I'm about to depart on an adventure. The use of this word is relative; what I'm doing and where I'm going may not seem particularly adventurous to some - at least, to those people who've already travelled all of the continents and can order a coffee five different ways, in five different languages. However. In my 26 years on this planet, I have left the UK a total of 5 times - and only two of those were as an adult. So, this is kind of a big deal to me.
On Sunday 11th May, I will be flying to Rome, the start of a 4 1/2 month stay in Europe flitting around various countries. I do not speak any other languages, and I am also an introvert who likes her home comforts. To illustrate: just three weeks ago I cried at the prospect of having to phone a potentially-angry customer; my favourite way to spend a Friday night is to hide under the duvet from 9:30 onwards, falling asleep to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy radio series; I get a little disappointed if I don't get a regular opportunity to have lengthy bubble baths (and by regular I mean twice a week).
So now you might see why this trip means a lot to me.
~But if I'm such an introvert, why am I going?~
There are several reasons. One of the first triggers, that made me think about visiting somewhere for longer than the average holiday, was my oldest friend leaving the UK in 2010 to travel the world. Her enthusiasm before she left was infectious, and made me feel almost brave enough to think of doing something similar myself. Sadly, relationship, work and money issues have made my own plans come to fruition slightly later than I would have liked, but my gratitude goes to my friend for inspiring me so.
I'm also all about character development. Anyone who has spent any amount of time with me in real life will know that one of my favourite rebuttals to any complaint is "It's character-building!" So I'm basically taking my own advice and doing something which goes against my natural inclinations, in order to learn and experience new things, and grow from it. And, *maybe*, have some actual fun in the process.
But it's not just about the self-helpy growth stuff. I'm also going for the gelato food.
