It was quite fitting to hear the familiar lyrics of Dido’s “Sand in My Shoes” when I made my way back from my solo trip through Europe, as somewhat of a normalisation ritual to get all those club-bangers I’d heard out of my head. I didn’t exactly go club-hopping as there’s just so much more to Europe than the nightlife, but yeah you hear dance music everywhere you go nowadays so really, you have a hard time getting away from it.
So anyways, the lyrics go “I’ve still got sand, in my shoes and I can’t shake the thought of you”….”But I wanna see you again…”
In my case the “I wanna see you again” part refers to the destination itself, in its rather alluring selection of sights to see and things to do, rather than the subject of a romantic encounter, although I can definitely relate more directly to still having “sand in my shoes.” I mean what’s a warm-season holiday trip without a bit of lazing around on the beach, albeit between all the sightseeing, scheduled and unscheduled visits to all the iconic landmarks, and oh, just wishing you could spend more time exploring certain destinations a little deeper?Well I’ve definitely still got sand in my shoes and before I’ve even begun to get settled back in at home, I’ve realised that I simply have to start organising things now for my impending encore trip around Europe. I’ll be travelling by road this time and you can bet your bottom penny that Dido’s hit will be included in my trans-euro road-trip playlist!
Well I’ve definitely still got sand in my shoes and before I’ve even begun to get settled back in at home, I’ve realised that I simply have to start organising things now for my impending encore trip around Europe. I’ll be travelling by road this time and you can bet your bottom penny (or dollar, as the saying goes) that Dido’s hit will be included in my trans-euro road-trip playlist!
That’s definitely not where the planning begins and ends however. If there’s one thing I’ve realised as a result of my growing love for travelling and actually doing it, it’s that the earlier you plan and take steps to finalise your travel arrangements, the better off you are in so many ways.
Comparing used car prices online and regionally for instance hasn’t only taught me that used cars in Birmingham seem to be cheaper than a lot of other locations and offer a little more value as a result, but such an exercise has also turned me into quite the used car expert. Since I’ll be driving through Europe this time (I just feel a road trip will afford me the opportunity to explore so many more places and I’m so excited for it), I’m assessing potential used car investments from the point of view of someone who wants good fuel economy, comfort (as far as is reasonable), and a reasonable amount of space. Oh and I definitely also want reliability.
The idea of getting stuck on the side of some deserted road may make for some cross-border road-trip-blogging gold (I’d have a great story to tell), but yeah I’m not quite ready to be the leading lady in that sort of adventure. Just exploring the many hidden nooks of Europe’s less touristy stereotypes is more than enough of an adventure for me, for now at least.
While continental Europe has some great roads, I honestly don’t believe my itinerary will be exclusively confined to the route and destinations I have planned out for the 10-day long road trip. In pursuit of some of that road-trip-blogging gold I am actually willing to chase, any road less travelled will have too much of a pulling-factor for me to ignore. Between that and maybe picking up fellow solo or small-group travellers (most likely women), I’ve come to realise that one essentially never stops planning for any trip they might take in the future, no matter how near or far away that planned trip may be…
