Okay, so I haven't slept just yet; I reinstalled the blogging software, and things seem to be working again. We'll have the boring default layout for now. Later, cool kids.
Posted by Brian at May 21, 2003 06:56 AMThis site is awesome! You guys are doing a wicked job at making people insanely jealous of your adventures :).
I can't wait to get going as well. Thanks for your email Brian it was awesome. I am so glad that you are trying to absorb as much as you can.
Wow, it seems like just yesterday we were in Travel Cuts getting our tickets. And now you're there having a blast and my trip is fast approaching (still so much to do).
I have a couple of questions that could really help me out in getting prepared for my trip. Feel free to answer them whenever you get a chance.
1) How different is the experience from what you anticipated?
2) Is there anything you left behind that you wish you had with you?
3) What did you bring that is just a waste of space?
4) What can't you live without?
5) I noticed you guys left Amsterdam in 2 or 3 days (I thought that was kind of quick). From the people you met and your own experiences do you find that to be the norm (hoping from country to country every 2 to 3 days)?
6) How many liters is your pack and could you use more or less space?
Thanks a lot guys. Brian I swear my trip would lack some serious planning if it weren't for you. I really appreciate all the info you have given me and I can't thank-you enough.
CYA
P.S. Brian, Serge and I miss kicking your ass in FOOS!
Jason Silva
Hey Jason,
Hope things are going well at work! Time's almost up on this net computer, but I'll reply to your comments with some hopefully useful answers soon. Later dude,
-Brian
Posted by: Brian at May 23, 2003 07:44 PMHey Jason. :D
Man, I'm disappointed that we didn't get to finish our best-of foos game. I'd say that you lose by default after the series ended at 2-0 though! Don't worry, at least you both have each others' shoulders to cry on...
Jason, you should love Europe, it kicks ass. :D Especially once you stop sitting at home in Portugal! The experience is a little different from what I was expecting, though...to answer your questions:
1) Thought it'd be a little easier to meet locals. Might come easier now that I'm in France and can sort-of speak the language, though. I also discovered that it's a challenge to try and stay away from the 'camera-toting tourist' experience. There are lots of 'tourist' sites that obviously I want to see, but I also want to try and stray from the beaten path. But doing that has been hard, and the guidebooks we have have been our only saving grace in this area. Part of it is, I guess, also figuring out what our priorities are in taking this trip. I never really did until I left; if you can, try to figure out just what you want to do and get out of this trip before you leave!
2) Smaller bottles (for shampoo, etc. I'd rather just buy more frequently than save money at this point). And a mini umbrella! But other than that, not much: I don't think I overdid my packing by much, but it's so true when they say the less, the better.
3) Don't bring more than two pairs of shorts, more than three shirts, and more than one pair of pants.
4) My guidebooks. Get the Hanging Out in Europe guidebook; it's better than Lonely Planet for the big cities for people our age (although it has nothing beyond the major city info). Try not to whip them out too often, but read them deeply and thoroughly on the train and in hostels.
5) We plan to return to Amsterdam. It was too rainy and we want to return to bike around Amsterdam and in the country a little. We need to be in Germany by June 1st (for Markus' grandfather's birthday), and after that we'll probably head back. The longer you spend in a place, the more you'll discover...don't hop around too much. We're trying to slow down.
6) My pack is 70 liters. Make SURE you have a day-pack that's detachable...that should have been my answer instead of the guidebooks above (though they go hand in hand). You'll only be lugging your backpack around when you're moving from place to place before you check into the hostel; afterwards, you'll lock up your backpack at the hostel (if you can), then detach your daypack (with camera, guidebooks, whatever) and go exploring!
My pack is definitely not at capacity, and I like it that way. I could probably do with less, but there are so many straps that I can tighten it so there's no extra "slack." And it's nice to have some extra space in case I need it later (though I'm really looking to slim it down further at this point and throw out / use up some stuff).
Let me know that you got this, or else I'll email it to you! Later,
-Brian
Posted by: Brian at May 25, 2003 07:43 PMHey Brian,
Thanks for the reply, I really appreciate it. I am always checking out your site, its awesome! I actually just bought a back-pack this weekend. Its a combination travel pack and back pack (kind of like a suitecase backpack). I picked it up at Mountain Co-op (along with a few other things). Its what one of the guys working there suggested for Europe and you can lock the main compartment which is a bonus. Its just about the same size as the standard camping packs (56L) with all the same strapping and a day pack.
Thanks again for your advice. Packing I think will be my biggest challange prior to my trip. I want to make sure I have all the essentials without over doing it. But I can't wait ... its coming so quickly.
I've been doing a little bit of work on my website as well (kind of modified the stylesheets) but there are a couple of bugs with it that Jeff and I need to iron out (ie the upload and some problems with posting). I want to try and get that out of the way before going.
Oh and I wanted to also mention that there is a fairly easy way to FTP files to your site. Not the most secure but easy, You probably know about it already.
Basically you bring up a browser and type this as the url: ftp://excellenteuropeanadventure.com
That should then prompt you for a username and password and then you can easily drag and drop to upload/download and no other software is needed. The only thing is that you may want to clear the history when your done so that no one else can hit the ftp site afterwards.
As for your point about figuring out what you want out of the trip I think its alot simpler than you think. I've been planning to take this trip for the longest time and my reasoning has always been the same. Life is a gift and is meant to be lived. Lived to the fullest (cheesy I know but so true). Experience everything you can while your here and minimize regrets as much as possible. If I didn't take this trip I know I would be kicking myself over and over again for not going. Not for the partying I might have missed out on but instead the inability to know what else is out there. I have been so blessed and I am so thankful of all the oppourtunites I've had and I really going to treasure this adventure.
When I am there I will be treating everyday like its my last in Europe. I want to absorb as much as I can ... taking in every single moment. So I guess I am overdoing it a little know ... not the best writter ... but I want to give just this little bit of advice before I go. RELAX, CHILL, DON'T STRESS and DON'T TRY TOO HARD. Be you and be natural and your reasoning for going will come at the end of the trip I promise. When you come home look back on all you have experienced and seen it will be so clear what your purpose for going was and how much you have grown as a person when you return because I can already seen how much you have changed in your postings.
Thanks again
Posted by: Jason at May 26, 2003 05:16 PM