Hello there! I am finally home from the most amazing trip ever. I have caught up with my journal entries just about a month later and I am so excited to share with you my journey backpacking all over Europe with three other girlfriends! We had such an amazing time during this breathtaking experience and I highly recommend traveling to anyone and everyone that has the opportunity. Being away from home for two weeks, 6 hours ahead of my loved ones and living in different conditions has changed me as a person. I feel so much more cultured and sure of myself. I wasn’t glued to my phone (minus tons of photo -ops), arguing with anyone or getting run down by my daily routine. I was purely just living.
I plan on sharing my day-to-day, as best as I remember and was able to record them for you, over the next two weeks. Starting today on August 1st I will write about our traveling from June 30th- July 1st. tomorrow, August 2nd’s post will be about our day July 2nd, so on and so forth until the trip concludes. I will also talk about my lessons learned, specifically with packing and saving money, as well as how I will plan my next trip to Europe being as this was my first time and I did not know what to expect.
Enjoy!
June 30th
Jamaica, Queens, New York
We have arrived at the airport [6pm]. Three girls with huge, full backpacks walking around JFK, thankfully one of us knows’ how to navigate international flights. Maria took charge luckily, because I am lost here. My knowledge of how to fly to Florida at Newark airport is no match to JFK, this place is like a maze.
It is now 7pm, the flight doesn’t board until eight, taking off at 8:40pm, so we have some time. Maria has a packet per country with a list of things to do. First thing on the list for Amsterdam is to ride bikes like the locals! Praying I come back 10lbs lighter.
I am imagining Iceland Air to be a small plane because the gate terminal seating fits roughly 25 people. I am not a huge reader, but I bought four books on my kindle for the flights and train rides, that I am particularly excited to read. Of course, Lena Dunham’s “Not That Kind of Girl,” just love her. Tina Fey is hysterical, so I downloaded a copy of her book “Bossypants.” John Greene’s, “Looking for Alaska,” author of The Fault in Our Stars, which partly takes place in Amsterdam, fitting. And lastly, “Primates of Park Avenue: A Memoir.” Which also seems funny/ interesting, my cheap in flight entertainment.
We have a layover. So come 8:40pm we will board Iceland Air and fly five hours and 33 minutes to good old Iceland. Receive our first stamp in our passports; wait one hour and twenty five minutes, until boarding again and flying another three and a half hour until we arrive in Amsterdam at 8:30am. On this first flight we are able to sit together. Fingers crossed for extra leg room and free blankets because we were moved to an exit row with seats that do not recline.
xo
The Bermuda Room 