You Either go Big or go Home

A year ago I promised you guys to tell you more about something I truly love: travelling.
As some of you know, a year may go by like this and this one certainly did. Good things happened, really sad things happened but it depends on you, whether you decide to live in the past or not. 
The past is already gone, it is you who keeps it up or decides to give the present a chance. Such as the future. You know, Lion King talk (Disney, don't you ever stop making movies, adults can also enjoy. Please.).

The past months were quite depressing. The world went crazy, my personal life got messed up and law school is still pretty exhausting. So time for a more or less fresh start. In Germany we say "Zeit für einen Tapetenwechsel" which can be translated as "time for a change of scenery". I started packing my belongings into some boxes and by doing this I found photographs that brought some sweet memories with them. The really good ones. So I decided to share them, because why not? 

And here we go:

No Photoshop whatsoever - somewhere in Portugal.

This was an amazing view. Imagine this: Being on the road for quite some days, trying the best you can to find a comfortable position while the train is constantly shaking and finally falling asleep for roughly two hours. But waking up to this view? Makes it all seem okay.

This was taken in Santiago de Compostela. Especially during summer you will meet many pilgrims from all over the world. This city is heaven for Backpackers. It is also stunningly beautiful.

I like these adorable alleys with all their bars and cafes. Since I am a student, I was travelling on a budget. No limitless creditcard and but instead more or less 10€ a day for food. Needless to say, that choosing where to eat was incredibly hard. But you also learn, to enjoy the moment and not to cry over missed opportunities. Who cares, that the bistro on the other side of the street offered the same menu a bit cheaper? After all, the meal you just had was finger lickin' good! At least the one I had.

Ready to leave Santiago de Compostela...

This is the only picture of me carrying the backpack. Usually I was busy not getting lost or missing the next train when I had it on my back. It's not even mine, I borrowed it from a friend. It did a great job, even though there is one mystery left: Why is there never enough space for everything? The first time I did Interrail I had two handbags. For two weeks. And somehow it worked! Fine, I came back with four... But the second time I had this huge thing and it was still not enough. Guess I just love shopping for souvenirs way too much.

In Sitges, Spain.

Oh these wonderful creatures. I would've adopted all of them, even though I'm not sure, how many of them were hiding under these rocks. I immediatly lost my heart to all the stray cats I saw on my way through Europe.

One day in Florence.

Travelling on your own offers one major advantage: You are forced to interact with other people. May seem creepy when you are in a country surrounded by people whose language you don't speak. I won't lie to you: It can be scary or in the worst case even dangerous. But most of the time my experiences were great and I met some wonderful people. If you are an introvert, take small steps. Ask other people to take a picture of you. The results will be unique. You won't be able to try a hundred times until you get the perfect shot for your instagram. On the other hand you don't want to leave this place without some photos for your album, right? Oh and don't rely on the selfie stick, that's simply cheating!

This little turtle for instance was not bought. An awesome guy from Canada I met in France gave it to me when I had to leave to catch my train. It is a cute reminder, that you can meet the nicest people when you are exploring the world around you.

So this is it. A small peek behind the courtain if you want so. Hope I was able to encourage some of you to go on an adventure or at least leave the sad memories behind you and focus on the good things in your life.

Lots of love,

Curlina