Heading Out - Denver, Sep. 1

Day 1, here we go! Hoping I packed everything I need, I'm getting on a plane soon, so can't really go back now!

I should probably explain this trip and where I'm going. I'm interested in moving to Europe for a variety of reasons (I'm not a fan of the way the US does some things), but I'm not certain of exactly where I want to go. Thus my goal is to explore a few places I'm interested in to learn more about them, and help me narrow down where to move. At the top of my list are Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, so those are the countries I'm planning on visiting on this trip. I took German in high school, which one reason I'm interested in these countries. Ich muss mehr Deutsch lernen!

I'll also be stopping in the UK to visit my grandparents since I'll be close by, although my grandfather sadly passed away recently, so we'll be having his funeral while I'm there. I'll be visiting a handful of family friends in various places while I'm in Europe, who have offered for me to stay with them or give me a tour of their area. I'm extremely grateful for those who are helping me out, thank you!

Let's also address the elephant in the room: it's the middle of a pandemic right now. Hopping between numerous destinations doesn't sound like the smartest idea in the world, eh? Well the reason I'm travelling now is that it's a really good time for every other reason. I just graduated college, and have been intentionally avoiding looking for jobs specifically so I can decide where to live first. It's easy to get locked into an undesirable place just because there's a good job there, and I'm trying to avoid that. It's possible to find good jobs almost anywhere, so I think it's better to first choose the best location, then find work there.

I'm also choosing to go just after summer, because the main tourism season is over and the weather is still nice. I'm intending to start in the north side of my destinations and work my way south so it stays relatively warm throughout the trip. 

Obviously I could take some more time off to wait until the pandemic is over, but there's no telling how long that will be. It was first thought that it'd be over in a few months. That was over a year ago. We've got vaccines now, but even with over 50% of people fully vaccinated in these countries I'm visiting, cases are still spiking (this website is great for viewing COVID data). My bet is that the pandemic will continue on at least through the end of this year, and I don't want to wait that long.

On top of that, I'm doing my best to be a safe traveler. I got fully vaccinated back in May, and I wear a mask whenever I'm in a place with lots of people. I wash my hands regularly and try to avoid touching stuff if I don't need to. I'll be doing my best to make sure I'm not spreading any germs, I want this pandemic to be over just as much as everyone else.

Which brings me to now. I'm sitting at the gate for my flight, and just had dinner. Found a combined Pizza Hut and KFC, so I got a small pizza and some chicken tenders. Haven't had either in a while, so it was pretty good! If you ever find yourself in Terminal A at the Denver Airport, it's tucked back in one of the corners.

My plane showed up as I was eating. I hadn't checked the type of aircraft beforehand, so I had assumed it would be a 747. The walkway blocked the view, so I first saw the wing come into view, followed by a single enormous engine. The phot below doesn't do it justice, that engine is huge! I quickly realized it wasn't a 747. A quick Google search later, and it's actually a 777. Haven't been on one before, so this will be a first!

 Anyways, boarding is starting so I should get ready for that. I don't know how often I'll post here, but I'll do my best to cover the major events that happen at least. Europe here I come!

PS - the WiFi at the airport isn't great, took like 30 minutes just to upload these 2 photos!