Spilling a bit of the EUROPE 'TEA' (Newsletter 04)

Now that I have returned from globe-trotting and have started living a penny-wise life for the next few months, it is safe to say until my next adventure, I will stay put. I struggled with writer's block for the first week after my trip and couldn't come up with anything to share for our 4th Newsletter. Actually here's what I do, I write bits and pieces of my experience and life activities on a blank page after each newsletter drops and somehow make it in time to merge everything in a sensible way for each new post. So imagine not having anything to write after 2 whole weeks of the last post. Nothing was coming up and I was so sure the 4th newsletter might be delayed or never make it but God is good. I just hope April is not fooling around and delivering just what you want from it? 

As for me, you probably have half the tea. I got back jetlagged, late, dehydrated and bone-weary tired. You will say 'But you went on a vacation' well yes I did but it is no joke, you will see why. Everyone gatekeeps how they are able to come up with fun things to do when they go abroad because I struggled and went to a lot of places I did not care for. For my first two days in Madrid, I was very content sleeping on my warm cosy bed and ordering salads until Sue and my cousin mentioned how ridiculous it was to fly abroad to just sleep in and not get any fun thing done. So up I got and started on the first tour of the city. I adore Madrid and I know I will probably say it till the day I die but Madrid is so serene and beautiful and don't get me started on how beautiful everyone is. Think of a city where the gene pool was totally engineered with no-nonsense Darwin drama because this will only explain how beautiful and fit everyone looks in this city. I went to the stadium even though I don't care for soccer and I visited a ton of other places my head blurred. I shopped for the best momentos and since Zara, Gucci and other high-end stores are on almost every sidewalk, I strolled in and window-shopped to my heart’s content even giving some items a run for my money. The only thing is, I fear for the lungs of everyone in Madrid because the way everyone smokes is frightening. Even kids half my age are as nicotine crazy as their parents. Wheww!!

Barcelona especially Catalunya where I stayed presented a beautiful ghetto utopia with a very functioning society and economy. It had the most beautiful vintage stores and I bought a thing or two because I went into a shopping frenzy after my plane touched down in Spain. Unlike Madrid, I would say there are a lot fewer attractions or maybe I just didn't look up better places to go. It was already spring there so the weather was a whiplash hence dressing up was hard. Paris was sorta a dream and not because no one tells you how dirty the city is. The Eiffel Tower had as much effect on me as it does on the gazillion other people that go there and the Louvre was a dream but Paris is overhyped and my honest take is that you try to visit other small cities when you go to France. I mean you may take a day's trip to these popular sites but please go somewhere else. I spent my last days in Tremblay-en-France and the air felt cleaner and cooler so I definitely know what I am talking about. France generally was cold and coming from my mid-to-hot Texas weather, I suffered the cold a lot and the rain wouldn't let up. I finally had African food finally in Paris and it was worth it so maybe I shouldn't trash-talk Paris too much. I bought the most beautiful momentos and gifts for friends and loved ones here and shopped to my heart's content. Heck, I was shopping till I got on the plane in Charles De Gaulle. I must say that shopping in Paris is cutthroat but there is a certain frenzy that will take over you if you are not careful especially when the nicest perfumes or items are all in your face. I will definitely make a trip back because I very much intend to use the caption "In the city of love, with the one I love" so fingers crossed.

Now that I have shared in not-so-small details how this trip went, I will say these few things to anyone that plans or is planning a trip to Europe. First of all, good planning cannot be overemphasized when planning a vacation abroad. I am a sucker for planned itineraries and step-by-step to-do's and I hated that I didn't plan as much as I could have. Serves me right because I missed my flight to Paris and had to cough out a ridiculous amount of money to get there after 14hrs. A little back story; someone I know missed his flights a week ago and put on his story 'So this is how it feels to miss a flight'. I laughed a little since I was all-familiar with the pain hence I replied "It is gut-wrenching, it'll feel like a part of you missed out on something huge. But you will survive and book the next available flight" which is how I felt and what he did. Another thing you will experience is the language barrier. People in Europe don't freaking speak any English, I don't know if the Spaniards are as evil as the French who even know how to speak it but will never engage so you are left looking like a blubbering idiot speaking what 2nd-grade French your brain can muster on the spot. I learned the hard way with my very low linguistic stimuli that have limited me to just English and a half-assed Yoruba language. I wish I had taken on a mini duolingo session to learn basic words so please try to pick up the very basics before you leave.

Thirdly, if you are a picky eater like me I will advise you either go there with a good supply of your own food or prepare to stay hungry. I could not bring myself to eat anything in this city save for salads, Italian pasta where I could find them and chicken breasts. I thought something was wrong with me or I was off staying in some parts where there was no access to African delicacies meanwhile there was really no African delicacy around. Next and most importantly, travel with a lot of money if you want to have a more immersive experience from culture to shopping to fun places. It is no wonder people are broke after these kinds of trips because life savings are swiped out in just a few days. Finally, Europe is a beautiful continent, again Paris is overhyped and I wish everyone can experience other continents and countries in their lifetime. When you go my loves please remember that you know nothing of how things work here so ask questions. Ask people that have been or the ones that speak English around. You are a tourist and everything you do is a tell that you are not one of them so if you make a friend or two they will save you from being scammed. I will try to end things here because this newsletter was just about my sojourn to a new land. I am back in the land of opportunities and even though I am dehydrated and a bit still jetlagged I am so grateful I could do this. I am thinking of switching up my bucket list now, after all, a wise person once said you can change your bucket list as often as you want why be stuck with just a few things at a time. I have suffered a grave yearning to book a trip to Amsterdam and it's all I have been able to think of since I got back. While my account is saying something else I have decided to dream because I know my God can fund it. 

I love you and I know you are off to great places, Today and every other day this year is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way. Have a beautiful rest of this month.

Your Lifelong Fernweh

Helen Damilola 💗