Lessons From Solo Travel - Part 2

16. There always needs to be time for food.

The walk up the slopes of the Acropolis is a pilgrimage back in time that is an unmatched chance to marvel at the ingenuity and craftsmanship of ancient civilizations. Marching the steps and hills up to the Parthenon will make anyone wonder at the awe-inspiring beauty of these ruins. Also, that march up to that hill is largely uncovered and in direct sunlight. Even at 9 in the morning, that Greek sun is beating down on you. As I had hurried out the door without eating or grabbing any water, my march was marked with a bit of suffering that I could have done without. Being atop the Acropolis was truly a highlight of the trip, however I should have planned better to get at least a bite of food or water bottle so I wouldn’t be worried be thinking about my hunger in thirst as I was melting in the Greek sun high above Athens. Thankfully there was a small water fountain that tourists were filling water bottles at. Everyone looked at me like a madman as I came to collect and drink the water from my cupped hands, a bit of a history lesson for them about life before water bottles, I suppose. The lack of food didn’t interrupt the trip as much as the water did, but on my march back down through the propolyia I was thinking about pork slovaki. Even with a packed itinerary, there always needs to be time for food.

17.       European bathrooms are weird.

Finding the bathroom is an overlooked experience when it is so easily done in the comfort of your home country. You know where to look or how to ask when you’re at a restaurant, and you know what to expect. That is not the case in many instances in Europe. Bathrooms are often referred to as water closet or W.C., they may be gender neutral, and many of them have individual stalls but communal sinks for everyone. After getting a much needed meal after the march on the Acropolis, I found myself navigating my way to another European W.C. that was in the basement of the restaurant. I descended the spiral stairs and found the strange-looking water efficient toilets easily enough. However, when it was time to wash my hands, I noticed that it appeared there was a gap under the mirror. As I reached into the sink to wash my hands, another set of hands came through from the other side of the gap to use the same sink. I jumped back and nearly swatted the hands away. It was at that moment that I realized that the men’s and women’s “rooms” were using the same sink just separated by this mirror. This was a design that I have seen again since this incident but hope to never see in my home country of America. Keep in mind that bathrooms are easy enough to figure out in Europe, but they can be pretty weird if youre coming from America.

18.       You’re not crazy for being tired.

Travel can be taxing and solo travel can be even more taxing. You can find yourself doing so much because you inly have your own timeline and itinerary to think about. Sometimes you will need to force yourself to take a rest, and sometimes you will find that you are getting forced to rest. After walking several thousand more steps in the baking Athens sun, I was getting pretty tired. But, there was still so much to see! I wanted to walk around and see all the old ruins and history that was all around me. I had forgotten I was still a human. I parked it in a grove of stubby trees and told myself that I was only going to rest a minute. 1 minute turned into 5 and then I realized I needed to take an actual break. The cicadas buzzed loudly in the trees and a man played traditional sounding Greek music not 20 feet away. In my tiredness, I melted into my surroundings and found that this rest was actually an experience too. My lunch was still refilling my energy reserves and the sun was trying to zap them out. This 20 minute sit in this park was needed to gather the energy to walk even more in the city. Not only did my body actually need it, but when I realized that, I was able to relax and enjoy the rest, cicadas, guitar and all. I would need it, by the end of the day I had walked nearly 40,000 steps. When you find yourself lacking in the energy department, remind yourself that you aren’t crazy for being tired.

19.       Trade with the locals.

Being on a trip is a pursuit of novel experiences. Even in a place where tourism and new kinds of people are common, you can still find a way to engage with them in a novel way. I come from a law enforcement background and that means that trading patches and challenge coins with other LEO and military is common. By bringing some coins to trade in Europe, I was creating a side quest for myself and setting up some European guys to get some pretty cool American coins for themselves. By the end of the trip I collected patches from Greek Special Police, the Italian Army, and the Vatican Guard. I had also left some very unique memorabilia for those guys as well, and that was just a normal day for them. The first coin that I traded was shortly after I left my rest in the cicada garden and ventured on up the road to see some Greek Police in what appeared to be a unique unit. Turns out they were, and we got to have a great conversation followed by a great exchange of gifts. This guy was so happy to trade, he tore the patch right off of his vest to give to me. Both of us have a great story to tell. What else are some uniquely American things to find and trade when you're overseas? I do not know, but I do know that any time I travel I will be bringing things to trade with locals.

20.       If the extra item fits in your fanny pack, take it.

In morning, before I had set out for the day, I spent several minutes going over whether to bring a can of sunscreen in my fanny pack. On one hand, It was extremely sunny and I didn’t want to get burned so early on in my trip. On the other hand, it was a big can that took up all the remaining room in the pack. After going back and forth multiple times, I decided to bring it just in case. As I stood on the Filopappou Hill hours later, I was glad that I took the precaution. My bag was filled to the brim but being able to apply some sunscreen bought me a whole lot more enjoyment than a nice big sunburn on day 2 of the trip would. For the rest of the trip, I took things I might need if they fit, namely the sunscreen, and worried about other stuff later. If I needed to buy something later, I could also buy a bag if I needed too. I ducked into a small cut out in the rocky hill to apply the sunscreen and emerged a new man, slightly more ready to take on the sun. That bottle of sunscreen was a perfect testament to bringing the extra item in tour fanny pack, if it fits.

21.       Don’t be afraid to take a stupid photo.

There is much to be said about living fully in the moment and not taking any photos. However, there is much to be said about going out of your comfort zone to take a photo when you are traveling alone. A solo trip makes you live a lot in your own head, and in your own head many of these experiences will live forever. However, there are people who love you or maybe even wish that they could travel with you that not only want to see and hear about what you saw, they want to see you there! I had been conscience to take many photos on my travels and was taking some selfies too, but I knew that I needed some good photos of me and where I was to take home for my loved ones as well as for my own posterity. As I traversed the Roman Agora, I took plenty of pictures but knew this would be a great spot to take some good photos with me in them. However, herein lies the worst part: the fear of having to take what could be a cringe photograph with a self-timer or even worse, having to ask a stranger to take your photo. I was blessed to see some fellow Americans that were very kind and took not one but many photos for me in different locations around the Agora. And I’m certainly richer for doing that, not only at the Agora but for the rest of the trip. I just had to get through the mental wall and not be afraid to take a stupid photo.

22.       Do something for your friends.

As I made my way to the Greek Agora, the birthplace of democracy and so many other things, I was thinking about my friends and how I could share this with them. Truly, solo travel was an enjoyable experience but there still was an aspect of sharing that was not present at all times. I knew that I wanted to get gifts for them and let people know how the trip was going, but I wanted to let them in real time too. While at the Agora I found some very specific things that some guys would think was funny and made sure to text it to them the next time I was on wifi. But I also thought about a cool thing that I could do to make it like they were walking there on the trip with me. I picked up a handful of rocks from the ground and put them in my pocket. Maybe these were put there within the past 5 years, but maybe they were stepped on by Socrates himself. Either way, it was like the people that I would give these rocks too got to walk the Agora with me and got to experience a piece of this ancient marvel. You’ll often be thinking of friends and family while on your trip so be sure to do something for them as well.

23.       Every country has crazies.

After walking through many of the historical sites, I ended up walking through the busy, commercial, touristy part of town: Monastraki. After walking through streets and streets of restaurants, shops, markets, and the like, I came up what could only be described as a hoarders den. It was complete with folks on the street who looked like goblins peddling these strange and assorted treasures from their crypt as all sorts of junk spilled out from this building onto the street. It was a good reminder, life isn’t exactly a storybook no matter where you are. Stay sharp because every country has crazies.

24.       European customer service is poor.

Being someone who plays guitar, I stopped by a guitar shop in Athens. There were all sorts of acoustic guitars on the walls, but what I was more interested in were the 8 stringed instruments that I had never seen but looked very uniquely Greek to me. I asked the guy who worked there about what the music scene was like in Greece. He was extremely unenthused from the start. I asked him what kind of music do people play on guitar here and what tuning do they use. He answered pretty plainly, “standard.” I asked what that meant, was it the same as standard tuning in America. He scoffed to tell me yes, standard tuning is standard tuning. This guy was an ass, needless to say. Pretty reasonable question to ask if guitars are tuned the same way in a country that doesn’t even use the same alphabet as mine. He then proceeded to tell me about the 8 stringed instrument much in a way I could liken to an annoying craft brewery guy talking about IPAs. It was a shame because I wanted to know about that instrument but this guy ruined it, I left after his screed on underground cool Greek music. Unfortunately I don’t even remember the name of the instrument either. Temper expectations for customer service in Europe, it can be pretty poor unfortunately.

25.  Go to a nice store and engage like an expert.

One of the best ways to experience a new place is through the regular people who live there. I stopped in at a smart looking print shop right off the main commercial street in the Plaka neighborhood. The green exterior with English and Greek lettering on the storefront coupled with the prints on display drew me in. After 20 minutes of viewing the collection of Greek and European maps, prints, and paintings, I struck a conversation with the worker. I asked him all about the collection, where it came from, and what he liked best. Truly I got to learn some great things about art and Greece and even about this shop that I learned was a family business. The worker’s mother was an artist and many of the paintings were hers. This guy went over maps with me and showed me different parts of Greece and explained different eras of history to me and how they related to the print collections. It was a truly enriching experience that also made me want an antique print from the shop! The next day I came back and bought prints and paintings for myself, my family and my girlfriend. Not only did I have some great gifts and keepsakes, but I had a great memory attached to them. Don’t settle for just going to the cheap tourist trap shops, try to go to somewhere that is a little nicer and engage with the staff like an expert.

26.  Street callers feel right in Europe.

Walking through Little Italy in New York City as these guys try to lure you into their tourist trap restaurants doesn’t feel right. However, these guys feel like part of the experience in Europe. As I walked through a square I was apprehended by one of the callers as I read their menu, I obliged and sat down for a meal. I sat outside next to the street caller and me and him made jokes the whole night. After a glass of wine I really started to think he was pretty good at it. These guys floated from being a server to being the guy on the street and I got to make small talk with them to pass the time waiting for my food. They were friendly guys just doing a job. We joked to each other about the patrons going by and even about the rude customers who had been at a table near me. I also looked over and saw another solo traveler at this restaurant, but she was engrossed in her phone, just scrolling as she ate. Why even travel solo if that is what you’re gonna do? Talking to these guys earned me a good suggestion for food, the lamb chops, and a free glass of wine. I enjoyed my time at this restaurant so much that I tipped the waiter, who prompted said I was good man and “God bless America!” Maybe it’s cause I was travelling, but something just feels right about the street callers in Europe.

27.  You can be exactly who you pretend to be.

Heading back through the busy city centre in the shadow of the Parthenon was a great end to the day. As I began my walk back, I heard a very distinct southern accent within 5 feet of me. I stopped and turned to see a guy who looked like he just climbed off a johnboat after a ling day of fishing and drinking miller lites. Sure enough, I learned that this was a family from Knoxville, Tennessee. Strangely enough I had been in Knoxville with my girlfriend just days before while visiting my grandparents. We chatted it up about how strange it was to run into someone who was from the same part of the country, while in a foreign country. Being from north Florida and versed in the southeast, this family was a familiar sight. Something I’m not entirely proud of but chalk up to the two glasses if wine I had at dinner was the progressively twangier southern accent I noticed I was using while talking to this guy. I’m not even sure why I did it, it just happened. While we were having what was a pleasant conversation, I realized that this fake accent was only an affront to me. Only I knew that I didn’t have the same accent as him. To him, if I played it right – I was a good ole boy too. I laughed at myself. We said goodbye and went our separate ways after such a chance encounter. When you are travelling alone, you can be exactly who you pretend to be.

28.  Street performers aren’t always bad.

My walk back took a hefty detour as I decided I just wanted to see more of the city. After walking upon a beautiful Greek Orthodox Church, I heard a familiar song coming from across the large square. I sat down on a planter and listened to an old Greek man play guitar and sing “My Way” by Frank Sinatra. What a nice experience to sit in a foreign country and hear classics from your own native land. His Greek accent singing in the shadow of the orthodox cathedral did give it a certain quality that made it very memorable. After he finished, I laughed and gave him a dollar. I told him it was “an American dollar for an American song.” I felt bad but it was the only cash I had. The pleasant squares and plazas of Europe really have a peaceful quality that can be illuminated by a nice performance on a warm summer night. Not all street performers are bad.

29.  Do not look for a place forever.

I did lack Wi-Fi, but I did have service. I took the time on my meandering walk back to catch up with a friend about how the trip was going. I also wanted to grab some quick food before heading to bed. I stayed on the phone waling another couple miles while trying to find the perfect place to grab my nightcap meal. Of course, these wanderings proved ineffective at finding a place as I was too absorbed in my conversation. I ended up back where I started my walk and ate a quick meal at a restaurant right next to one I had eaten at earlier that day. How much time could have been saved by making that decision an hour earlier, who knows and I’m not concerned about it. However, it was a great lesson to not spend so much time making a decision when it doesn’t require that level of scrupulosity. Finding a place to eat surely doesn’t require a longer amount of time to find than the amount of time that you will spend there eating. Do not take forever to look for a place to go, whether that be a restaurant or a bar.

30.  Enjoy your last day in a new place.

My 3 days in Athens was coming to an end and I did not know how I wanted to spend my last real day in Greece. I had considered travelling to Mount Parnassus or even Mount Olympus to spend a day hiking through nature and mythology or taking a ferry to one of the many storied Greek islands. However – as I scrolled my phone in bed the night before, I realized this was significantly more planning and stress than I wanted to have for my final day. Why burden myself with so many logistics for a relatively short window to actual enjoy the experience I was trying to find? I was in Athens, and I decided I would stay in and around Athens. My only plan for my last full day in Athens was to enjoy myself, eat food, and go to the beach. To start my last day, I slept in until 1030 and woke up unbothered and not stressed about it. All I had to worry about was finding some good food and getting to the beach in the afternoon. I set out on some familiar paths through the commercial areas of the city and eventually found a nice looking restaurant in the shade of some trees to grab a late breakfast. As I sat down in this nice and shady square, I witnessed a little boy at the table next to me spill his dad’s coffee directly onto his dad’s lap. The kid immediately started crying and hid his face for the rest of the breakfast because he felt so bad. The father clearly had a moment of anger that he kept completely inside his head and didn’t even yell or chide his son. The kid clearly felt so bad and the lesson for him was evident, all he said was “it’s okay buddy.” I watched this interesting and what could be pivotal moment in someone else’s life unfold from the cover of my cup of espresso. I had fully committed to enjoying the day and taking whatever came my way, from family melodramas played out in front of me to the culinary experiences that may follow them. As I tried to order a new dish, kaigainas, the waiter was kind enough to tell me how to pronounce it correctly and answer a couple other questions about the right Greek words to use when trying to order, I had apparently been saying “thank you” completely wrong the whole time and saying it in a way slightly more akin to a slur than thanks. Make it a point to simply try and enjoy your last day when you are in a new place.