Getting Lost (This I Believe 2019)

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Riding a gondola in Venice, Italy

This summer, I went on the trip of a lifetime. What started as a random proposal between friends ("Let's go to Europe this summer") swiftly evolved into a full-fledged European escape. We booked our flights, and before we knew it, we had spots on a travel tour visiting five major cities in nine days. This dream was now a reality.

Eating a trdelnik in Prague, Czechia

An adventure such as this is outside my comfort zone. We were joining an unknown number of strangers for over a week, sharing long bus rides between cities, living together in tiny foreign hostels, and exploring new cities where I didn't speak the language. It was a risk, but deep down I knew facing the unfamiliar would be worth it in the end.

We arrived at the Venice hostel before the tour group. A popular location for tour groups, we watched each group enter the grounds, wondering if it would be ours and sometimes praying it wasn’t. In the end, our mostly Australian group of travel mates arrived, and they were so welcoming. Living together this week was going to be just fine.

Our first official day in Venice had a packed morning with a walking tour and gondola ride. In the afternoon, my friend and I branched off to cover our checklist of tourist sites. We ate pizza, climbed St. Mark’s bell tower for an epic view, skipped the line for St. Mark’s Basilica with our pre-bought scheduled tickets, witnessed the Bridge of Sighs, grabbed gelato on the way to a world-famous bookstore, and got a water taxi back to the hostel for the evening’s pool party. It was a wonderfully touristy day, successfully crossing off every item on our careful agenda.

Alexander at Alexanderplatz in Berlin, Germany

We were only in Munich for a quick evening that included a pork knuckle and a pretzel at the original Hofbrauhaus. Then, we were off to Prague. We arrived in Prague late. Before dinner, we crammed in a rushed but fulfilling walking tour: crossing the Charles Bridge, checking out the Astronomical Clock, posing with the John Lennon graffiti wall. In one fell swoop, we had already hit the majority of the basic tourist recommendations for Prague. What on earth were we to do during our free day the next day?

Waking up early, I independently went to locate some caffeine. I effectively ordered a modified drink at a Czech Starbucks. The drink tasted disgusting, but I was still proud nonetheless. Catching up with my friend, we decided to just walk around the city. My phone with its lovely GPS was stowed safely in my pocket, and we steered ourselves based on which street looked the most inviting. It was awesome. We visited shops, stalls, and parks that were so far off the beaten path that we never would have come across them otherwise. Some of the best souvenirs – like soap made from Prague pilsner for my dad – came from these spots. This experience completely shaped the decisions we made the rest of the trip.

Trying on wooden shoes in Amsterdam, Netherlands

In Berlin, we participated in the Third Reich history tour and in Amsterdam we attended demonstrations on how to make cheese and wooden shoes, but we also decided to “pull a Prague” and just get lost during our free time. Around a random corner in Berlin, we discovered the world’s smallest disco in a refurbished phone booth and rocked out to “Dancing Queen.” In a basement restaurant off a canal street in Amsterdam, we encountered one of the best breakfasts of our trip, having previously lived on only meager hostel continental buffets.

I believe in getting lost. There is no way I could have completely pre-planned a trip like this one. I crossed off awesome foreign bucket list items during my getaway, but some of the best adventures were also when we decided to put away the map and just live in the moment, experiencing new cultures and new cities firsthand. It is that spirit that I hope to bring back with me now I am home. Yes, there are things you hope for in life and try to plan, but sometimes it’s best to get lost and stumble upon life’s other wonders waiting for you to discover them along the way. Whether it’s people, places, or experiences, you might enjoy what you find.

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For other examples of "This I Believe" blog posts, check out these links to some past favorites:

1. Unmade Beds (Mr. Davidson, 2017)

2. Millennials (Mr. Davidson, 2016)
3. Rock and Roll (Evan, 2015)
4. Filling Water Bottles (Peter, 2017)
5. Detroit (Ryan, 2015)
6. Naps (John, 2017)
You can also check out even more examples at the official website for the program: thisibelieve.org