emabromleyOne of the things I am becoming increasingly aware of on my travels, is how much I struggle with transitions!
Whether it’s transitioning from city to city or simply from one accommodation to another, I inadvertently go through a period of adjustment before I settle into a place, and ease into its flow.
This adjustment is needed because, ahead of my arrival and without even being fully aware of what I am doing, I form expectations in my mind’s eye of what my next place is going to be like. Then, when my imagined reality doesn’t match my actual reality, I experience a kind of shock.
I occasionally wonder if this is the result of my primitive brain‘s involuntary survival mechanism, or if it’s just me? What I do know is that I find myself standing quietly staring at my new surroundings, trying to rapidly take everything in. It’s as if I pull all my energy back into my body until I determine that I am safe. However, this process of adjustment can take anything from five minutes to a day, depending on what I encounter.
I find it relatively easy to visualise and inhabit the three dimensional worlds which I mentally create from two dimensional photographs. It’s a skill I presumably gained from decades of studying and teaching architecture. Photos, especially when it comes to travel, only tell part of the story and simply aren’t capable of conveying the experience of what it actually feels like being there. I suppose that’s why I travel – to experience the world through all of my senses, not just my eyes! After all it’s the smells, tastes, and sounds that make each city and country utterly unique. I can share my photos with you and some of my insights, but these are only glimpses not the full lived experience.
I adore the revelations which accompany my blog writing just as much as I adore exploring new cities, even though it’s s by no means a quick or easy process. I’ve been working on this piece for at least six weeks. Each time I return to it I discover something new. For instance, I’ve just realised that I draw the line at embracing unpleasant smells or harsh noise when it comes to where I am staying. Partly because these are some of the hardest things to rectify and can turn even the nicest looking place into somewhere I would rather not stay; but mostly it’s because I want to properly relax before I go to sleep. Whoever invents ‘smell-o-vision’ when it comes to online reviews, will not only become one of my heroes, but also make a fortune!
I could blame my uneasy transitions on my vivid imagination combined with my unerring optimism, and yet photos can also misrepresent what’s on offer just as much as my mind can! Not only by what they reveal but also by what they omit. I have now learnt from my first hostel in Hamburg, not to trust places which only show you close up photos of the bed or a plant on a table, but not the entire room or where it’s located. Listings always shows off their best bits. If the best bits are a sole glass of wine on a table and a view of the ocean, it’s probably best to avoid!
These are my highs and lows during the first two weeks of my travels through Europe:
1 – Brussels, Belgium – 2 nights – 3/5
Tepee (yes, a tent) in an artists studio loft – single bed. Lovely big space filled with light, but it was cold and damp and lacked the interactive creative vibe I was expecting. Location was okay, a bit rough but great value at £32 per night – and I was only passing through.
I enjoyed my stay in Brussels mostly because I got to spend it with my good friend Sergio, but it was in spite of, not because of, where I stayed. It wasn’t a place where I ever felt relaxed.
2 – Hamburg, Germany – 1 night – 2/5
The area was rough, it smelt bad and was really noisy – people talking loudly outside my room and traffic noise from the busy road outside. All I can say is thank goodness for my eye mask and earplugs!
Hostel – bunk bed in a 4 bed room.
However, it was within walking distance from the station, and only a stopover on my way from Brussels to Copenhagen. It didn’t help that I arrived on the anniversary of the reunification of Germany, when everything was shut. It’s not really Hamburg’s fault, but at no point did I feel comfortable.
3 – Copenhagen, Denmark – 3 nights – 5/5
A Japanese style hostel with 12 sleeping pods per dorm.
It was a mixed occupancy but everyone was so considerate, polite and welcoming. Everything from the quality of the rooms, the design / decoration, to the staff and the delicious breakfast was excellent. It was a wonderful experience resulting in a relatively quick adjustment period. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay in Copenhagen.
4 – Aarhus, Denmark – 3 nights – 4/5
Private home – single bed in a tiny private room.
The photos made the house look beautifully quaint with a 1950’s retro style; but what they didn’t show was the half finished plumbing and exposed pipes, or the size of my bedroom, which was so small I had to open my suitcase in the corridor. The most interesting thing was that although it was by no means luxury, I felt very safe and at home really quickly. That’s also something photos can’t convey – how I will feel.
5 – Berlin, Germany – 2 nights – 1/5
Hostel – bunk bed in mixed 8 bed room.
This would have been a great place to stay if I liked to party all night, but I don’t. My initial thought, was to book somewhere else! The place was a mess. Two of the people in this shared room had left the only table and chairs in the room strewn with the leftovers of several nights of partying!
Luckily, I had been assigned a top bunk, so having resigned myself to stay, I withdrew into my own little curtained off world. People came and went throughout the night with little consideration for anyone trying to sleep. At one point three young men came blundering into the room, making an awful racket. When they saw me, I could tell by the looks on their faces that they weren’t best pleased. I really wanted to say “Yes, you weren’t what I was hoping for either!”
Berlin was brilliant but I wouldn’t stay in a hostel in the city again.
6 – Venice, Italy – 2 nights – 5/5
Hostel – bunk bed in female 6 bed room.
This place renewed my faith in hostels. It was excellent: modern, with well designed facilities, comfy beds and nice sheets. I didn’t have the breakfast but would happily stay there again.
That was a quick summary of my first two weeks’ accommodation. I may not have enjoyed some of the places in which I have stayed, but I have loved the opportunity to discover more about myself and how I respond to the world I encounter on my travels.
My final revelation was that I don’t experience any shock when my accommodation is great! Only when it’s not! When it meets or exceeds my expectations it’s an easy transition. Anything less than great I seem to tolerate more than enjoy, at least initially. I say initially, because I have also discovered that once I am able to sync. with the vibe of a new place, I calm down considerably and my confidence returns. The place hasn’t changed, only the way I view it. Maybe it’s simply the fear that I have missed something or that something bad will happen to me? Or maybe it’s the discomfort which creates the fear? I’m not really sure. It’s something to ponder…
What I do know, is that one day I hope to arrive in a new place, without any fears or expectations, simply happy to be there and experience whatever it has to offer. That is my aim. The ability to accept everything just as it is. What a blessing that would be!
