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\u00a0 <\/p>\n When I said goodbye to the United States on June 1st<\/sup> with nothing but a backpack, a passport, and a boyfriend, I wasn\u2019t quite sure what to expect. We had nothing planned, no idea what we wanted to see, or what the next three months would bring.<\/p>\n Fast forward to today, where I have a solid month of frolicking, hiking, and sweating across 8 countries now under my belt. The time has flown by and slowly passed at the same time.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n First, I\u2019ve realized I\u2019ve finally become accustomed to backpacking (and Europe) <\/strong><\/p>\n It took a few weeks, but I am no longer taking pictures of every building in every city. I have become used to being spoiled by fresh bakeries and tiny cups of espresso. Mountains, seas, lakes, and train stations are my new norm. I\u2019ve adjusted to living without a home and have learned how to repack my backpack at least a hundred times.<\/p>\n Trips to supermarkets are done in routine: chips, bread, granola bars, chocolate, meat, cheese, and ice cream to eat immediately. We set up camp each night, and take down our home each morning to spend our days ending up in who-knows-where looking for the next settlement.<\/p>\n It\u2019s annoying, amazing, stressful, spontaneous, and spiritual all at the same time. And I wouldn\u2019t trade it for all the money in the world.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n I\u2019ve learned to never take pillows for granted <\/strong><\/p>\n My pillow is a smelly sweatshirt. Every now and again we stay with locals in their homes, and when this happens the pillow is one of the main perks. It\u2019s a soft and squishy heaven.<\/p>\n Oh, I\u2019ll also never take hot showers, ovens, power outlets, refrigerators, or the dollar menu and Mcdonald\u2019s for granted either.<\/p>\n Or chips and salsa. Why does Europe hate chips and salsa?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I\u2019ve learned I love Austria <\/strong><\/p>\n I wasn\u2019t sure quite what to expect, but everything about Austria already has me thinking about a return trip. The people are awesome, the water parks are legit, the mountains are gorgeous, and the prices are reasonable.<\/p>\n It\u2019s been my favorite country on this trip so far, and that\u2019s saying a lot since I have yet to not love one.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n It\u2019s true: pasta is better in Italy <\/strong><\/p>\n For the love of all things carbs. There are two foods I could live off for the rest of my life. One, ice cream. Two, pasta.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve only eaten out a few times on this trip, but I knew I was going to make Josh hate me in Italy. It\u2019s the motherland. It has gelato. It has pasta. It has cheese. It has bread. It has ALL THE FOOD.<\/p>\n So we might have gone a tad over budget a couple days in Italy. No regrets, just a couple extra pounds.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It\u2019s not all cupcakes and butterflies <\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019ve had more blisters than I can remember. We\u2019ve missed trains, and fought, and ran out of water. I knew coming into this that travel isn\u2019t easy and backpacking is even harder. I dreaded the first weeks carrying a heavy backpack, knowing that even though I was in shape, there was no way I was prepared for that.<\/p>\n Things get easier, and we learn from our mistakes. My feet are still sore every day, my stomach still rumbles for warm food occasionally, and we still must be frugal with water. But with that, I have become stronger, a pro tent setter-upper, a budget shopper, a backpacker.<\/p>\n But really guys, if you want to get in shape, try this.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n I\u2019ve learned I\u2019m spoiled by the scenery <\/strong><\/p>\n There is never a dull sight. I\u2019m currently sitting at a picnic table overlooking Lake Bled, Slovenia (pictured above) at sunset. Like what? This is my casual Thursday night?<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s okay to be a little homesick <\/strong><\/p>\n I would be lying if I said I didn\u2019t miss home at all. I would pay big money for a triple-scoop of Hudsonville Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream and a day on Lake Michigan with my friends sounds like heaven.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s okay. I\u2019ve learned that just because I\u2019m homesick doesn\u2019t mean I\u2019m not having a good time. It just means that when I get home, I\u2019ll appreciate the little things more.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lastly, I\u2019ve learned I love Europe <\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s a bit of a dream, actually. I\u2019ve been waiting for the moment this trip hits me because it still hasn\u2019t. In the past thirty-some days I\u2019ve made my way through 8 countries, 31 cities, and did it all on less than $500. People tell me I\u2019m living the dream, and sometimes it actually feels all unreal.<\/p>\n Portugal, Spain, France, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Austria, Italy, and Slovenia have made so many impacts in so many ways.<\/p>\n I\u2019ll never forget the Spaghetti dinner overlooking Mont Blanc with our host Mona and her neighbors in France. I\u2019ll smile every time I remember swinging at midnight next to one of Gaudi\u2019s most magnificent creations in Barcelona. I\u2019ll laugh every time I remember attempting to play beer pong in Austria with dice and Dixie cups. It\u2019s the little things that tend to make the best memories.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n So a month down, two months to go. I\u2019ve still got a lot to learn, but I think I\u2019m up for the challenge.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" WHAT I’VE LEARNED FROM MY FIRST MONTH BACKPACKING EUROPE \u00a0 When I said goodbye to the United States on June 1st with nothing but a backpack, a passport, and a boyfriend, I wasn\u2019t quite sure what to expect. We had nothing planned, no idea what we wanted to see, or what the next three…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2030,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"tpl-no-header-footer.php","format":"standard","meta":{"sfsi_plus_gutenberg_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_show_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_type":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_alignemt":"","sfsi_plus_gutenburg_max_per_row":"","_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,7],"tags":[113,144,312,325,145,269,67,146,24],"class_list":["post-2037","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-camping","category-international","tag-adventure-travel","tag-backpacking","tag-backpacking-europe","tag-budget-europe","tag-europe","tag-europe-travel","tag-shalee-blackmer","tag-shaleewanders","tag-travel-2"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"IMG_5310\"](\"https:\/\/img.shaleewanders.com\/2016\/06\/IMG_5310.jpg\")
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