it. However, it’s nice to get some proper rest sometimes.

But I didn't only sleep in hostels or Airbnbs. I also used SERVAS four times on this trip. SERVAS is a kind of couch surfing, where you can stay with locals and possibly discover different areas of a city. I used this in Italy, Germany, and the UK. Unfortunately, SERVAS is not really represented in Eastern Europe, so I couldn't try it there.

And then, I also visited friends and family or met up with them along the way. It's really lovely to have friends scattered across Europe. So I was able to visit friends and family in France, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, of course Germany, and the UK. One more reason to travel!

The people I met or friends and family were very important companions! I made a lot of phone calls because when you are often traveling alone, you can sometimes feel lonely. I met many people who became part-time friends during the travel time. You get to know each other, spend a great time together, and may even meet again in other cities. During my travels, I kept in touch with these 'part-time friends' repeatedly. We exchanged tips on where to go because a place is just so beautiful. Unfortunately, I no longer have real contact with most of them, sometimes you still see something on Instagram. But to be honest, I find that okay too. We experienced wonderful things together for a few days, and no one can take those memories away from us! I fondly think back to all the lovely people and everything we did and experienced together.

The folks back home were always with me, whether in the form of these blogs, a short thank you for reading here, or through phone calls and many messages. To reach people analogously, I was able to take one of my biggest hobbies with me on my trip and fully indulge in it.
Writing postcards! I feel that nowadays, too few postcards are sent, and it’s so lovely to receive a little card and know that someone thought of you. So, I tried to send at least one postcard from each place, but preferably several. This allowed me to send a total of 83 postcards out into the wide world. 

Regarding food. I think I generally ate rather unhealthily. I love bread and pastries above all, so of course, I always tried to visit the local bakeries in each country. I actually cooked less. Since I simply didn’t have the capacity to carry many groceries with me. Instead, I enjoyed cooking and eating together with the people I met along the way. I tried 'Too good to go' several times and otherwise tried to eat as much typical local food as possible. The best food was definitely in Italy and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The wildest stories were definitely in France, which was of course due to translation errors. 

But now let’s get to one of the most frequently asked questions. How much did all this cost me?

Of course, several costs arise before such a trip. I already had the backpack, but I still needed a few small things. A small toiletry bag or a water bottle, for example. Then of course some medications and, most importantly for Interrail, the train ticket!
Later during the trip, I had to pay for some accommodations, food, attractions, theater tickets, postcards, and the corresponding postage (I don’t even want to know how much that came to), further train and bus costs, and the occasional souvenir. Unfortunately, I also had to pay withdrawal fees and even had a couple of larger phone bills since you cross a national border faster than you can ask yourself whether your rate is valid in that country. This happened to me exactly twice. In Switzerland and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Overall, I spent around 4,700 pounds in four months, which is about 5,300 euros. After a bit of research, this is a good average price for a four-month trip through Europe. Of course, you can probably always travel cheaper, but also more expensive. 
Through my tutoring, which I used to do four times a week before the trip, I was able to save up a decent amount. And I still have some of my savings left, which I can invest in future travels. 

Now, about myself. What have I learned about myself?, What am I good at and what do I struggle with?
I am definitely a social person. I need people around me, and it was lovely meeting people from all over the world and planning the day together and exploring new places. But I also need my breaks to recharge my social batteries. But that’s completely normal. 
Traveling alone is also fun. You can do whatever you want and don’t have to agree with several people on which activity to do next. 

What I already knew: I am not good at making decisions. Even during my travels, I had to realize that I’m not very good at that. And that can sometimes become very exhausting and really take a toll on your mood. Almost always traveling alone, I inevitably had to make all the decisions alone. Spontaneous traveling can sometimes be annoying. For example, when I entered a new country and arrived only in the afternoon, but hadn't found a sleeping place yet because I just couldn’t decide which hostel to choose. Or I wandered around the streets endlessly because I couldn't decide what exactly I wanted to eat. A day consists of so many smaller and larger decisions. It was good to be with other people just to be able to delegate this task for once. 

What else is important? Always have a snack with you! And if it’s just a random protein bar. I get hungry pretty quickly and am more of a snacker. So I always had something on me in case the next store was a bit further away.

Regarding my daily routine, I can say that when I was traveling alone, I definitely always took longer to get up in the morning. I can flow well into the day, especially when nothing is planned, it can sometimes be hard for me to find motivation. On the other hand, you also need breaks when you change places almost every two days. And you should allow yourself those breaks!
What I already knew, but could use even more now, is that I love exploring places without a plan. Just see where it takes you. The street looks nice? Then I go there. Just walking around without a map, you discover the most beautiful things.

And being spontaneous was really good too. I’m so glad I didn’t plan the trip down to the last detail beforehand. This way, I could always follow my gut feeling, whether I wanted to stay a little longer in the hostel or place, extend for one or two nights, or continue immediately. This also allows you to be open to others’ ideas. For example, I had no idea where I should go next after Bled, and two dorm neighbors recommended Rijeka to me, and I actually went to Rijeka.

A practical skill that I perfected during my travels was packing. In such a backpack, more fits in than you might think, but also considerably less than I usually own. But yes, when you have to pack your backpack every few days, you eventually develop your own routine. 

One thing that has become part of every stop for me was to look at the place from above. I always tried to find a pretty view. Sometimes as a tourist attraction like a church tower or a Ferris wheel or just tried to find a high hill. Somehow it always calmed me to observe the hustle and bustle from above. 

And then suddenly, four months were over.
With the last train, I came from Oxford to London. It was a really strange feeling. I gained so many different impressions on such a long journey, and then it was suddenly supposed to be over?

Returning home, not only had the front door changed, but a lot had also changed in my shared flat. My roommate moved out, and now we are only four of us. 
I have also learned that it is not healthy to cram your everyday life until it’s unmanageable. I am currently working much less after work, only once a week tutoring, and I also try to make more space for myself. Before my trip, I was quite worn out, and it really made a noticeable difference. 
During the four months, I indeed walked an incredible amount. And what can I say, I really miss that. To maintain that a bit, I now go to the gym several times a week (gym, swimming, or cycling) and try to eat a little healthier. 

Would I do it again? Definitely. As often as possible. Piece by piece, getting to know the world, its people, and cultures a bit more. And especially when you travel to a country and only see a fraction, you quickly think, oh I can go here and there too, and this extends the travel list really fast. For the next few years, Southeast Europe is definitely high on my list. Even though I have now been to 13 countries and have already seen a few others in Europe, there are still many left to explore!

I really appreciate that I had the opportunity to undertake this trip. First, you need a dream, and then I was lucky enough to get unpaid leave to truly be able to be on the road for such a long time. 

Thank you all! You read my posts diligently. Even though it took a while, and it's now been half a year since I returned to my daily routine, you have enthusiastically continued to read my blog. Especially in the last few months, it has been a nice way to reflect on many beautiful moments.

The trip did me a lot of good, and I am glad that I dared to step out of my comfort zone and look beyond my personal horizon. I fulfilled my long-standing desire for an Interrail journey and can heartily recommend it to everyone; I would definitely do it again!