A Special Guest Post by Belle: Experiencing Europe as a Teen (+ My Favourite Travel Destinations)

Happy Mother’s Day to everyone celebrating—or being celebrated—as a special woman. Here’s to mothers who birthed us and, equally, to the women who have stood in place of biological mothers to love and nurture us throughout life. I know some of you are grieving the loss of your mother today. Others are mourning the lack of a positive maternal relationship. And others are grateful to be able to spend time today celebrating with their mother. Wherever you are and whatever emotions you’re feeling, hugs.

For this Mother’s Day, I decided nothing could be more fitting than having my own daughter show up in the proverbial blog house again!

I gave her free rein over her topic of choice (and whether she even wanted to write anything else—she did!), and today’s post is the result. She also hand-picked all the accompanying pictures, too. (I could get used to having someone else write my blog posts!)

• Here’s her take on Top Five/Bottom Five movies…
• And her Top Five/Bottom Five things about me, her mom…

Take it away, Belle!

One of the pastors at our church said something like this about people’s response when you get back from a trip:

“There are three different types of people when it comes to the return from a trip. There’s the person who asks how your trip was and wants a 30-second response; they want to hear, ‘My trip was great, thanks for asking! I got to see cool sights like the Eiffel Tower.’ Then there’s the second type of person who wants the 30-minute response. They want to hear more in-depth about how your trip was, see some photos, and hear about some of the less positive things, but they still aren’t fully invested. Finally, there is the third type of person: the kind who wants the two-hour response. They want to see every photo and hear every detail-good and bad-because they want to be tuned into this part of your life.”

I really like how he says this because it feels true to me. I have friends who would like to hear all about my adventures, and on the other hand, I have friends who just want a quick response that keeps things positive. It’s very normal for some people to like in-depth conversations while others prefer things to be quick and shallow.

I can’t fully describe every single event through my eyes, but I’ll do my best to summarize them.

In the lead-up to this trip, I was so excited. [She was!] I’ve always loved Europe, and I couldn’t wait to travel to new countries. I was looking forward to a temporary break from the people I wasn’t so fond of, and I was excited to not have to do as much school. The reality really set in when I got to Vienna, Austria. While I was more than happy to leave behind the people I didn’t like, I never realized I would also have to leave behind the people I do love, like my friends and family.

I was excited to visit so many places in such a short time, but I wasn’t prepared for the energy it took. Getting up early, walking long distances with luggage, and navigating trains, planes, and metros is exhausting. [Sing it, sister!] And as for school…it sucks a lot of the time, but it provides structure and routine, which are both things I realized I value and need (this probably came from my mother). [Routines make my world go ’round.]

This trip has been really cool so far. It’s going to be useful to me for a lifetime because I’m developing important travel skills. I’m learning how to navigate public transportation in foreign countries, learning ancient and modern history, and figuring out how to order food where people don’t speak my language. I’m experiencing little bits of culture in every place I visit.

Some of my favourite places I’ve ever visited (and why)

Grand Lake, New Brunswick, Canada: There are so many places I’ve been, and I love them all for different reasons, but there is one place that has always stood above the rest. No matter how many wowing buildings I see or delicious meals I eat abroad, they will never quite compare to Grand Lake. This has been my favourite place ever since I started coming here. My grandparents own a small cottage on the side of a lake in New Brunswick, and every year my family visits. Whether we come with friends or just by ourselves, it’s my favourite because of the people. I have always been really close to my Grammie, and I have countless memories of baking cookies, playing board games, drinking Pepsi in the warm sun, and swimming in the lake. It’s a place that will always remain close to my heart. [I’ve been going to this little oasis on the lake every single year since my birth. For many decades it had no running water or electricity, but my parents winterized everything when my Dad retired, and it’s now their permanent home.]

Venice, Italy If someone were to ask me my favourite place I’ve ever traveled to abroad, I used to always say Paris because it’s so iconic. But on this trip, the place I really wanted to go was Italy. Originally, we were going to go to Milan, but thank you to whoever said not to go there-I am so glad we went to Venice instead! [Yes! We have done a lot of city visits in Europe, but Venice stands out from the crowd. I’m sure Milan would have been nice, but I am THRILLED we opted for Venice.]

One of the first things I loved was the fact that Venice has no cars. It was so nice to not have to look over our shoulders for traffic, wait for stoplights, or hear constant honking. One of my best memories so far is the gondola ride we took along the canals; it was so peaceful and beautiful. The gondolier was friendly, the weather was nice, and our timing was perfect, as we saw the canals filled with “gondola traffic” later that day. [It shocked me how much more relaxed the day felt not having to be mindful of cars… or buses, bikes, or trams.]

And don’t even get me started on the food… it was so good! I love pizza, and Italian pizza was amazing. You could tell every inch of it was handmade and fresh with natural ingredients, not processed sauces and cheese. In Arenzano (a small town on the coast we passed on the way to Monaco), I got a Margherita pizza. Those are my favorite, and this one was especially good. The sauce tasted like fresh tomatoes and herbs rather than something from a grocery store shelf. The cheese was gooey and stretchy, which was so comforting after a long car ride! I had an equally good experience with pizza in Venice, where we split two pizzas for a late lunch. I also had great pastries and a delicious lasagna along the way. Sadly, I wasn’t a huge fan of cannolis, but it was still cool to try them.

Paris, France: I have wanted to go to Paris since I was old enough to know what it was. It’s a place for fashion, food, and famous sights. Not only did it live up to my expectations, it surpassed them. I loved walking up the street a few steps and having a bite to eat at a local cafe; having a pain au chocolate and hot chocolate was my ideal start to the day. We had many adventures, but my favourite was Disneyland Paris. There used to be a small amusement park near our home in Nova Scotia, but the roller coaster there was wooden and very bumpy, so I didn’t have a great experience. In Paris, I finally got to try a “real” roller coaster. I started with the Indiana Jones ride and eventually worked up to Hyperspace Mountain. It was super fun, and I ended up loving the rides there.

There are many other places I’ve loved. Vienna, Monaco, Zurich, Barcelona, Porto and the Algarve in Portugal, but the places I’ve already listed are my very top favourites. Before this gets any longer, I’ll wrap up with my favourite and least favourite parts of travel.

Monaco, Monaco:

Porto, Portugal:

My top favourite part is exploring. If I’m only in a place for a short time, I like jam-packed days with lots of walking, trying new foods, and taking pictures. If we’re staying longer, I enjoy figuring out the best local spots and how the transit system works. I also love seeing how these places differ from Canada. I really enjoy the small-town feel of certain areas that feel “homey” and less industrial. It’s hard because I miss home, but having meals I recognize, FaceTiming my friends, and baking cookies makes me feel closer to home while I enjoy Europe.

Some of the harder parts have been missing my friends. Life goes on for them too, and the time difference is not in my favour, though I try to talk to them on weekends. The early mornings can also be tough, especially navigating stressful public transit situations while not fully rested.

There have been many stressful moments, and times when I get tired of seeing the same people every day, [Ahem. That would be Indy, John, and I!] but overall, Europe has been an amazing experience. If there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s that things aren’t always exactly as they appear. There is a glamorous side to travel and a side that’s not so easy. Most good things come with hard work, long walks, and lots of patience, but this has truly been the trip of a lifetime.

Thanks for guest posting again, Belle! It’s fun to hear your side of things.

I agree that Venice was a standout stop on this trip for me, too. My all-time favourite destinations have been Rome and Paris, but on this trip, I’d say the view over Lake Bled rises to the top in terms of experiences, along with the gondola ride in Venice. (And I could get used to all the free samples at Lindt Home of Chocolate.) Magical!

She’s also right that travel can look extremely glamorous, but it’s actually hard work, especially when you’re sustaining momentum over an extended trip. There are a lot of logistics, early mornings, the disruption of learning new cultures, and settling into new routines. The payoff is huge, but I’m glad she kept it real by highlighting the challenges that come with this sort of trip, too.

Okay. It’s your turn.

• What’s your absolute favourite place on earth?

Also…

Belle thought it would be fun to do a Q&A for her next post. So if you have a specific question or two you’d be interested in having her answer, feel free to leave them in the comments section and she’ll choose some to answer for a future post.