Eyes on the horizon

Finally back to London....from the first trip to Paris in early April until the last one to Belgium, I went through 16 countries in this three months' time. I thought it was one way through different cities without coming back to any of them. However, it turns out to be circle routes and one within the other.

I said I would like to be fully independent in this process after being shepherded for over 24 years. Although I move a lot in the past but no matter where I went, there was always someone there for me. I do not need to worry about whether there is a place to stay, how can I earn enough money to support myself or even more simple things-how can I wake up in the morning....someone will handle it and remind me....it works in this way for many years. No need to worry about anything at all but my fear never disappears as I know I can do nothing on my own. I would like to learn something new in this trip but I did not know how to make it at that moment. Actually, I started the last one with a group of people and a reliable travel agency as there was no enough time for me to organize everything by myself. Still, enough budget, good insurance policy and three copies of the documents in all my different packages, nothing to be worried about. I might be coming back with the same me....

Then it happens....I was rejected at the Albania border as I ignored that this one is not in Schengen agreement. What I need to do at that moment was walk back to Greece and took all the way back to Italy on my own. When I got off the bus, unconscious for 2 minutes, then I thought I couldn't delay the schedule of the whole group and I must leave them. After that I started to walk back....no time for anxious, no time for crying and no time for any other things. When I arrived at the Greece border, I was wondering what kind of stamps they would give me-by plane you get a plane, by train you get a train and by Ferry you get a Ferry, what about on foot? The other interested thing is although the Greek alphabet is different from English, the logic behind is almost the same. So you have same composition of the words and it is possible to identify the name of the place. By this way I finally on board my ferry to Italy-one of the most luxury ferries with swimming pool on the deck and the four persons’ cabin only for me.

I am on my own, there is no plan and there is no back up plan....Last ferry, last train and last bus....and I make it. This must be the most impressive part in my trip and there are many other funny things come later.