The Europe List

Today I was reading some stuff on Google (in between planning post entries and trying not to worry too much), and then I ran into this really old and really nice quote from medieval traveler Ibn Battuta:

"Traveling— it leaves you speachless, then turns you into a storyteller."

It made me so excited for what's to come in terms of travels. This will be my first time in Europe and, since I'm going to be there for about six months, I want to see not only the normal touristic places that people like my parents have been yapping about for what seems like forever, but I also want to experience these sort of places that perhaps not a lot of vacationers visit.

So I will be making a list. It'll contain what I am already planning to see, sort of my to-do list, things I want to do, museums and shows I want to attend. I've called it The Europe List. But it'll also contain things that I haven't planned myself, things that I have yet to know I want to do and places that I've not read of just yet. 

What's curious about it is that I've only just started it. I plan on continuing it while I'm in Europe. There'll surely be people I'll meet along the way who'll tell me about these beautiful places that not so many tourists visit. Or perhaps I will add these super popular landmarks and shows to the list. Whatever I visit will be in it, and that's the fun of it... it'll go on, and I hope that by the time I get back to Argentina next March it's one hell of a long-ass list.

one entry (and counting)

Handling all the goodbyes

I know I'm not gone yet (I've officially passed the two weeks marker), but it's already giving me a lot of anxiety to say goodbye to everyone for six months. There's this part of me that... it's hard to put it into words... doesn't care? No, that's not it. There's this part of me that's just too excited to give a damn. I mean, I've been planning this for months and months and it's costed me and my parents a lot of effort and money. 

But on the other side, I have a lot of concerns. Could anything happen to someone I love while I am away? I'd hate not being in Argentina in case of need. Am I gonna be replaced by my friends during the time I'm away? Those questions all bother me when I get in bed. Worst of all, I've already broken up with my girlfriend, which adds a lot of fuel to the whole "distance" fire. It was not exclusively because of Europe but it was a big factor. 

Whenever I think about it, worry gives way to excitement and so on... it's this constant battle that I hope I put to rest before September the 13th. I know when I get there it's all going to be good but... man, these two weeks need to go by faster.

Who am I?

For my first post, I thought it would be nice to talk a little about myself, and lay down the basics for what we are gonna be dealing with!

First of all, my name is Facundo, and I am twenty years old (well, I will be in one week). I live in Buenos Aires, where I study International Relations, but for the following six months I will be living in Berlin, and studying at the BSEL (Berlin School of Economics and Law).

The flag of Argentina. Isn't it beautiful?

The process that got me to this position (I mean being two weeks away from moving to Europe) was not what you'd call "excruciating", but it wasn't really easy either. Mainly because I'm not an European citizen yet. But I'll talk about it in a later post.

I decided to set up a blog because I find it extremely difficult to keep memories inside my head for more than... two days? Maybe? So even if no one decides to read this page it will still help me remember what I hope is going to be the best experience of my life.

I also plan on traveling quite a bit, so all those pictures, videos or tips that I think are worth sharing and that might help not only my bad memory but any young aspiring traveller on a serious budget (like myself) are going in here as well.

I think that it's for now. If you're reading, thanks! Hopefully I will write something before I leave, but if not, see you in Germany!