Spontaneous planning

Playing Trivial Pursuit with four over fifty year old women, going out with my other half Greek, half Finnish friend, baking cakes, knitting and "trying" to learn French have been the most exciting things I have done this week. Comparing to my life in Sevilla, life in Greece is a lot different, but it's good to have a break from all the partying. Besides playing Trivial Pursuit with older women is more fun than it sounds!

 

As we have been taking French serioulsy, my mom found a more efficient way to be able to memorize new words. You can only imagine what she did when we were learning the body parts...

 As for the cakes, I made them for my dad's birthday who turned 53 this year (such an old boy)!

 The face of a happy man in his PJs...

 and the cakes.

When I thought that I had no idea what I am going to do once I start travelling again I got two messages from Helpx offering volunteer jobs in Istanbul as an English teacher assistant (where I won't be able to go because I will be in Berlin at the time...meh!) and feeding parrots for two weeks in a city 40 minutes away from Paris in the end of March. I am not sure yet if they will take me or not, but working in a refuge where they save parrots that have been treated badly and illegally brought to the country, sounds interesting. It is going to be one of those strange stories I will tell my grandkids one day.

 

I am really excited to do some travelling in March-April even though the idea of going on my own again isn't that appealing to me anymore. In some magical way though I always meet new people so it won't be that bad. I am planning to do as much couch surfing and helpx to save some money on hostels (poor traveller you see). I also got to know a bit about blablacar which is another website where you can find cheap rides to other cities. The whole concept of getting in the same car with a total stranger sounds creepy, but it seems to work as I know many people who have done it.

 

 The "plan" so far has been to start my trip in Berlin and from there go with blablacar to Hamburg and from there continue to Holland. From Amsterdam I will try to find a ride to France and get to Paris somehow...

Even though I like planning, I have realized that planning too much can turn out to be a bad idea as unexpected things tend to happen. Besides, that's the whole beauty of travelling, being  spontaneous and slightly crazy!

 

Karoliina