Happy Friday Reader!
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I've talked about the logistics of my month-long trip through Europe, but not what I actually took away from it. So here's what stuck with me.
1) I don't actually like traveling for a month straight, at least not the way we did it. Our trip was non-stop, we were putting in 20,000-step days on the reg. My wife somehow managed to tough it out day after day, but I gave up easily.
If I did a trip this long again, I'd build in a couple of days at an all-inclusive or somewhere where only chilling is allowed, during the second half or end of the trip. We always ran into the problem where we wanted to just relax at the hotel, but there's so much to see - so we'd get FOMO and go out and explore.
2) We traveled through German, French, and Spanish speaking countries on this trip, and it made us grateful that you can almost always find someone who speaks English. It also pushed us to try to learn as much of the local language as we could before we got there (or while we were there), which of course is always good etiquette when you're traveling.
But struggling through it gave us a new appreciation for language itself. We felt relieved once we got to Spain because we knew a lot more Spanish than we ever would German. It also gave us a better perspective on non-English speakers living in our own country, and just how hard that can really be.
3) Air conditioning is always worth it. A couple of our accommodations didn't have it, and it was an inconvenience Iโd rather not deal with again - but it also made the rest of the trip (the parts where we did have AC) feel that much sweeter. I wouldn't cancel or avoid a trip over it, but if there's an option to pay for it, take it.
4) I'd also pay for the view when it's unique. In Grindelwald we had a room looking out at the mountains, and I was so glad I paid for it. I normally don't care about paying extra for a view, and I probably still wouldn't for a nice cityscape (a city is a city, to a degree), but for somewhere you haven't been before, or uniquely beautiful like the Swiss Alps, it's worth it.
5) First class was noticeably different from business class. We flew business class on the way there with Condor, and first class on the way back with Singapore Airlines.
Now Singapore is known for their superior service, but the first class experience is something I actually think of as a highlight of the trip. And I didn't get that same feeling from the business class flight even though it was my first one and it was still overall a great experience.
6) If I had to choose a premium cabin for just one of a trip, I would choose to fly business or higher on the way back. At least flying from Europe to the US because I was more awake and actually able to enjoy it. On the way there I was mainly focused on trying to get some sleep to help with jet lag, and I'm not a good sleeper so I only got an hour or two of sleep and was still jet lagged anyway!
7) I'd tell anyone to fly first class once in their life if it's feasible (with points of course). If you find it's available at a points price you can afford, go for it! I was originally in the camp of not thinking it would be worth it, but it's pretty cool.
Outside of exploring and learning about the world around me, one of my favorite parts of traveling is how much it teaches me about myself.
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