Homebound

I would like to first start off by thanking my family for their support in this trip. I’ve always desired, like most people, to make those closest to me proud; I hope in some way I have. If I wouldn’t have had your support, this trip wouldn’t have been possible. Thank you!

I spent the last week of my trip in a great deal of reflection. When I started this journey I had absolutely no idea what to expect. I was consciously embarking on a solo journey through countries I’ve never been to, with no real, solid contacts to help me along the way. In all honesty, part of me was running away from some emotional struggles I was dealing with back home. Another part of me felt like I needed to trade a stagnant lifestyle for something a little more exciting and fulfilling. I also wanted to get inspiration for the novel I have been working on. And, there was also the excitement of seeing the world and meeting new people.

Without spending hours repeating everything I’ve already said in previous blog posts; you can absolutely check each one of those things off on a list, but you could also add about a million more experiences, people and lessons learned along the way. If you haven’t noticed by now, my faith is extremely important to me; and though my life is messed up and riddled with mistakes, I walk proudly with the God I serve. So, I would like to share a few verses with you.

James 1: 2-4 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

I’m sure that as you followed along with my blog, you were thinking I was having the time of my life. Many of the pictures show me smiling, or amazing things that I was able to see; things that even those that grew up in that country haven’t seen. You’ve read stories of people and families that have opened up their homes to a complete stranger; fed me, housed me, helped me along my journey. You’ve also read about how God has provided for every one of my needs, whether it was a place to sleep, a way of transportation, or food to eat.

And you would be right.

But make no mistake; this…was far from easy. However, even though I’ll only be coming back home with a couple hundred bucks to my name; every single moment of this trip was worth it. I referenced the verses to show that so much of this trip was me living it. And I realized over the last three months that each day, every person in the world lives it. It could be a small trial or discomfort like someone driving slowly in front of you on your way to work, or something much greater, like watching your child slowly pass from an incurable disease. We as humans are hard wired to want things to be easy, to want a life of luxury. But that’s just not the case. What truly matters is how we react or deal with those trials. Whether I was crying in a tent in the middle of the mountains, doing everything I could not to get wet; or relaxing on the beach in Barcelona, I knew with every part of me that my faith was being strengthened through perseverance. I was allowing God to work and trying not to take things into my own hands. From the wise words of an old college friend, “There are some learning experiences that can only come through traveling.” If you get the opportunity to see the world, DO NOT TURN IT DOWN!!!!

During the last week, I was able to spend time with my South American family here in Dublin for the last time. They are an amazing group of people with huge hearts and they are never lacking in smiles or laughter. It was an absolute blessing meeting them at the beginning of my trip, bonding so well and now being able to say goodbye, as hard as I know it will be. They will forever be in my heart and prayers.

This trip forced me to grow up even more, to realize the smallness of the world and the endless opportunities to be and set an example. I’m glad that perfection isn’t something I can claim, I’m glad to have failed along the way because I am so much better for it. I want to thank all of you who have read and kept up with all the crazy things I have done, it is awesome to know that people were reading each week. I want to challenge each of you to take the words of those verses to heart; trust that God will provide. Keep your faith and persevere because at the end of the struggle, you will be able to wake up with a smile on your face and the determination to spread your joy with the world. Don’t live an empty life and don’t settle for something because it’s easy. Take risks. Get uncomfortable. Be Heroic.

I am not saying this is the end of my blogging, I may throw out a few here and there as an update, or if there are any topics you would like me to talk about feel free to leave a comment; but until I take another trip around the world (which I hope to do), I will be putting my weekly posts on hold. But again, I thank you. I’m not sure what exactly I’ll be doing with my life when I return home, but I am excited to start reading the script for the next chapter in my life.

FRANCE!

I spent my last day in Germany walking around the city and drinking several cups of tea at the hostel because my bus didn’t leave until 11:30 that night, but there was excitement bubbling as I was headed to Paris. And also, I took so many pictures while in France that they are not in any real order for this blog post like I usually try to do. 

Let me just say, I LOVE THE FRENCH. I’ve always loved the sound of the language, there impeccable food/pastries and I’ve been a fan of their national football team for quite some time (my favorites being Thierry Henry and Zinedine Zidane). As the bus arrived in Paris at seven in the morning, I looked out the window to find that it was raining. Not the best thing to see, but I’ve grown to deal with the weather over the last eleven weeks quite well, especially after being in Ireland and the UK, places known for rainy, cold weather. The first thing I needed to do was buy a three day transport pass and then make my way to meet up with Edouard.

I met Edouard while I was in Cork, Ireland about two weeks into my trip. As luck would have it, the Brazilian host I was staying with, was good friends with the Brazilian who was hosting Edouard and his friend during their short hitchhiking/camping holiday. Sidenote- Edouard and his friend managed to get over 25 rides all through the southern part of Ireland during their trip. Now that is some dedication.  However, when I met them in Cork, it was almost an immediate friendship; but the overall indicator was when we were in the pub dancing, Edouard and I made eye contact for a quick second, then the beat dropped and we both kind of started rocking out. It was at that moment I said to myself, “Now this is a real cool dude, I think I’ll get along with him quite well.” He already graduated with a law degree (Crazy!) and is now in art school because he hopes to become a photographer.

Edouard met me at the tram stop which is actually outside the city of Paris in Colombes. We walked back to his house where I met his mother and step-father. The first encounter was rather quick, his step-father was leaving for work, I was tired and his mother was getting ready for the day, but they were extremely welcoming and happy to open up their home to me. After having a cup of tea, taking a shower and grabbing a small bite to eat, Edouard took me back into Paris and he gave me a really quick tour before showing me the café we were going to meet up later that night after his classes and a concert he was going to. After saying goodbye I spent the next six hours getting lost in the city of Paris (on purpose that is) because you honestly cannot walk down a street without being blown away by the architecture. I went to Notre Dame, an amazing cathedral, and although I didn’t see the hunchback anywhere, the artwork, sculptures and design of the building are incredible. Next, I went to the Eiffel Tower. I wasn’t willing to spend money to walk up stairs, so I didn’t go up but the structure is MASSIVE! Standing at the bottom looking up honestly makes you dizzy, but I am glad to have been able to see it. One day, when I go back, I’ll go all the way up to the top. I got lost again walking through the streets and came upon a cute little bakery where I enjoyed a croissant and a chocolate meringue. When I was finished eating, my legs were also finished lol, so I went back to the house for a couple hours to rest before going back out to meet up with Edouard, his cousin Flore and a couple friends for a drink. It was amazing listening to all of them speak French; it definitely gets me excited about learning the language. Edouard and I left after the drinks for some much needed sleep because we both had a long day ahead of us.

Day two started with a great breakfast and then hours spent at The Louvre. In total I spent about five hours at the museum, two and a half with Edouard and Flore and a few on my own; and let me just say, I barely even scratched the surface of all the things to see. Yes I saw the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Law Code of Hammurabi, The Seated Scribe, Winged Human-Headed Bull, Winged Victory of Samothrace and soooooooooooooooo much more I honestly couldn’t write them all. I was absolutely blown away by the quality of art and the precision the artifacts are kept preserved. With Edouard being in the art program, I was yet again able to have a private tour through one of the most famous museums in the world. And trust me, this guy knows A LOT of information. I had such an amazing time learning and being taking to some of the really amazing pieces of art that aren’t as well known or popular as the Mona Lisa.

Later that evening, I introduced Edouard to the television show Brooklyn-Nine-Nine, we shared some music interests and chatted about some of the things he was learning in school. And once his step-father arrived home from work, we all sat down for dinner. This was my opportunity to share more about myself to his parents and to learn a little more about them. It was one of the best dinners I've had because we all got along so well. His mother is actually going back to school at the moment for Psychology which is awesome because I minored in psychology and think the subject is extremely interesting and fulfilling. And his father works for a company that helps those in the older generation, albeit the common person all the way to former army generals and even spies (though he said he couldn't go into much detail or else he would have to kill me haha) but seriously a really cool job and an awesome line of work.

The third day I woke up well rested and on a mission to see as much of the city that I hadn’t seen yet. I was blown away as I got to the area of Montmartre and looked around at all the artists with canvases along the streets waiting to paint anything from a landscape to a portrait right there on the spot. And, although some of them weren’t your Van Gogh’s or Picasso’s, they did have talent. The best part of the area however was the Sacré-Cœur; an old church built on top of a mountain with an incredible view of the city below. The building itself is gorgeous, with huge stain glassed windows and murals on the domed ceilings. This trip has made it extremely hard to choose a favorite piece of architecture but the Sacré-Cœur is somewhere at the top. After starring out at the city for a few minutes, I got lost in a different part of Paris (but as I said, it is on purpose because you’re more likely to find something you didn’t know was there). And as I was walking through the narrow streets I remembered that I hadn’t yet gone to the Arc de Triomphe. So, I raced over to the Arc, took some pictures, gawked at the structure while constantly reminding myself that I was in FEAKING PARIS, and then made my way back to the house to meet up with Edouard for dinner before I caught my 10:30 bus.

It was definitely an amazing ending to my mainland trip. I said goodbye to Edouard’s parents before they left for a dinner party, with big hugs and his mother telling me I was a “beautiful person" and that I was welcome any time I was back in Paris. These are honestly memories and things that I neverwould  have experienced if God wasn’t working in this trip back when I was in Cork. I know now that he had a plan and a reason for me meeting Edouard and eventually his family because they are now a part of my heart and my family. Edouard and I sat down for a few more hours of conversation and a delicious salmon dish and éclair’s for dessert. I was all packed and ready to go, but this was by far the hardest ‘see you again friend’ that I have had along this trip because Edouard and I got along so well, but I know that I have a place to stay if  ever I’m in France again, and my home will always be open to Edouard if he is ever in the USA.

Long story short, it took me two and a half days to get back to Dublin because of bus trouble and long hours of waiting, but I am back for my last week to spend time with my Brazilian family but I am very happy to be back! 

The Mainland

This post is going to be a little longer because I was in five different cities over the last week.

The first part of leaving the UK was actually spending the night on the streets of London. This entire trip I have been talking with God and saying, “I am ready for anything, and if that means spending a few nights on the street because of whatever reason, bring it on.” Welp, it happened. When you think of booking tickets, you would think that if you’re supposed to leave the next morning, then you can wait in the station or terminal until you need to board. That’s usually how it works in airports and other bus stations I have been in. But, that can’t be said for one of the busiest cities in the world, London.

I have to be honest though and say it was pretty awesome. I didn’t really get any sleep with all the people and cars going by; however, the night I happened to be in London with nowhere to go, was the night of the 2014 London Cancer Night Walk. Now, I have my own opinions about how or where the money goes when it comes to cancer research but to see these people walking through the night in support of something that relates to me personally was cool to see. The second part of the night was meeting Ricardo from Portugal. He had just arrived in London and I saw him walking around looking down at his phone. When he walked past me the second time, I assumed he was lost and told myself that if he walked past me again I would ask if he needed help (you know, me being such a great person with direction (extreme sarcasm)). But, I actually ended up being the one who walked towards him because some old guy walked past me and looked at me like he was going to rob me so I thought it best to move haha. Long story short, we walked around for about an hour trying to find a hotel, hostel, B&B, or just about anything he could afford until he found a place to rent for the upcoming school year. Again I say, it is moments like this that I can’t help but think God is working. I never would have met him or seen the parade of people walking if I weren’t stuck overnight in London.

Barcelona! After spending over twenty-five hours on a bus I arrived at one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen. For those that know me, I don’t really like water unless I am taking a shower or drinking it; but I would have been a fool not to go to the beach in Barcelona. And that’s exactly what I did about twenty minutes after arriving. I didn’t get into the ocean, but I sat in the sand under the sun for about an hour just soaking in the fact that I was actually there. After getting a little suntan, I stopped and enjoyed an amazing chicken sandwich from a local shop and then walked around the city until my friend Marina got off work. I originally met her in Dublin and reconnected hoping to crash on her couch and meet her family for the two days I would be in Spain (I know what you’re thinking and I agree, two days was not long enough). If you have been reading this blog you’ll know that I talk a lot about the people that I meet because it is as if each new place I go, I meet more and more amazing people. Marina, her sister Elsa and their parents definitely rank high on my list of people that will forever be on my heart.

The rest of the first day was spent walking around the city learning all about the culture and history of Barcelona. I wasn’t much of a history guy growing up so I wasn’t aware of the constant struggle between Catalonia and the rest of Spain. Catalan is actually a language (where as I thought everyone spoke Spanish), and they are an extremely tight nit culture and people. Marina showed me some of the old buildings, churches and monuments, while giving me a lesson on the history. It was like having a private tour guide. That night I had dinner with the family and was able to share more about myself and learn more about them. Elsa became like my little sister; she has dreadlocks, listens to reggae music and is traveling to Finland soon to study. Their mother is a really cool success story in my mind because she started at the bottom, cleaning and working in McDonalds and worked her way up and is now working in the human resources department. But; I have to say (and this might get me into a little trouble haha), but their father and I were like instant best-friends. We both studied similar things (journalism/advertisement/design) and he works in an office and also freelances, designing artwork and logos for different companies. 

He is a really amazing artist and after looking through one of his sketch books, he decided to draw me my own unique sketch which I have to admit is one of the best souvenirs I will bring home with me. The second evening I was able to experience something I never would have been able to if I were just staying in a hostel on my own. Marina and Elsa brought me to a tradition human tower building practice. The coolest thing ever and words cannot explain the strength and precision needed for something like this, but watching a six year old climb five levels high while the tower is being balanced, seeing the strain of their faces and the determination to keep their pose is quit remarkable. Although I wasn’t able to get right in the middle of the action, I was able to participate in a couple of the towers. Two days was not long enough and I will for sure be back!

After Barcelona I was back on a bus for another twenty-four hour trip to Amsterdam. I was actually born in Amsterdam…..New York that is, but still funny to be able to say that. I absolutely loved walking through the streets because there are dozens of canals throughout the city. It’s as if there are a ton of little islands a hundred feet apart. I was a little disappointed that my money was running low because I couldn't go into any of the attractions or museums, but I did try a traditional waffle (delicious), saw the I

AMSTERDAM sign, and walked through the red light district (during the day when the crazies are asleep). The best part however, was staying at Shelter Jordan; Christian hostel run by volunteers from all over the world. I was blown away by their hospitality and the amazing bible study that night. Being able to share, learn and grow with others in a country known for their partying and drugs was an absolute blessing.

The next morning I had a pancake breakfast and then got on a bus to Brussels. Knowing that I only had one day there, after racing around looking at as much as I could, I sat down for a cup of Belgian hot Chocolate (I would go broke living there with all the chocolate) and looked on the events calendar for the couchsurfing website and saw that they were having a language exchange night at a local bar. There ended up being over a hundred people that showed up and it was all about learning and teaching languages as well as really getting to know new people. Although I would love to learn French, I spent most of the time speaking in English. As the night went on, a group of six of us ended up spending most of our time together chatting about everything from how to know what kind of handshake or high-five to expect (I’m kind of an expert so if you’re confused, it’s all about the angle of the persons hand), to goals and expectations for the future. After our time at the bar I walked around with Wim and Cindy until about three in the morning; they showed me the giant square in the middle of Belgium where everyone goes to party (we moved very quickly through that portion), and also the extremely odd, yet apparently famous peeing statues of the little man and women. I said goodbye and waiting by the bus station to catch my bus at six to Cologne, Germany.

Cologne is a really nice city with one of the largest and most detailed cathedral’s I have ever seen. It took well over two hundred years to complete and the towers are over five-hundred feet tall. I wish I could go back in time and watch it get built, so if you’re ever in Cologne, you have to go see it. After the cathedral, I walked around the city a bit and came upon a shop called Oil&Vinegar. You all know I am a foodie, and if I’m being honest, I would move back to Cologne just so I could shop there. Walking into the shop you are hit with an unbelievably amazing aroma of herbs, spices and fused oils (I definitely spent a good amount of time sampling all the flavors. I am also staying at the best hostel I have been to so far. Most are simply for a bed, maybe a cheap breakfast and it's very crowded. But this one is like staying at a high class hotel, only two hundred dollars cheaper! The only downside to being in Germany is the fact that I couldn't make it to Munich where the two friends I met in Ireland live. For some reason they don't have a cheap bus that goes to that city, but I can guarantee when I save up enough money, I'll be going to Germany again!

I leave tomorrow evening to visit the last city on my list, France, and then it’s back to Dublin.