The different experiences I had and the choices I made throughout my life has made me who I am today. I was shaped by various aspects such as what school I went to, what kind of friends I made, what kind of books I read and even what kind of food I ate. However, one of the biggest experiences that has changed me was backpacking through Europe. I had a chance to travel around Europe by myself for a month two years ago when I was 21. During that time, I learnt that it is okay not to have plans sometimes.
I was going to Goettingen, Germany for a semester for a language course programme and I went there about 5 weeks before the beginning of the semester to spend that time travelling. My plan was to find a Wohngemeinschaft, a flat share of Germany also known as WG, within a week and then to go on my trip. However, I did not know that WG was always in short supply and how difficult it was to find one. It had almost been a week, but I still had no good news regarding the WG. I was very stressed because I had already bought the tickets and booked the hostels for my trip. Yet, I could not leave until I find a place to live for when I come back to Goettingen. I was frustrated because it did not go according to my plan. Then something unexpected happened. The owner of the hostel suggested that I get a WG from the hostel. He told me that he is renovating a building next door to open a WG style hostel where 4 bedrooms share one kitchen and two bathrooms. He offered to rent the only single room for a very reasonable cost. My bad luck had just turned into good luck.
After my housing was settled, I had thought that now everything will go according to plan. My plan was to visit Prague, Vienna, Rome, Bologna, Florence, Milan, Interlaken, Basel and Zurich during my one month trip. I had sorted out how many nights I would stay in each city, which were about three to four nights. I always had the whole day ahead of me filled with where I would go, what I would eat and see. Nevertheless, I encountered on a problem I did not anticipate in Rome. On the day before my departure, I dropped my camera and broke it. I could get it repaired with the help of the hostel owner but I was told that it would take two days to fix. I had to make a change of plans and decided not to go to Bologna. I was somewhat disappointed because I felt my perfect itinerary was ruined. I cancelled the hostels I had booked in different cities and stayed in Rome. I was not very excited to stay two extra days there because I had already been to every tourist attraction I wanted to visit. Later that evening, three German students checked into the hostel. We began to talk to each other and they invited me to join their trip. With my new friends, I tried out a different style of travelling. I went to an authentic local Italian bar that night, sunbathed in the Spanish squire for hours and napped and read a book underneath a tree in a park. We did not plan anything but just did what we can as we went along. I didn't do anything special but it was the best time I had in Rome. The broken camera that I considered to be unfortunate turned out to be a very fortunate event. I made new friends who I still stay in contact and saw a new aspect of Rome I did not see before.
All in all, through these experiences, I learnt that not planning out everything and knowing ahead is not frustrating but exciting because you never know what kind of experience you are going to have. Although my plans did not work out, the results turned out to be even better. I was able to get a brand new room with new furniture for a rent lower than my budget, make new friends and enjoy the beautiful city of Rome the way I have never enjoyed before. These were the moments that made me realise that it is okay to change plans along the way. That is the beauty of life.
Bittna
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