I have been feeling rather nostalgic of late. It may be because of my work or it could be because I’m just getting older (yeah yeah, don’t rub it in).

As I was looking through my photos my FB, each picture in Europe triggers a different memory. A picture tells a thousand words, indeed. You don’t look at a picture and think of one thing. You look at a picture, and you think of stories behind it.

I think with Europe, there’s a huge difference between dreams… and reality. Before I went there, or even decided to go, Europe was a dream. You look at pictures, watch scenes in movies shot in Europe and read of histories surrounding it, one can’t help but get carried away. We would all think that Europe will be oh-so-perfect. You’ll get to sit at those quaint cafes and sip coffee while watching passer-bys. And french music will be playing in the background adding the final touch to that perfect moment. Wouldn’t that be wonderful. Sigh.

But reality strikes.

What makes a trip, is not just your fantasies. Rather, a lot of factors have to be considered.

The huge huge influencing factor, would be $$. Really. Your budget on the trip. I wished, I could sit at those quaint cafes and sip coffees. But what about the cover charge? And the cheaper the place, the suckier the food. Well, to be honest, food in Europe wasn’t much to shout about. Then again, I was such a cheapo on the trip. [But omg! The gelatos are to DIE for. Really!! I had one cone of gelato a day in Italy. And food in Croatia, is actually not bad. Maybe because, we were at the end of our trip. And comparatively, the food is SOOOO much cheaper compared to everywhere we’ve been to.] Back to the topic. Budget. Your budget decides on where you’re gonna stay, how you’re gonna travel, the comfort of your accommodation and travel, and the time you spent discussing and debating how much one would wanna spend on accommodation and travelling . Cause lets face it. The two biggest expenditure on a trip is 1) transport and 2) accommodation. 

Point is, one must sync their expectations with their ability to compromise their budget. Otherwise, I think its pretty hard to fully enjoy your holidays.

Another thing about reality. Europe is freaking hot during summer!! Freaking. Hot. I’m not kidding you. You think Malaysia’s hot? It’s NOTHING compared to the weather in Europe. So hot. So hot. And that makes it pretty hard to enjoy Europe to its fullest.

Last but not least. The tourists. Haiyo. That’s what spoils the dreamy effect. So so much. Can you imagine. Talk about the phrase, people mountain people sea. That is exactly what you’re gonna face at every tourist spot imagineable.

However, the feeling of satisfaction, of fulfilment, when you see something ever so beautiful that just simply takes your breath away. That is when reality meets fantasies and beyond. And that is when all the s*** you face throughout your trip pales in comparison. And that is what makes everything you go through so worth it. =)