Lessons From Solo Travel - Part 3
31. Follow the music.
After the conclusion to a terrific meal, I decided to go on a little walk and try to navigate around with my phone’s maps. I ended up walking down and unfamiliar small street that seemed to be apartments. A very familiar noise was coming from a window slightly further down the street, a guy was playing guitar and he was shredding pretty good. I followed the noise until I came to the house where the guy was playing with his door open. He was playing some music that sounded like punk or metal but he clearly was good at guitar. I listened to the rest of his song and clapped from his gate. He came outside the open door to say thanks and we engaged in a small conversation from the porch. His English wasn’t great but I obviously had no Greek to offer. I said that I played guitar in America and thought he was good. I wanted to see what kind of guitar he was playing and motioned for me to come over and see it. I opened the gate and popped into his living room, split between feeling I was making a huge personal safety error and doing a really cool sidequest. I admired the man’s guitar and asked if I could play, he very enthusiastically said yes. I broke out some real American rock with Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan and played guitar for the first time on the European continent. He knew the music but truth be told I don’t think he was that impressed, not really his genre. We tried to continue the conversation awkwardly as neither of us had a language to communicate in after exhausting the guitar. I said bye and thanks and continued back on my walk to my room to change for the beach. That was another super cool side quest I go to have just by following my interest in a random country. How many more of these secret doors remain unopened because we don’t allow ourselves to be lead to them? Sometimes you just need to follow the sound of music, or whatever is gripping your interest, and let it take you to something amazing.
32. Language barriers do not make things easier.
This is a clear refutation of lesson #10. As I readied myself for the beach, I realized I wanted to grab a Ziplock bag so I could put my phone in a zippered pocket and take into the water with me rather than being left on the beach. I went from store to store asking if such a bag existed, and the best I got was a guy who thought I was asking for tape. Several people knew what I was looking for but didn’t have one and finally when I got to a store that may have had one or pointed me where to go, the guy understood my sealing bag as a desire for tape. I gave up on the bag and resigned to finding a different plan. Sometimes language barriers, and cultural barriers for that matter, certainly do not make things easier.
33. Ask people for favors.
A sure fire way to engage with another person is to ask for something. As I sat at the beach cabana in Athens and finished my margarita, I knew that I wanted to hit the water but didn’t want to leave my bags unattended. There was a another 20 something year old guy who was sitting by himself in the cabana, after watching him for a while he seemed normal enough for me to ask to watch my stuff. He was going back and forth between the water and the cabana with his bags unattended. I walked up and asked if he spoke English, which he said he did with a diction that sounded pretty familiar. He told me he had grown up in Mexico and had been to the US several times. What a great surprise, I sat down to talk to this guy. As me and this guy talked we started to get along pretty well. He was telling me he actually lived in the area and comes to the beach to try and get chicks, me and him were on different missions as I have a girlfriend, but I was entertained by his stories. He joked around more and more and as this guy opened up he began to tell me a story about a checkered past with criminal run-ins from Mexico to the Middle East. This develop started as he showed me a gunshot wound on his leg. As he told me about his storied past, and I concealed the true details of my own life, he offered me a cigarette. I don’t smoke and a hot, sunny beach day in Athens was the last place that I would want a cigarette. But of course, in a situation like this one you are gonna have a smoke. We continued to chat as he kept telling me wild stories about being shot by the cartel, his thoughts on certain terror cells, and being stabbed by gypsies. This was not a guy I would want to hang around in any other context, but I had found myself in another side quest. We even went for a dip in the water together and ended up leaving our stuff on the cabana bench. Truthfully, I didn’t take my eyes off my bag because I didn’t trust this guy, but everything was fine. He was actually being friendly to me – however, I needed to escape this guy and not get anymore deeper in this burgeoning friendship. I told him I needed to get back to the center of Athens and grab dinner because of my early flight the next day. We went out separate ways but I still couldn’t believe the interaction that I had, and it all started by just asking someone for a favor.
34. Leave adequate time for sidequests.
These last several lessons fed into a large overarching one – leave time to get involved in things you didn’t plan for. Some conversations or random occurrences that happen to you while you are traveling could turn into whole storylines if you want to play them out. So don’t always be too busy to talk to a stranger or go see the random thing you just heard about. Leave ample room for detours and leave adequate time for sidequests.
35. Hail a cab like a pro.
I walked away from the beach with the intention of finding wifi somewhere near the beach and calling a cab via app after going for a scroll a little shore. This all fell apart as I couldn’t find a restaurant or public Wi-Fi after walking in the baking sun for another 20 minutes. I was hot, thirsty, and very hungry. I put my shirt back on as I continued this trek for service, the sun had grown too powerful and I was worried about burning. I almost began to panic about how I would get back to my place that was a 20 minute ride away when I didn’t have the ability to use my phone. Then I remembered something from back home in NYC – you don’t need a phone to hail a cab. I continued my walk down the road like a weary pilgrim in the beating sun as I waved at any of the white Greek taxis that coming down the road. Finally one picked me up and he even had adequate English. I tried to say what I thought was my street address but he told me that was definitely wrong. I had written it down earlier and showed him the text. We were back in business – I was headed home. When technology fails you or need a ride – remember that hailing a cab is universal.
36. Get good gifts for yourself and others.
As stated earlier, I had previously gone to a print shop and conversed with the owner. Some of the items at the store were very nice and expensive, but I had decided that I wanted to get some for myself and others. I typically wouldn’t have splurged on such items, however I believe that is the whole point. You are on vacation, now is the time to spend money. You should always try to provide for your loved ones but now was really the time when you have the chance to throw a little extra cheddar down and give them something to always think about you and have a cool conversation piece as well. You are getting a chance to help curate their own personal museums. Make sure to go out of your way to get gifts, and make sure they are good gifts! Good doesn’t necessarily mean expensive either, I also grabbed a cheap magnet for a friend who likes exotic cheap magnets. Don’t leave yourself out either, grab something to put on your wall or desk, or some keepsake that can always keep you connected to your trip and not have you longing for something that you didn’t get or doesn’t help you remember the trip in the way you want to. My interest in history and love of the old architecture scored me a print from an antique book of Athens in the 1800s that now lives in my room. Make it a point to get good gifts for yourself and others.
37. Moments of feeling lost will occur.
The last dinner that I would have in Greece was picture perfect. A steep staircase that was sandwiched between lively restaurants filled with music and dancing was the scene I came upon and new that I had to eat here for my last meal. I sat down at the table and was not 20 feet away from a duo of performers on guitar and another Greek stringed instrument and behind me, inside another restaurant, there were folks dancing in traditional Greek clothes. My table was right on the steps of this staircase that cut through these restaurants and was a bustling thoroughfare. Looking down the slope I saw more of the Greek city laid out before me and tourists running every which way taking in the picturesque site. The music began to play Greek tunes that made me feel like I was in a commercial for the country. This was awesome, the true “I went to Greece” experience. It was at this moment that I was hit with a wave of depression. I felt lost and out of place. Who was I? Sitting at this table alone in Greece listening to this music and eating this meal, who was I and what was I doing? Travelling alone lends itself to an occasional reminder, you are alone. I thought of my girlfriend and even of my friends and family and wished that someone could be here to experience this with me. We aren’t meant to experience everything by ourselves, we are meant to share our lives! This is not to say that this awesome moment was ruined, it was not. There was about a 10 minute period where I questioned by whole rationale of coming to this country and doing anything at all, this passed as any thought like that will as long as you don’t let it run the show. I was having a great trip and experiencing so many wonderful things, and yes I was lacking in companionship at the current moment but this was a reflective trip and there would be many more times spent with loved ones to come. I wasn’t worried to have felt that way and at the time I wasn’t worried to think that I would feel this way again on my trip because moments of feeling lost or alone will occur, but they can’t ruin your day unless you let them.
38. House wine sucks.
House wine is a scam. It is literally watered down wine. I would not be surprised if they literally took all the unfinished bottles and poured them into a jug and filled up the different with water. In my experience, places will only either sell bottles of wine or glasses of house wine. There typically are no glasses of individual wines that are sold. Do yourself a favor and find a way to get a bottle. Either use that as an excuse to drink a whole bottle yourself or share with someone. I ordered house wine with my last dinner and Greece and it solidified my stance to never order the stuff again when I went to Italy, this was going to be a hard task because I had decided to have wine with every dinner. Thankfully, Italy would prove better in this department. Wine great, but don’t order house wine, get anything else. House wine sucks.
39. Patriotism rocks.
Walking back from my last dinner, I grabbed some gelato. This had become a daily routine and I intended to continue it in Italy as well. Chiefly, I like gelato. But also I was burning so many calories from all the walking I was doing and needed to get some energy back. On this day I had walked clear over 30000 steps. The previous day was nearly 40000. As I walked back with my gelato, I saw the Olympics on at a restaurant and of course I witnessed the USA winning a gold medal in a swimming event. What a common American win to have. Walking down the street in a foreign country and seeing your homeland exerting their dominance on the world stage. I cheered with gelato in hand. How great it felt to feel connected to a country. In the same way, how great it must feel for these Greeks to walk around Athens and stare at these ancient ruins and feel that kinship to these masters of old. Patriotism rocks.
40. Be sentimental.
I stared at the Parthenon from my balcony as I finished my gelato. What an amazing sight and what an amazing time I had had in Greece. Savoring every last bite of the chilled treat, I wondered if I would ever see the Parthenon again. I could just go to Nashville, but that wouldn’t be quite the same. Not ashamed to admit that as I finished my gelato and headed to bed, I took one last look at the Parthenon and waved goodbye. Taking the time to be sentimental seared that memory and feeling into me. I’ll never forget the appreciation that I had for so many things in that moment: these great ancient works, this trip, and even my own life. How great it is to get the chance to have these experiences, you just have to take a moment to make sure that you are appreciating them. Don’t be ashamed, be sentimental.
41. Put it on faith.
One glaring mistake that is easy to make when traveling is overplanning. I’ve already discussed the importance of leaving time for sidequests, spontaneity and the like, but there is more that you need to do to prevent unnecessary stress – let it go. One moment of extremely unnecessary stress that I forced myself to endure until I resigned it to faith, was as I was trying to leave my accommodations in Athens and head to the airport for my flight to Rome. As many of these Airbnbs have nowadays, the place where I was staying had a rule to take out trash to the street. As I struggled to get my bags and gather the trash at a round 5am, I panicked at the thought of getting another charge for leaving trash in the room. I spent minutes agonizing over what to do. I had already called a taxi and it was waiting downstairs and I wouldn’t have cell service once I left the wifi of my room. How would I go to the street, find a public trashcan, and not lose my taxi? And if I lost my taxi I was going to miss my flight. Already it is easy to see how unnecessary all of these fears were. However, I did conclude that it would be very easy to figure out and I had to have faith that this was going to work. As I walked out the door of the building and saw my taxi on the street, I genuinely laughed as I released all that stress I was holding for no apparent reason except to torture myself. There was a dumpster directly in front of where my taxi was. Things can work out by our designs, but more often they work out despite them because of our smallness in this complex universe. Put it on faith, the things that you stress about will probably work out without your help.
42. Having your own row on a plane cannot be understated.
The perfect oasis in what can feel like the desert of airport travel and liminal spaces is walking onto a plane, sitting down, and watching the entire plane get seated while your row remains empty. Not only did this happen to me on my intercontinental flight from JFK to ATH, but from ATH to FCO I got to relive this fantasy. Truly, this kind of fortune is enough to turn around how your day is going. I had awoken early that morning before 5 am, stressed about trash, European airport security had snatched away my sunscreen but left my tuna cans, and navigated the many smoking rooms of the ATH airport to quietly eat my spanakopita by the gate. Needless to say, I was beat by the time we were to board the aircraft. We packed onto busses that took us out on the airfield to board the plane. Up the steep steps, I climbed with my trusty, and heavy, backpack to board the plane. Down the aisle and then into my row. I sat and watched as everyone walked by. I was sure I would be sandwiched between people of varying sizes, smells, and volumes, but the door to the aircraft was shut and I remained alone. I almost had to contain my excitement as they made the announcement in Greek and then in English that boarding was complete. Not only did this mean that I was free to lounge, but I could have the window, and I could actually get some sleep. All that room then add on the crisp European, guilt-free, Coca-Cola for breakfast? It doesn’t get better than this. Having my own row on the flight to Greece from the USA was also amazing, but not as conducive to sleep trying to get 8 hours as opposed to the hour nap I got to take on the way to Italy. Regardless, getting some space and relative peace in what is typically expected to be a cramped and maddening environment is amazing and for that reason having your own row on a plane cannot be understated.
43. Not all airport bathrooms are created equal.
I live in New York City. That means many things, but unfortunately, it means that I know what a gross public bathroom looks like. I know that there is a hierarchy of public bathrooms that ranges from nightmare inducing terrible to “this will work in a pinch.” Airports, in my experience thus far, were mostly all in the same range. Not great and you know to expect that. My expectations for airport bathrooms were about to be forever changed as I landed at FCO in Rome. I desperately roamed the airport looking for bathroom outside of the crowded corridor where passengers from the arriving planes were flocking to. After much walking and much getting lost, I found a nice bathroom offset in a quieter terminal than where I had come from. What was in store made me feel truly at home in this foreign land. I walked in and immediately the cleanliness of the bathroom was astonishing, not that it was the cleanest room I’ve ever seen but it clearly had regular upkeep for an airport bathroom. The next assault upon my senses was the beautiful classical music that flowed through the speakers, creating a truly renaissance experience that I didn’t know could be had in a bathroom. The final piece of this trifecta that solidified the superiority of the FCO bathroom was that the stall doors were actual doors. None of the American style partial doors that leave you exposed inside. A door with no cracks that almost when to the ground. As I used this bathroom, my expectations and mood for Italy lifted instantly. Even as I had the misfortune of hearing a man fighting for his life in the next stall, the experience was very different as his struggle was drowned out by the symphony playing overhead. Keep your eyes peeled because not all airport bathrooms are created equal.
44. Italian food is better.
By this point in my trip, I had spent 3 long days in Athens and had roughly 9 Greek meals. I enjoyed the food, it was good! I was so hungry when I got to my accommodations in Rome, that the first things I did was drop my bags and head to a café around the corner. It was still early but I didn’t want breakfast. I grabbed a charcuterie board with focaccia bread, and had a little antipasto to start my day. One board of this meager Italian snack was enough to excite my entire palate. I was absolutely shocked that this one platter could contain so much flavor and enjoyment for me. This experience solidified something for me that I would have proved many times over the next 3 days, Italian food is better than Greek food. My apologies to the Greek community, but this one Italian charcuterie board did more for me than several days of Greek fare. To add to the experience were the ruins of Ancient Rome that sat beside me at the café. Between bites of the delicious cured meats and bread, I could get a glimpse back in time at these once ornate columns on Torre Argentina. The rumors are true, Italian food is better.
45. The Roman Empire makes men emotional.
Architecture and history have very unique and visceral qualities, especially when they are so inextricably linked to each other as they are in Rome. The first awe-inspiring sight for me as I walked from brunch to the old Roman Forum, was the Vittoriano. Now this isn’t ancient, it was built in the 1800s but is an exquisitely built structure that is clearly in the classical style. It is an ornate, modern structure that stands as a gem amidst the ruins of the glorious old world. After climbing the many steps to the viewing platform, you get a sweeping vista of several sides of the city of Rome. From this perch, you can see part of the Roman Forum and beyond that, you can see another awe-inspiring sight: the Coliseum. My first glimpse of the Coliseum felt like when you are watching a movie and someone says the title. All these structures, so beautifully and painstakingly made, from the intact and modern Vittoriano to the lonely ancient columns standing in the old Forum invoke a sense of greatness and sadness in the men who gaze upon them. What craftsmanship and mastery are exemplified in these hand-carved, marble structures? It is hard to fathom in our age of expediency and cynicism. To gaze upon the ruins of an empire that shaped the course of human history and my own society in so many ways created a feeling that I don’t believe I have had before. As I continued down the road towards the Coliseum, I stopped frequently to gaze upon the ruins that flanked me. At one particularly scenic overlook, near a statue of Julius Caesar, a man began to play the violin behind me as I looked out upon the Forum. Though I didn’t cry, I wondered if the moment was begging me to. The history in Rome is encapsulated in the classical architecture. They are art pieces that stand there and tell so much of the story of Rome, of empire, of man. The Roman Empire makes men emotional.