Tuesday, 17th July 2001, 2341 - Luxembourg

I can't believe it's almost been a month since I left for London to escape real life problems and basically get my mind off a few things. One month later, I now have the exam results I was awaiting back then (I passed), and well, I won't really discuss the other "problem".

Looking back at this trip, I can't decide whether it was a good thing to do, or not. I spent a bit of money I would have needed now. On the other hand, I probably would have wasted it on other things had I stayed here. Viewing the 140+ pictures I took, I'm not that satisfied. I fell for a lot of tourist traps and didn't really achieve the goal I originally had when taking my digital camera with me: documenting whatever I did... I never photographed the outside of the youth hostel, or the places I stayed at to eat... things that might be irrelevant to anyone but me, but would be a tremendous aid in remembering... Of all the pictures I took, the ones that make me think the most are the few I took just for that purpose... I can see the Piccadilly Circus on a thousand web pages, but what will remind me of all the walking I did, the places I rested at, the food I ate, etc. I realize that it is impossible to document every step, and that it is important to keep all these pictures and moments in your head and heart rather than somewhere on a disk or on paper... but still...

I'm also thinking back to the time spent at the youth hostel, and how easy it seemed to get to know people. Now, I can't pretend to have made friends, I barely exchanged a few words with a few of them and talked for half an hour with another, and will never see them again, but I guess it showed me that if I ever envision to do a longer trip across European or international youth hostels, which I resolved to do, that I won't feel as lonely as I always thought I would on such a trip...

The bad things... The weather wasn't all that nice. It didn't rain and temperatures were moderate, but there was only little sun, and it was a bit chilly at times because of the cold wind. The youth hostel took some time getting used to: the noise, sleeping with lots of strangers in one room. Eating alone has always been a pet hate of mine: I constantly feel watched, as in "what is that guy sitting over there all alone?"...

But I look back at the trip in fondness. This trip showed me that I can travel on my own. It proved that I can stick to flight, bus and train scheduled and find my way in an unknown city. I learned what to bring along for such a trip, and what better not. And I experienced, the hard way, that you should never have a digital camera protruding from your trouser pocket - especially not if walking close to walls...

And thus ends this short London travelogue. It too, just like the trip, was just a test for a much larger adventure: a three-week trip to the South-West of the United States and an associated trip report.