It feels a little surreal to be writing this. I’ve almost been putting it off because the idea of arranging the events of the last three amazing weeks in my head means that my European Whirl is all over. Contiki was an adventure that I was so nervous about undertaking yet from the first moment I walked into that London pub and met the first couple of people on the trip with me, I knew that it was going to be incredible. And honestly, it was the time of my life.
It was a high energy tour, visiting ten cities in eighteen days which meant lots of early mornings and partying hard into the night. Three hours was a decent kip and no matter how hungover you were, singing and dancing to our song as the coach journey began was compulsory. A complete whirlwind of laughter, dancing and seeing some incredible cities, it’s been tough to pick out the highlights because there wasn’t a single moment where I didn’t want to be exactly where I was.
I worried about long coach rides but they turned out to be a great opportunity to catch up on some sleep, get to know people and even watch the occasional movie. I was scared that I wouldn’t fit in or make any friends and I’ve come away knowing the best people all over the world. I shared deep drunken conversations in the early hours and climbed so many stairs to get the best views of Berlin, Prague, Switzerland and Paris.
I’m going to share my tales of each place with you in time but for now, I just wanted to express how truly happy I was over those eighteen days. Those of you who have been reading here over the past few months will know just how tough I’ve found my situation yet looking back, it gave me the opportunity to do this – something that I would never change in a million years. That’s a pretty darn huge silver lining and it actually makes me feel like going through a such a shit time was completely worth it.
When the time came to say to goodbye, it was an emotional one and I’m determined to stay in touch with the incredible people that I got to know. Tours like this are supposed to give you a taster for the places that you visit and inspire you to do more and for me, it has done just that. My confidence is higher than it has been in months and I’m ready to take on the world.
I’ll leave you know with the soundtrack to our trip, picked by our amazing tour manager and driver, but get ready to hear more about my Contiki adventures soon. If you want to ask any questions about the trip, don’t hesitate to give me a message. You can also use my Contiki affiliate link to book your adventure which means I’ll receive a tiny percentage of commission!
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