The title is deliberately a little sensational. If I changed it to “85 Days, 16 European Countries, and One Petite Girl Traveling Like Crazy on NT$200,000,” I might attract another thousand views.
But first, I must seriously warn everyone: this madcap 85-day, 16-country tour of Europe is not for everyone. Unless you have a pair of sturdy legs that do not mind being worked to the bone, wake up every morning excited to find yourself on different soil, or possess that foolish “If we don’t go crazy now, we’ll be old before we know it” spirit, the whole experience will inevitably become dull—or even downright agonizing.
[ Travel Is Serious Business ]
Because, honestly, I had not even made it halfway through this tightly packed 85-day, 16-country itinerary before I started wanting to go home. My luggage grew heavier and heavier on my shoulders, and in metro stations across Europe where escalators were practically nonexistent, I was constantly hauling up and down a suitcase whose wheels I had nearly worn through. My shoulders ached terribly, and I was utterly exhausted. Yet every day still brought something new that opened my eyes and shook my little inner universe to its core. That kept me fully charged and gave me the grit and determination to complete the entire journey. This is exactly whatJapanese author Haruki Murakami meant when he said, “Travel is, for the most part, quite exhausting. But there are things you can only learn for yourself after becoming tired. There are joys you can only experience after reaching the point of utter exhaustion. This is the truth I have learned from continuing to travel.”Those 85 days will undoubtedly remain one of the most unforgettable periods of my life—memories I will treasure forever.
But I know that no matter how wild or sensational my title sounds, someone out there will always be crazier than me: budget-travel master943, who traveled around the world in 80 days on NT$100,000; Xiao Cai, who startedhitchhiking around the world at the age of 18; seventh-grader backpackerLan Bai Tuo, who visited 13 countries in one year on NT$300,000; and crazy Luca, who spent a month in Europewaking up in a different city every day…the list goes on. Each person enjoys a uniquely spectacular life in their own way. It is a kind ofshit destinymission.
And here, the story I want to tell is mine.
[ Jackie Chan Went Around the World in 80 Days; I Had 5 More Days and Still Never Left Europe ]
I never dreamed of traveling around the world—at least not after I became old enough to understand reality. But I still carried a world map in my heart, marked with all the countries I longed to explore. My earliest, mostcrudeoriginal dream was to travel all over South America. Then, by chance, I learned that the European Union, which encouragesyoung peopleto broaden their horizons by visiting different countries, offers all sorts of special discounts toyoung people under 26. What tempted me most was their rail pass covering 22 European countries. It perfectly suited my wish to see Europe up close at ground level by train, and they even gave travelers under 26 a discount of nearly 35%. With my youth soon destined to become a story from another chapter of my life, I immediately decided—even though I was still in Australia—that I would spend my final year before turning 26 on one last long journey before starting work. I would travel independently, the way I knew and loved best: alone, unfettered, with no one to accommodate, and make the absolute most of my first-ever visit to the European continent.
I completely agree that Europe is best explored slowly. But after traveling around Australia for two years and three months, I was starting to feel the pressure to finally bring myself home to my family, even if they had to tape me together. Besides, the purpose of this trip was to give me an overview: to see each country quickly with my own eyes, experience their differences firsthand, and then return later to explore the ones I liked at a leisurely pace. Add in the money and the opportunity presented by the rail pass, and the plan was settled with a bang of the gavel: 16 countries in 85 days!
My three months in Europe felt like a fleeting dream, as though I had floated through 16 countries in the blink of an eye. I opened my eyes…and now I am back in Taipei.
Some people said, “The dream is over. Time to face reality at last, huh?”
I said, “My dream came true!”
[ There Is Only One Truth! A Conan Dream All the Way to London ]
And finally, the most important thing…my table of contents. The original purpose of this post was actually to bring all my future articles together into one convenient, easy-to-read index. Somehow, I lost control again and wrote a massive intro.
Preparing for a Trip Around Europe
- All Revealed: How to Plan Before a Three-Month Journey
- Traveling Europe—Pay Attention! European Travel Safety Tips and a Guide to Making It Home in One Piece++
June 28, 2012Hanoi, VietnamLayover
- Vietnam Airlines: Making the Dream of a European Journey Not So Far Out of Reach
- Hanoi, Vietnam, Made Me Exclaim, “Taiwan, You’ve Lost Big-Time”
June 29, 2012France Nine Days
- France: Not What You Imagined?
- France Day 1 – What?! You Can’t Get By in English at Charles de Gaulle, France’s Biggest International Airport?
- France Day 1 – The Palace of Versailles in Paris, France: Unblocking the Historical Connections in My Head
- France Day 2 – No Getting Lost, No Discovering the Antique Charm of the Palais Garnier in Paris, France
- France Day 2 – The Historic Avenue Between the Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Élysées in Paris, France—and My Lamentable Ignorance of History
- France Day 3 – The Louvre in Paris, France: That Faint Smile Hidden Away in a Golden Palace
- France Day 3 – My Own Impression of Paris, France! Impressionist Masterpieces at the Musée de l’Orangerie and Musée d’Orsay
- France Day 4 – Mont Saint-Michel, France: So That’s Where the Expression “A Hole in Your Head” Comes From
- France Day 5 – Two Sacred Sights in One Day: Seeing Two Sides of Paris at Sacré-Cœur and Notre-Dame
- France Days 1–5 – The Eiffel Tower: Five Views of This Magical Beacon in Paris, France
- France Day 6 – Avignon, the Ancient Provençal City That Grows Even More Beautiful at Sunset
- France Day 7 – Strutting Through the Lavender Fields and Red Towns of Provence in Southern France
- France Day 8 – Arles in Southern France: The Roman Empire Through My Eyes and Van Gogh’s Brush
- France Day 8 – Another Ancient Roman Town in Southern France: Is Nimes, Where Old Meets New, Any Good?
- France Day 9 – That Year, I Became Part of the Festival d’Avignon in Southern France….
July 08, 2012Spain Five Days
July 13, 2012Portugal Four Days
July 17, 2012Switzerland Five Days
July 22, 2012Austria, Part One 3/5 Days
July 25, 2012Germany, Part One 7/13 Days
August 01, 2012Luxembourg One Day
August 02, 2012Belgium Three Days
August 05, 2012The Netherlands Four Days
August 09, 2012Germany, Part Two 6/13 Days
August 15, 2012Czech Republic Five Days
August 20, 2012Austria, Part Two 2/5 Days
August 22, 2012Hungary Three Days
August 25, 2012Slovenia Two Days
August 27, 2012Italy + Vatican City, the World’s Smallest Country Eight Days
September 04, 2012Greece Seven Days
September 11, 2012United Kingdom Ten Days
September 22, 2012Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamLayover
(The above will be updated as new articles are added)
This Is a Serious Article
