Saturday, June 22, 2013

I Had To Pay To Use Dirty Toilets.

I'm so happy to be home! Almost three weeks was way too long of an excursion. I've never been so excited and so exhausted in my entire life, and it's amazing. I gained new loves, like the Swiss Alps, and new fears, like airports and co-ed toilets.

I do not know what's better, the view from my balcony in Paris, or the fact that I got lost in Paris trying to get back to the Eiffel Tower. Maybe it was performing in St. Mark's Basilica, or the train ride up to the Matterhorn. It's hard to pick, so I will not. But my favorite country was definitely Switzerland. The people were kind and welcoming and did not laugh too hard at my attempted French and German.



Traveling through all those ridiculously astounding places was a lifetime experience and being able to join a choir and accompany a band made up of young people from all over Oklahoma made it unforgettable. There were more ups than downs, making it completely worth being away from my family and friends for so long.

The downs, they were scary. I got lost a few times with the other unaccompanied minors, ate some meat that I was not entirely sure of what it was, and had to use one of the scariest restrooms I have ever seen. Jet-lag took over for the first three days. and is back again today. Nine hour flights and six hour layovers were unbearable, like sleeping on the plane and buses across the plethora of cultural epicenters. Wifi? What is wifi? Or ice? Or bacon? Dr. Pepper? Haven't had these in quite awhile. I found myself chanting "Goos fra ba" in the massive crowds of other tourists.



The ups, those were great. Wine tasting in Paris, fondu in Switzerland, watching glass being blown in Venice, every breakfast view, and my sweet yet insane tour directors (you have to crazy to voluntarily travel with teenagers, but still, they need some professional help...) who I'll cherish forever due to their comedic and parental qualities that I was in dire need of. I cannot wait to go back, it's so different and beautiful across the pond. There was a lot of inspiration gained and a lot of writing done as well which made the trip even better. Ideas just keep flowing in, settings just tattooed in the back of my mind. Ah, excitement!



Today, I'm taking photos for a wedding so when I catch a break, I want to hear about everyone's best and worst travel experiences. More tales will be shared from my side when I get some rest. Going 27 hours with out sleep is a new record, so hopefully I can make up for lost time... eventually..




6 comments:

Jordan Dane said...

Great post, Morgan. Glad to have you back, but it sounds like you had the experience that I'd hoped you'd have. Soooooo happy you did some writing too, but your experiences will always stay with you and reflect in your stories.

I did a 4-wk trip through Europe after I graduated high school. An amazing experience. Very surreal to see places with such history.

As for weirdest travel experiences, I have too many to list, but most happened during the 10 years I lived in Alaska--being charged by a mad mother moose, riding in small planes that landed on frozen rivers, being at 70 below temps, being stalked by a grizzly, peeing outdoors for the first time (with many more to come), my first honey bucket (had nothing to do with honey), and climbing mountains, kayaking/canoeing, and flying a plane over Denali at sunset above the clouds.

Thanks for the trip down memory lane, Morgan. Kiss kiss.

Jordan Dane said...

BTW, love the title to your post. Ha!

Anonymous said...

Love You Jordan! I'm Going To Have To Check Out This HoneyBucket... I Loved Traveling And Will Eventually Make My Way Up To Alaska Because That Sounds Like Fantastic Fun! Experiencing Those Beautiful Places Was Lovely, But Nothing Beats The Comfort Of My Couch.

Anonymous said...

Love You Jordan! I'm Going To Have To Check Out This HoneyBucket... I Loved Traveling And Will Eventually Make My Way Up To Alaska Because That Sounds Like Fantastic Fun! Experiencing Those Beautiful Places Was Lovely, But Nothing Beats The Comfort Of My Couch.

Jordan Dane said...

If you're into fishing, the third week in July is the best time to hit Anchorage and other parts of the state. There are two runs of salmon--Kings and Sockeyes--in the Kenai River. The drive down the Kenai peninsula is breathtaking. Lots to see along the way. In Soldotna (for example), there is a 4-hr sightseeing boat tour that is filled with wild water beasties (like otters, seals, and whales), and they take you right up to a glacier. Phenomenal!

I'd make sure you met a very dear friend of mine so he could take you fishing on his boat on the Kenai. Great guy, who I love dearly, an old boss of mine. He would love meeting you and showing you around the state he's adopted as home.

Jordan Dane said...

Ok, dude. What's With All The CAPS!!!!


U crack me up.