I left in pursuit of travel; I return in pursuit of life.

All it took was 30 days.

I knew this trip would be amazing, but I had no idea it would have such a massive impact on how I view life, other people, and myself. Just as my mom said: you leave for a trip like this, and you come back a different person.

Here are the 5 most important lessons I’ve learned from my time in 10 Eastern and Western European countries. Perhaps, somewhere in this jibberish, you’ll find something you can relate to.

1. People are good.
95% of the people I’ve met on this trip have been absolutely fantastic. They, locals and travelers alike, have been fun, lively, fascinating, and so incredibly passionate about their hobbies and their goal to explore the world.

Of course, the good comes with the bad. Some of the people you’ll meet in life either have no interest in talking with you, or simply don’t mesh with you as a person. And that’s okay. These people should be treated as independent cases and are not inductive of any other members of the human race. You will be happiest if you throw away the thoughts of the bad and, instead, create more space for memories of the good.

2. Life is about something more.
It’s about more than just yourself and the friends you make. Life is about finding yourself, finding pieces of yourself in others, and understanding and admiring that we are all part of something bigger than just ourselves, every day of our lives.

3. Connections are what make travel incredible.
As you travel, you learn that it’s all about the simple things. That Greek man who kept trying to speak broken English just to help me find my bus, or that Bosnian woman who didn’t speak a lick of English but still laughed with me when I spilled sausages all over myself: these are 2 of the moments where I realized humanity’s ability to connect and empathize. Language barriers or cultural differences mean nothing in this field–we all smile in the same language. It’s moments like these that make a trip what it is, much more so than any sunset or panorama.

4. You learn more about yourself in 5 days of solo travel than you do in 3 months of normal life.
In those 5 days, I learned which type of people I gravitate towards and which type I spend time with only out of convenience. I learned how long I can last with others until I need to recharge with alone time. I found myself going out of my way to meet people, simply because I had no other choice.

Time goes by much slower when you’re alone as you observe everything around you and soak in each and every moment. I truly believe that everyone needs to travel in a foreign country alone before they turn 25. I already know that my next trip will be partially, if not entirely, solo.

5. What really matters in life is who you are as a person.
The most important priority of them all: the type of person you are today and the type of person you’re working towards becoming in the future. As college students, we constantly worry about our majors, planned career paths, GPAs, whether or not we’re liked by others, and many other trivial things. When you put your thoughts and energy towards developing characteristics and habits that will make you into the person that you want to be, all else in life will follow.

I wish I could write forever about what I’ve learned from my time here, but this is enough for now. Thank you to Europe and all of my new friends for the ride of my life. May the memories carry me forward in my newfound thirst for life.

Currently in: Zurich, Switzerland
Next stop: USA