I can’t believe how quickly the time has flown.
It’s crazy to think that this time just over one month ago, I had landed in Dubrovnik for the very first day of my trip. In some respects it feels like I’ve only been away for a few days, but in others it feels like I’ve been doing this for years.
Backpacking for the last month has been a big change for me. I used to spend my previous holidays lying on the beach for two weeks doing absolutely nothing. I’ve settled into my new travel style well, and I’ve enjoyed actually walking around exploring individual cities, learning about their history and culture.
However, I definitely wasn’t expecting to find it this emotionally hard.
As someone who has never experienced homesickness before, I naively wasn’t expecting to miss home at all. I think I probably spent my entire first week in tears and frequently contemplated giving up and flying back home.
It wasn’t that I wasn’t enjoying it, I just found that my emotions were amplified by a hundred, and I was getting ridiculously upset over every little thing.
I’ve settled into a routine now though, I rarely feel homesick, and I’m just enjoying meeting new people and seeing the world.
I thought I’d take a look back over the last month, and share with you some of the statistics from my trip so far:
Countries Visited: 3
Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia.
I originally only planned on spending a week or so in Croatia, and I ended up spending over 3 weeks there! I completely fell in love with this beautiful country, and probably could have spent even longer there.
Cities Visited: 12
Dubrovnik, Mostar, Split, Supetar, Bol, Zadar, Pag, Zagreb, Plitvica Jezera, Crikvenica, Ljubljana, Bled.
Number of beds slept in: 13
Number of photos taken: 1467
Number of buses taken – 14
Number of trains taken – 1
Money Spent:
Croatia – £939.78 = £36.14 per day
Slovenia – £165.06 = £27.51 per day
One thing I’ve learnt so far is that I NEED to budget my money better. I had no idea how much I was spending until I calculated it for this post, and it’s definitely a lot more than I was expecting/hoping for.
Number of things lost:
A toothbrush, a hairbrush, a pair of sunglasses, TWO pairs of shoes, tweezers and a travel adaptor.
This is what happens when you wear the same pair of shoes for a month…
I still don’t know how I managed to lose two pairs of shoes…
Number of McDonalds eaten: 5
I was doing SO well… I spent three weeks without eating a single McDonalds, but as soon as I got to Ljubljana that all changed and I ate there 5 times in 5 days…
The next month:
As I write this, I am currently in Hungary. Over the next month I’ll be visiting Ukraine, Russia, Taiwan and China. I’m insanely excited about going to Asia for the first time.
Despite all of the emotional stress and ups and downs, overall I’ve had one of the best months of my life, and I can’t wait to see what the next month holds for me…
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In July 2011 I left England for what was supposed to be a one year trip around the world. Within a few months of leaving I knew that a year would never be enough. I now work online and travel permanently, seeking misadventures in unique, beautiful and fascinating places. Read more.
I'm here to show you how not to travel. Since I've been on the road I've been "poked" during a massage in Bangkok, punched a scammer in Shanghai, been attacked by monkeys in Bali, sat next to a dead woman on a boat in Laos and so much more. I call these The Incidents and you can see a full list of them here.
I love this post… I love that you eat McDonalds… too cus yeah I eat it ummm often and I know I shouldn’t I just cant help it. So yes how do you loose 2 pairs of shoes? I am glad you got through the 1st week it ‘s a tough one for sure! Can’t wait to read more about your adventures!
Jaime recently posted..Music Monday – Don’t Blink
I use the excuse that I’m just going in there for the free wifi, but it’s just so delicious!
Well, my flip flops had no grip on them, and i fell over so many times that it was getting ridiculous, so I accidentally on purpose left them in my room… My other shoes got really smelly so I left them outside my door so as not to poison everyone with the fumes, and then forgot to get them when I left! I really do need to buy new shoes though – those tan lines are ridiculous!
It’s been exciting following along!
Only 1467 photos? :-) I take that in 3 days (I’ve been accused of overdoing it, too :-)
Erik recently posted..My September Eastern Seaboard Itinerary
I was lazy in Croatia and didn’t do much at all except sit and drink beer… Didn’t take many pictures then at all. Since leaving I’ve been taking A LOT more!
Crazy how time flies, isn’t it?
jill- Jack and JIll Travel recently posted..How Much Does It Cost to Travel Ecuador (and other tidbits)
I know – this feels like the fastest month of my life!
Wow, sounds like you’re having a blast. Can’t wait to see more of those photos. And perhaps we should talk about your spending habits, too… ;)
Bryan @ BudgetYourTrip recently posted..Milestone: 1,500 Cities!
I’m having SUCH a fun time! Hmm… I’ll be heading to Asia soon so hopefully will be spending MUCH less :D
Congratulations on your first month of solo travel, it’s terrific!
Thanks William!
When do you head to Russia? I’ll be in St. Petersburg for a month starting Sept 12th.
Katie recently posted..The Perils of Being a Planner
Ah, I’ll be leaving Russia on the 1st Sept, so looks like I’ll just miss you!
I think you did quite well on your budgeting – between 27 and 36 UK pounds is good. Better than I could do.
Natalie recently posted..Zoo Animals – The Animal Planet for Photography
Thanks Natalie! I was hoping to spend a bit less than that, but I am in Europe after all so I guess I did do quite well! :)
Congratulations on completion of your 1st travel month!! Seems just yesterday that you were doing a count down on the days left for your departure. 5 times in 1 month at McDonalds is not bad at all (Remember Lauren Vs.Food!!)>> Keep up your adventures and communications with the world!! God Bless.
Thanks Arjun! Well, the only reason I didn’t have McDonalds more was because I couldn’t find it anywhere in Croatia!
Really interesting to read this. I’m also worried about budgeting and not keeping track of my money, I need to be strict with myself cos otherwise I know I’ll get carried away! Haha. And thank God you didn’t take your singing toothbrush. Would’ve been a tragedy if you’d lost that. Shoes are replaceable. :)
Oh, definitely! And I think if you write it down then you’re more likely to spend less as you’re more aware of how much money you’re actually going through…
Ah, the singing toothbrush – that would have made me so many friends!
hahaha at the pic of your feet – I recognise that problem! Loved your summary Lauren. Happy travels – and less of the McDonalds comsumption please :P
Really desperately need different shoes now…. :)
You are so brave to travel solo! Good for you and keep bringing us the occasional stats post. Its a great help for those planning their own trip.
Jade Johnston | http://www.ouroyster.com
Jade Johnston recently posted..Do’s and don’ts in the UK
Aww thanks Jade! I’ll be doing one of them every month :)
The free wifi is a great reason to head straight for a McDonalds! :-)
The pattern your shoes made is so much cooler than the flip flip lines I had on my feet after a couple of months of road tripping around Oz.
Congrats on your first month! The homesickness comes and goes and you’ll get through it :-)(with tears along the way of course).
Heather recently posted..London Food Adventures, Part 1
Thanks, Heather! I’m going to have to get some flip flops, and then I can only imagine what my tan lines are going to end up like then!
Good effort on keeping track of your money! This is something I really wish I’d done, not just to try and save money but it’s so helpful for other people.
Keep enjoying every minute because your whole time will fly!
I barely made much of an effort for this first month – but I’m going to start keeping track of everything I spend from now on!
Lol @ McDonalds. We broke down and ate there on the second week of our trip while in Rome. We justified it because we never eat there at home, but sometimes you just want to know exactly what you’re getting.
PostcardFromBK recently posted..Sailing Koronati National Park in Croatia
Ah, see, I ALWAYS eat it at home too, so I can’t use that excuse!
Nothing wrong with McDonalds – the only time I don’t make a point of eating it at least once in a particular country is when it’s a country that McDonalds hasn’t yet conquered…like Syria, Mongolia, Nepal…and that’s almost about it! :D
Megan recently posted..My room in…San Pedro la Laguna
Hahaha, I’ve started taking photos of all the mcdonalds I eat at on the trip now! Just can’t resist it…
Everyone is guilty of the McDonalds trap – if people say they’ve never done it, they’re lying! lol.
And hun, seriously, how in the hell do you lose that much within the first month – ridiculous =D
Toni recently posted..Oh Africa, you do make me look unsexy…
I know! I’m so careless, and really need to start making sure I have everything before I leave! I’m terrible…
Haha! You’ve got some killer zebra feet there…
Jordan recently posted..Battle of the Backpacks
I know…. And they’re only getting worse!
Lauren, it’s been a great month, but you’ve got so much more in front of you. It’s good you recognize you miss home, and it’s hard to shake off years of all that you know that is home. But you’ve got this really cool adventure in front of you, and you know it’s the thing to do. You don’t have to be rush-rush all the time in your newfound travel routine; your idea of doing *nothing* and lying on the beach for your own peace of mind and stillness for the soul are all very good, too.
fotoeins recently posted..Yet another trip with German Rail
That’s true, and I’ve had plenty of lazy days where I’ve sat and done nothing – good to get a mix of both in there :)
Lauren, I got worried scrolling down and reading your post…Number of things lost then a picture of your feet…I had to count your toes!
Love the blog, regards
Si
Si @thedepartureboard.com recently posted..Take Only Pictures, Not Souvenirs
Hahahahaha! Brilliant, and yeah that wouldn’t be so good :)
I have a sandal tan from 20 years ago that still looks amazing (if you think that’s amazing).
Kris Koeller recently posted..Click the Red Button
Seriously?! I hope i don’t have this tan still in 20 years time!!!
This is a lovely post. It’s nice to reflect on the past so that you’re able to plan the future. I hope you manage to control being homesick. I know how that gets. All the best with your future plans :)
Thanks! I’m dealing with the homesickness much better now :)
Congrats on a month Lauren!
Scott recently posted..Meant To Go To Mexico
Thanks Scott!
I just had to say, those tan lines are the most.epic.ever. For that alone I’m RTing this!! (oh and, yes, good month of traveling indeed, too)
;) =P
Have a great weekend love & keep on travelin’ <3
Hahahahaha thanks! I’ve certainly had a lot of attention and comments on the strange tan lines..
One month already and yet the adventure has only just started. 1467 pics…. slouch ;) wonder how many you will have by the time you return home.
Iain Mallory recently posted..Cultural Aveyron; Enchanting Villages and Mystical Castles
Hahahaha, I normally take a lot more photos – and I’ve taken about triple that in the next month!
You picked a great area to start your big trip in — beautiful and half familiar half strange
Congrats on the sandal tan — I had a huge Z on my feet for AGES for this exact same reason :)
Reena recently posted..What I miss most when traveling
Thanks Reena! That was exactly why I chose Eastern Europe to start in :)
I’ve since lost my sandals, so the tan is fading gradually…
Cool stats! Your budget was quite reasonable.
Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Ais Kacang | Penang, Malaysia | Travel Photo
Thanks dude!
I hear the scenery is just beautiful.
How did you spend your days? What was the average rate on a room/hostel?
Tyler @ roundtheworldtravelchallenge.com recently posted..Worse Comes Before Better
The average rate was 20-30 euros.
Lovely plan, very curious about your impressions on Russia, it’s not the typical tourist destination, well done you chose to go there too.
Angela recently posted..A trip, a photo – Sunset on the Mediterranean Sea
Thanks Angela – Russia was… Interesting! Quite hard to get around with the language barrier but I really enjoyed Moscow!
Congratulations on your first month. You seem to be having an incredible time. Don’t feel guilty about the McDonalds, we’ve had it twice in South America already and we’ve only been here a week! I had my first steak here yesterday though and I don’t think I’ll be going to McDonalds for a long time now!!!
I can’t believe how many of your posts I have missed out I guess I am constantly missing you on twitter.
In 3 months I am 2 pairs of shoes down too and most importantly the loss of my 6 sided nail file was a big blow for me. A manicure used to be going down to Julie’s to be pampered for 45mins now I wash my hands and cut all my nails off. How things change?
Reading about how you are moving on to Asia upsets me knowing I have to go back to the U.K for 9 months. But hey us solo female travellers have to stick together hey xx
George recently posted..ESCAPE!!
I have a sandal tan from 20 years ago that still looks amazing (if you think that’s amazing). For that alone I’m RTing this!! Thanks Scott!
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