The Introspective Traveller

We all know travel is great for helping a person "find themself". Many people would argue that the only way people can figure out their values, nature, priorities etc is to undertake a challenging, life-changing journey in unfamiliar lands.

Of course, a month romping around Western Europe is probably among the least challenging trips one can take. I'm confident that we won't be harangued by petty criminals, forced to eat grubs, or shit in a hole in the ground (though I have heard hostels bathrooms can be nauseatingly revolting).

Yet I do think it will challenge me to face up to some of my flaws. I am an uptight girl, and I know it. It's simply part of character that I cannot change, inherited from my dear mother. I doubt I will ever evolve into a laidback, low-maintenance kind of girl. However I know that on this trip to Europe, my highly strung nature will be tested, and it will be an excellent opportunity to improve myself in this respect.

Of course, being uptight isn't all bad. When it comes to our Epic Romp, Meg's life is made a lot easier by the fact that I am the uber-organiser. I designed a route, made spreadsheets to map out details, and all the printed information we have is filed neatly in a folder. All Meg has to do is sign off on things that she approves of. She is the Queen to my Prime Minister. It's not that she is lazy and leaves all the work to me, in fact she has worked hard to help me with picking hostels and checking train connections etc. But I gave her the instructions on what to look for before she had the chance to research it herself. So far she hasn't complained about my overeagerness in organising the trip.

However, it may well be a different story when we get there. Meg is a very chilled out, go-with-the-flow type of girl. I can imagine her wanting to stay out late chatting to people we've met, then have a long lie-in in the morning to recover. All the while I would be stressing about not getting enough sleep, then desperate to get up as soon as the sun rises in order to get a full days sight-seeing in. It seems likely that I'll be so busy worrying about what we are going to do next that I won't have time to enjoy what we're doing in the present.

So I plan to tackle my restiveness during our trip. I will endeavour not to complain when I am hungry or tired (and not to get grumpy either). I will attempt to be laid back about our schedule, though I feel that Meg and I are on the same wavelength when it comes to how we like to spend our time (culture + cafes) so it might not be a problem.

Hopefully I can keep that side of myself under control, and chill out enough to enjoy the trip to the max - and not drive Meg crazy with nagging.

Mojo