Itinerary

It’s a little bit difficult to play catch-up on past travels, but I am slowly working on it! For now, here’s a quick run-down of the last nine months…

February

• Landed in London. Caught up with friends and lazy-applied for some jobs.

• Caught a bus from London to Paris to begin my travels in Europe.

• Started hitchhiking north-east through Belgium. Detours through Belgium; Brussels, Namur, Dinant. Made a quality friend in Namur.

March

• Hitched south through Germany. Spent some time in Stuttgart.

• Hitched south to Innsbrucke, Austria. Made a quality friend in Innsbrucke.

• Failed to hitchhike west to St Anton; took a train instead.

• A week of skiing in St Anton with my sister Jade and a large group of friends. Met the love of my life, Lucia.

• Hitched to Munich for a date with Lucia. ‘Twas faster than Jade’s train. ‘Twas the best first date of my life. Started studying the German language, and converted to the religion of Brot (bread, good German bread).

• Hitched North-east with some hikes in Bavaria. Through Prague, Czech Republic, and on to Poznan, Poland to attend a massive party with my best friend Sachin. He’s studying medicine there. Travelled together north to Gdansk for some tourism.

April

• Hitched west to Berlin, to run the Berlin Half Marathon with Lucia, Jade and her boyfriend. Ran it in 1:45, with lots of comments about my bare feet.

• Caught a train with Jade to Chamonix, Mt Blanc, France, for a week of perfect off-piste skiing. Became rather comfortable with drops up to five metres.

• Hitched west through France. Marseilles is not the same as Varsailles takes place.

• Hitched and hiked west through the French and Spanish Pyrenees Mountains. Met an Englishman in Andorra who took me all the way to London.

May

• Spent some time in London to catch up with friends and help Jade move apartments.

• Hitched east across the channel from London, back through France, Belgium and Germany. Dear Emil’s Mother takes place. Stopped off in Dusseldorf, Essen, Cologne and Bonn. Deuschlandticket is released in Germany, with unlimited local and regional train use for just €49/month. I paid but hardly used it; hitchhiking is simply more fun.

• Hitched south to Munich for another, for another long date with Lucia. Kicked out of a dance class together. Made applications to study in Germany, and achieved a perfect score on the GMAT. Became a local Lucia’s favourite bakery in Munich. Took a train together into the German Alps to go hiking and camping in the rain.

• Hitched south-east to Salzberg where I made another quality friend. Later, some serious hiking in the Austrian Alps.

• Hitched north to Berlin, then hitched east back to Poznan, Poland to attend Sachin’s graduation ceremony.

June

• Hitched west then south again back toward Munich, where Fahren 600km per Anhalter für einen Zahnarzttermin takes place. Asymmetrical Warfare: Part I also takes place

• Spent a week in Munich with Lucia. Spent a lot of time studying together in various cafes and libraries, and helped her write a research paper. Met most of her friends, who happen to be pretty cool! Die Kleinen Dinge: Ein Schreiben an Lucia’s Vermieter takes place.

• Caught a train south for a hike in the German Alps, then hitched straight back to Munich for a night. Took various forms of transport all the way to Oslo, Norway. Norway, someday I’ll write a proper story about.

• Rented a car with Jade, and for ten days, drove and camped all over Norway. Incredible hikes and views the whole way. Asymmetrical Warfare: Part II takes place.

July

• Hitched south through Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, down to Munich. Took two weeks, with many detours and adventures along the way.

• Spent another week with Lucia. Gave Lucia some more chess lessons, she’ll be my prodigy. Two university applications were rejected for different bogus reasons that’d need their own story.

• Flew to Iceland. Hitched around and undertook one of the most gorgeous multi-day hikes I’ve ever done, while waiting for my sisters Jade and Stella to arrive. Rented a car together, and circumnavigated the country, wild camping along the way. Iceland, someday I’ll write a proper story about too.

August

• Flew back go Germany and hitched to Munich. Helped Lucia move out of her apartment; she’s going to San Francisco for a semester’s exchange at Berkeley University. Spent a beautiful week with her family.

• Took trains south-east to Vienna, Austria to travel Stella. Travelled south to Hungary, then parted ways. She went to Italy, while I hitched south to Croatia.

September

• Spent a two weeks on various islands in Croatia. Made three quality friends; we went camping, snorkelling, hiking, cycling, free-diving together. I rarely wore a t-shirt.

• Hitched south to Montenegro and Albania. Spent some time in Tirana, Albania, where Arrested by the Albanian Mafia takes place.

• Started volunteering in Milingona Hostel, Tirana. Story under construction.

October

• After three weeks, left the hostel to go cycle touring with Zak, Joe and Ebony. An Albanian Cycle Tour: Week One takes place. Week Two is still under construction, and the future is a mystery.