New Osprey backpack and matching sandals to begin a new adventure. A little nervous; this will be my first time traveling to developed countries in the western world! I have a new and unfamiliar role–tourist instead of volunteer! This new role is a little unsettling–no antimalarial medication, no exotic diseases such as dengue fever, malaria, rashes and skin lesions that last 18 months. Making a packing list is proving a little intimidating. I know what to take when electricity is a luxury that occurs sparingly, hot water is for tea, and not hygiene. I sure will miss all the helping hands in Bangladesh. No one to help with all the travel arrangments, no one to attend to each and every need, and most of all no “magic laundry basket!! ” So I bought an 85 liter backpack, new green sandals to match and a Eurorail pass. I even put together an itinerary and have corresponded electronically with many owners of various B&B’s in Sweden, Germany and Amsterdam. I am calling this my “roots” tour. I have found the birthplace of my great, great grandfather and grandmother who were born and died in Pritzen, Germany. So I am off to do a little root searching in former East Germany and then along the Baltic coast where my great grandparents emigrated from Germany to the U.S. I have been walking 3-6 miles per day to help prepare for the packing journey. Not quite a backpacking journey to explore the world–however being a tourist will be a unique experience for me. So stay tuned for more entries as I learn how to be a tourist in the western world for my 3 week European adventure. Who knows, it may be the beginning of a totally new lifestyle as I prepare for retirement within the next few years. I am sure this will be a small part of my international travel as my true passion is volunteer service in developing/emerging countries around the globe.
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