Croissants And Joggers.

As much as I love being back home with my family and friends, I miss living alone. I miss waking up on Saturdays with the realisation that I have no groceries and then dragging myself in my joggers to the grocery store to buy croissants. I miss my long tradition of picking up frozen pizza on my way back home on Fridays and then finally having time to myself with my pizza to catch up on my Netflix list. In the early days Kevin used to be a constant at my place on the weekends. I would fix us some dinner (pancakes!!) and then we would talk for hours until my eyes would start drooping.

In summer I would buy gelato from an ice-cream parlour near my flat, and take a long stroll around the town. I miss going out for runs out on the roads without having to listen incessant honking in the background. Every weekend I would contemplate on whether I could afford not going to the gym, and then almost always going.

There would be days, when I would make myself breakfast pancakes or waffles with some fresh berries, cream and coffee. Those days made me appreciate the luxury of living alone the most.
As sporadic as my travels are, my life always had a certain routine, which I liked. In the past few months I automatically started spending less, and thereby saving more for travelling. I found myself constantly looking up places to visit, or watching endless videos on how to save enough money for my trips.

One big change that I noticed taking place in the span of the last few months was that I started wanting to get rid of a lot of my belongings. I know, it does not sound like a big deal, but I had been a hoarder all my life. I wanted to save everything that had ever been a part of my life.
What I realised once I started travelling more is that I did not need so many tangible things to prove that something was a part of my life, all I needed were the intangible things.

Do not get me wrong, I still have a few things I would like to cherish. It's that I just do not have as many materialistic things that I hold precious anymore. Realising this has give me a certain kind of freedom. Freedom to believe in myself and the fact that the important things are not going anywhere.

So, as much as I love my old apartment, I am okay with the fact that it might actually be a while before I have an entire house to myself. It will happen, maybe, just not right now.

Let's Ski.

Brandnerthal, Voralberg, 2016.

I started skiing two years back at the ripe age of seventeen, whereas most people learn to ski as kids.

Let me tell you, it is better that way. At least then you do not remember the pain of constantly falling on your face. :P 

This post is about the things I learned in these two years that are VERY VERY important and should at no cost be ignored. Especially if you are a beginner.

1) NO COUNTING CALORIES: The first time I went skiing, I had absolutely no idea that I would be sweating bricks under my jacket within the first 15 minutes. So eat well. Stop counting the calories and eat all the carbs that you can because your body needs them to generate energy while you ski.

Alpenhotel Zimba, Brand.

2) DO NOT DRESS TO WARM: Also, one of my very first mistakes; I did not regard the fact that skiing too is a sport, which means that you will most probably sweat. Which you will! So don't just pile on layers of clothes because chances are that it will be extremely hot under all those clothes.

3) NEVER WEAR GLOVES MADE OF CLOTH: Always, and I mean ALWAYS, wear those water-proof, special kind-of gloves. I once lent my Dad my gloves and hence had to wear these other gloves which were, as you can guess, not water proof (snow proof?), and believe me you, I thought that I would probably have frost bite by the time we go home. 

4) CARRY A CHOCOLATE / ENERGY BAR: This tip will make all the difference in the world, when you are a few hours in and tired because you have been skiing the entire afternoon. I honestly needed an energy bar so badly last year, when I first learned skiing.

5) STAY HYDRATED: Sports 101- always stay hydrated. The same goes with skiing. The minute you get thirsty, it is over for you. You can take a small bottle of water with you and then keep filling it up, or you could just buy one while stretching your legs at the restaurant there. Most pistons in Europe have one as soon as you ride the very first ski lift up.

6) LEARN YOUR LIMITS: Don't be stupid and try to push through exhaustion like you would do at the gym. The ski piston is not a controlled environment. There is always a possibility that you could fall off the regular course and find yourself alone with a broken leg.

7) PARTNERS: Try skiing with people, who can ski well. You will learn so much just by looking at them. Plus, they will help you up when you fall, which if you are a beginner, you will!

8) ASK: Do not be afraid of asking for help. I have had so much help every time I have skied. I shit you not, once I had to even be helped by the Ski Patrol, since I was stuck and none of us could figure out how to get me down the hill without me falling every two metres.

9) HAVE FAITH: One of the first things that any tutor teaches you is that you have to let go of the fear and trust yourself. You need to have faith that when the time really comes, your body will know what to do.

10) THE VIEW: Don't forget to look around you when take ride that ski lift or when you are at the very top. Just look around you and take in everything that you see. This is not something that you see everyday in life.

This view is everything.

Sleepless Nights Spent Discovering Verona.

A little over a month ago, after months of overthinking, I undertook my first solo trip, my first stop being Verona.

Not many people know that the famous play, Romeo and Juliet, written by Shakespeare was based in Verona, Italy. Let me put it this way, after spending a little time in that magnificent city, I cannot even imagine that play being based anywhere else. Way to go, old man! 

My journey to Verona was one that was both: extremely long and exhausting. I took a train from Dornbirn, Austria to Lindau, which is at the Austrian tip of Germany. I, then, took another train to Munich Passing, from where I changed to a Schnell-Bahn that dropped me to the airport. 

I flew from Munich to Venice for 36 Euros, from where I then took a train to Verona, which in turn cost me another 10 Euros, and another two hours of my already short trip.

I reached the Porta Nuova train station in Verona around 4:30 pm. It took me another thirty minutes for me to walk to my Air B&B, which would have taken exactly three minutes by bus.

Once I reached my accommodation, I did all the necessary things- turn on the air conditioner, change out of my sweaty clothes and FaceTime my parents.

I finally got out of my room around 7 pm to head to the Verona Centrico, where all the action takes place.

Once there I made my way to Piazza della Erbe. I have to admit, a market in full swing is not what I expected to find over there. That evening I decided not to click pictures and to just enjoy my surroundings. Verona is what one expects Italy to stereotypically look like - cobbled streets filled with colourful old houses with beautiful flowers draping the balcony railings, outdoor restaurants and cafes filled with tourists and locals alike, cooling off after a hot and exhausting day with the Veronese drink- Spritz.

I then enjoyed some Bruschetta and a Spritz at a restaurant near Piazza della Erbe. I have to say that I find 12.50 Euros a little to much for an Appetiser and a drink that was practically a local drink.

They even charged me for the bread!!!! 

The bread!!

Your girl just had 80 Euros for the span of three days, including the transport charges.

So, yes, your girl was being extremely CHEAP. 

Hell, it took me months to save for this trip.

After dinner, I walked around a little more. It was finally getting dark. 

P.S. I love summer for the longer days.

Back to the point, I had promised my Dad to be home early, so around 9 I leisurely started making my way back to the bus stop from where I came.

*drumroll*

The last bus had left a few minutes before I reached.

It cannot happen. Right? Especially since my Google Maps showed me that there should be another bus leaving in 5 minutes time to take me back. So, naturally, I whip out my phone to recheck what I read, and *dum dum duuuummmm* it dawns on me that: one, in Europe the public transport timings change in the night, and two, the bus that is supposed to take me back to my B&B leaves from some other bus stop.

WHATTTT???

Google Maps says that the place is only a few minutes away but since I do not know the area and since it was already dark, I decided to go to the next big Piazza - Piazza Bra. It was the biggest and the most happening place in Verona, so it is just common sense that there should be a bus that will travel to my intended destination, right?

Nope. No such luck.

Now the problem with Piazza Bra is that there are quite a lot of shady people, who come out after sundown over there. By the time I reached the bus stop over there, you know, that I am already hyperventilating, but for my sake I put on a brave face and try to figure out a way back home.

The second problem with Piazza Bra is that along with the shady people, there are a LOT of tourists, who were just as clueless as me.

In the end I just ended up taking a bus to Porta Nuova, hoping that the last bus of the night had not yet left. 

At Porto Nuova, which was filled with even shadier people, I was at a loss as to whom I should ask about how I should make my way home.

I just asked the least shadiest person I could find, and as my luck would have it, he too had no answer to the question I held so dear to me, 'Which bus travelled to Santa Lucia?'.

So there I stood, hyperventilating, when the Gods, finally, felt sorry for me and sent a bus that stops at Santa Lucia. Thank fuck!

My Air B&B was not in the main city, meaning that it was somewhere pretty deserted. Now pair that with it almost being 10:30 pm with me, a girl, who does not speak the language and was so exhausted that she would not be able to throw a punch to save her life. 

To say that I was shitting myself the entire way; from the moment I got down at the bus stop to the time I reached my room would be an understatement.

Well, I reached the apartment without any instances occurring. Just when I start thanking my stars for letting me reach home safely, I realised that the main door of the apartment does not have a lock.

Why, God? WHYYY??

After a couple of minutes of cursing in the dark hallway, I make my peace with the situation and settled for just locking my bedroom door and praying that no one breaks in the wee hours.

Fast forward two hours later, just as I find my eyes drooping shut, I hear the main door being opened, and someone entering.

Although the rational part of my brain said that it was probably just another guest, renting the other available room in the apartment, it did not stop me from shutting my phone and hoping that the person assumes the apartment to be empty, just in case it really was a burglar. :P

I know, I know I should have listened to my parents when they told me that I was too young to watch all those horror movies. I guess, it is a little to late for that now. X_X

Me writing this blog proves that I made it through the night (Phew, right?).

All in all, that first night in Verona was definitely an experience that my parents shall never hear about.

Stay tuned for my next day in Verona. :D

Sleepless Nights Spent Discovering Milan.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Milan, 2015.

Have you ever walked through a city after the sun has gone down, when most of the tourists are in some restaurant or bar, planning to retire for the night, when couples are going for a romantic walk, and for a while the hustle and bustle of the city seems to be at a bare minimum?

This photograph was clicked on the eve of the last day of the 2015 Milan Expo. I was fortunate enough to be able to accompany a family I know to Milan for the Expo. So we started our little journey from Au, Switzerland on a Friday evening, and were in Milan by 9 o'clock that night. After we left our luggage at the apartment that was ours for the night, the four of us headed to the main city, since we all were famished.

Let me just say, the food was amazing!!!!

Damn, Italy!

Your food is ON POINT!

According to Arno this could be modern art. You know what? I agree.

The things that people pass off in the name of modern art nowadays is ridiculous.

Anyways we all thought that it was hilarious, and for some reason it does look a little artsy. :P

After consuming a purely mind-blowing dinner and an even dreamier Tiramisu for dessert, we went out in the hopes of discovering Milan.

Do you know anyone, who is an ocean of knowledge? They know something about every monument, every place and every discovery. They basically know a little something about everything.

Well, that is Arno for you.

I do not remember any instance, when I might have asked him something or discussed something with him, about which he did not have any clue.

So, he pretty much took on the role of our tour guide, giving us bits of information about every major monument that came our way.

Milano Duomo

That was me holding onto Cäcilia so that she does not run away before we had clicked the perfect picture.

Around 1 am we finally accepted defeat, gave in to exhaustion and decided to head back to the apartment. So, naturally, we walk towards the entrance to the metro, and what do we find out?

That it is shut!!!!

At that point I had already started thanking my stars that I had decided to wear my Nikes instead of some cute sandals, which would have wreaked hell on my feet, had I had to walk home in them.

While I was doing that, the others had already decided to hail a cab.

Thank the Lord.

Here comes the problem.
*dum dum duummm*
No cab driver wanted to go where we needed to go (I swear to God, it was just like being rejected by a rickshaw-wala in India), I guess because it was on the outskirts of Milan.

After a while we did find a cab, that was driven by a person, who did not mind the driving to the outskirts of the town.

All in all, I think that it was a pretty eventful night.

Making A Bad Thing Work.

Mumbai, India, 2016.

This time last year I was desperate to be in a relationship, regardless if the person was right for me or not.

It was a long time before I asked myself the question: 'Why am I so afraid of being single?'

Ever since I was a child, I was taught that no matter how successful I was in life, it would amount to nothing if I had no one to share that success with. There is nothing wrong with it, but, what all these books and movies forget to mention is that it is okay if you do not share these things with a romantic partner..that these things can be shared with your family and friends.

Most of all that it is okay if you just have yourself to share this with.

All of us our hope to find a partner, who shall cure us of our insecurities and our loneliness but what we forget is that until we can provide ourselves with the love that we deserve, no one in the world can give it to us.

Too often I settled for less than I deserved, all because I was scared that maybe I was not everyone's cup of tea, or because I saw the people around me being in relationships that made them happy.

What my heart did not count was the fact that not everyone is going to be nice and take care of my heart. There will be people, who will be careless with my heart.

These are the kind of people who do not deserve my love.

I often held back because I did not want to hurt others by being too blunt, which often led me to finding myself in uncomfortable situations. It took me a while to learn that I should not have to put up with anything or anyone that makes me feel uncomfortable.

Sometimes the best thing that you can do is cut some people out of your life.

In these past few months I fell in love with being single and by myself.

I like taking long walks with a gelato in my hand or listening to songs, whose lyrics I do not understand.

I accepted that I am not everyone's cup of tea and that that is a good thing. 

I learned to not try and make a bad thing work.

I also learned to accept that eventually I will meet someone, who is not everyone's cup of tea, but, who compliments me perfectly.