Conclusions-Part 1

Trip Start Aug 31, 2007
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Trip End Apr 19, 2008


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Tuesday, December 11, 2007

The first leg of my trip draws to a close. What have I learned? How have I changed? What do I think of Eastern Europe? I'll start with the last one. The modernity of Eastern Europe surprised me. I hadn't expected things to be quite as drastic as my hairdresser, who assured me washing my locks would be a rare privilege, but I was surprised to have 24 hour hot water everywhere I went (with the exception of Kiev, where there was no water on Thursdays, and Albania and Kosovo when the power was out). I was also surprised by the number of people who spoke English after I got to Romania, the quality of the food, and the drinkable tap water in many countries.

I must say, I rather preferred the southern part of my trip. For starters, the people were much friendlier and spoke better English, so it was easier. I found the Baltics rather boring, both in terms of attractions and scenery, and while I very much enjoyed what I saw in Belarus and the Ukraine, the stubborn coldness of the people made travelling through them a depressing hassle most of the time. Moldova was lovely for a couple days and in Romania, things started to get both interesting and scenic. The highlight of my trip was the monastery tour outside Suceava, even though I nearly froze in the cool morning air. Bulgaria continued the trend of increasingly stunning scenery that would build to Albania, and I will have to return to Bulgaria someday. Five days in such a country was not enough. Macedonia offered a lovely segway into Muslim culture, and Albania was easily my favorite country. If I were given the chance to go back to one place I visited, it would be Gjirokastra, hands down. Kosovo was amazingly interesting, but not particularly pleasant, while Montenegro and Croatia merit further exploration in better weather. Bosnia-Herzegovina had the unfortunate fate of coming at the part of the trip when I was short on money and tired of travel, and thus, I ignored three day trips I really should have taken. Finally, Serbia was rather boring and too Russian feeling for my tastes, but then, I really only chose it as a place to leave from, not necessarily one to visit.

Spending three and a half months in Eastern Europe has definitely made me a stronger, more adaptable person, but I'm surprised at how few other ways I feel I've changed. Perhaps in the coming weeks, my friends and family will tell me otherwise, but I feel rather like the girl who left, just slightly less afraid to ask strangers for directions or bus times.

Were I to do the whole thing over again, there are very few things I would change. The beauty of such a flexible trip is that I was able to change things as I went along. Of course, I would modify the itinerary a little, less time in the Baltics, more at the end. I verily charged through Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Albania. Four forts in four locations in four days? That's an easy recipe for exhaustion. I suppose I'd avoid having my passport and all my money stolen, too. That wasn't particularly pleasant.

As for solo travel, I'm really glad I did this trip by myself for the strength and confidence it's given me, and were I planning a trip on the moderately beaten path with hostels and frequent opportunities to meet people, I would gladly travel alone again. However, venturing into less visited places (Albania, Kosovo, Ukraine, Belarus) can be intimidating, frustrating, and difficult. For trips like that, I would definitely prefer a traveling companion in the future, as I have found having someone else make me more adventurous, and it's always good to have another person to share your frustrations and highs. Besides, it's less lonely.
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