Travel, Learn, and Improve

The one-week adventure is over! I finally found a lazy day to stay in bed and reflect a little bit on the recent trip. Together with Gzowski Club we went on a whirlwind tour around Europe. Within 9 days we visited Scotland (Glasgow, Edinburgh, Prestwick), Poland (Bydgoszcz, Warsaw, Wroclaw, Katowice, Sosnowiec, Krakow, Wieliczka), Spain (Girona, Barcelona), and Portugal (Lisbon). Wherever we went we heard something along the lines: you guys are ridiculous... but you are fun!

What was the goal of the trip? Besides the cultural exploration of Europe we wanted to experience the vibe of Eurocup 2012 - one of the largest events in the whole world. The trip was a great opportunity to meet old friends and to make new friendships. Everyone we met was extremely open, friendly, and added value to our trip. Guess what? We even received gifts! You'll find more details about the trip on Gzowski Club's website. This entry is my personal perspective on the journey. It is about new lessons I learned from traveling:

1. Travel light. That was my first time when I traveled overseas with only hand luggage. Total weight? Somewhere around 6kg. Still, some of the clothes remained unused. Do you need more? Doubtful. Get rid of all the crap that is not essential. Traveling light is much more convenient and faster: no need to wait in check-in lines, no extra charges, smaller chance of forgetting something. What if you find some cool stuff on the way? If you cannot pack it, just ship it to home address! We shipped a 10kg parcel to Canada.





2. Laptop or smartphone? Unless you have to work, forget about your laptop. It weights too much and doesn't add much to the trip. Take a smartphone if you have it. Typical applications that you need include Facebook, Couchsurfing, Skype, maps, email, getting boarding passes, alarm, taking notes, checking schedules, and weather forecast. You can conveniently do all of that on a smartphone. If you need a computer for a while, you'll find travelers who will help you.
3. Couchsurfing or hostels? I am a huge fan of CouchSurfing. I couchsurf whenever possible but at times a hostel is a better choice. Typically, it takes several days to find a person who can offer a couch. If time is of essence, choose a hostel or sleep on the beach. Also, if you like to party, you will find more people in hostels. Many hostels organize social events, such as dinners and pub-crawls. Occasionally, however, you'll find exceptional CouchSurfing hosts who are more fun than tens of hostel guests!





4. Be social. Meeting people is fun. Especially if you meet travelers and open-minded people with cool interests. Before visiting a destination contact your friends, post your plans on Facebook, message people on CouchSurfing. Meet people in bars and wherever you go. In hostels, make international friends. Once you get into the hostel, talk to everyone. Travelers like to... travel. Take their contact as soon as possible, otherwise it may be too late.
5. Access to the Internet. Figure out in advance where free connection is available. Usually, you can count on McDonald's, Starbucks, and public transit facilities. If you have time, search for local SIM cards with free/cheap access to the Internet.
6. Eurocup 2012. The event attracted hundreds of thousands of football fans to Poland and Ukraine. That was the biggest event I have ever participated in. It is amazing how the crowds change cities into different realities.





7. Be flexible. About everything. Your flight may get delayed, your host may be away, your friend may have something urgent to do and can't meet you, your alarm clock may not go off, etc. It's not so much about having plan B, but about adjusting to the situation. Never have hard feelings. There is no reason to panic. Our flight got significantly delayed, we missed train stations, didn't have accommodation, yet we always handled the situation. People are good.
8. Traveling is about giving and taking. When you meet others, add value to their lives. How? Offer a stimulating conversation, contribute to the party, come up with ideas for outings. Don't be selfish, share whatever other people might need (especially international love :-) ). We brought a lot of swag from Canada and gave it away for free. No expectations, just bringing gifts for fun. We also received a lot from others: food, accommodation, drinks, gifts, help, and great times!
9. Don't say fuck yeah. This is a funny one. I like saying fuck yeah when something is obvious to me.  Avoid, however, saying this phrase to people whose English is not so good. They may understand that you said fuck you. Say hell yeah instead.
10. Remember about friends. Keep in touch with old and new friends. Send them an email, Facebook message, postcards, leave a souvenir. Everyone likes to know that you are thinking about them!

This trip is over. Huge thanks go to people that we met. Everywhere! Check out our photos on Facebook! So what will Kacper do next? That's unclear. Help him today to visit Caribbean!!!