Things I Learned In Europe

A month ago I flew out of LAX. I spent sixteen days with close friends, hitting six cities in four different countries. It was awesome. There were so many firsts for me on that trip. I learned so many different things on that trip. I spent the last month reflecting on the trip and writing things down. Here’s my big takeaways.

• I ate a lot of bread in France. It was almost hard to find something without bread.
• The portions are smaller, and in my impression, better. A pastry, maybe some yogurt, and a coffee is breakfast. It’s all about portion control. Eat what you need for the moment.
• Morning coffee is espresso everywhere. I still like a big American coffee though, which is an Americano there. In this instance, I’m on the side of quantity over quality.
• Everyone is the same everywhere. We’re all just trying to get by and laughing when we can.
• The language barrier is surprisingly not as difficult as I thought.
• There’s a sense of freedom and trust with the rules and police. You can pretty much do what you want as long as you aren’t bothering anyone. It’s really lovely.
• Most dogs are off leash and rarely have collars. They roam around following their human. It’s really cool.
• The speed of life is so much slower. Take your time at restaurants. Enjoy yourself.
• Escargot is really frustrating to eat. I don’t like that.
• Having limited to no cell data makes you appreciate the time more. You’re more in the moment. Having the ability to check Twitter/Instagram/etc at will, for me, becomes a default “I don’t know what to do action” instead of enjoying the time and surroundings.
• It surprised me the small amount of clothes I actually needed for such a long trip.
• Having less means enjoying more.