What I wish I knew before going on my INTERRAIL trip

Hello Friends!

As promised here's a blogpost about the things I wish I knew before going on my Interrail trip. I'm also going to include a few tips and tricks that made things easier for me.

So here we go:
THINGS I WISH I KNEW BEFORE GOING ON MY INTERRAIL TRIP:

• Think about it! If you're an introverted or shy person and you think solo traveling will get you out of your comfort zone, that's not necessarily true for everyone. I had a really hard time talking to people and I missed home very much even though I thought that traveling will make me more confident and outgoing (which it did but not as much as I thought it would)
• You don't need to go for a full 30 days. This is a thing I totally didn't think about. I thought that if I went, it had to be for a full month. Yes, I still went for a full month but I really thought about quitting before I got to Amsterdam.
• Don't feel bad if you don't enjoy it as much. Don't put yourself under pressure. You won/bought the ticket and only you can make the best out of it. If you want to go home earlier, nobody can judge you. Enjoy things as much as you can and don't feel guilty if it's not your thing. People say that you're so lucky that you won the ticket and other people don't ever have the opportunity for it BUT DON'T FEEL GUILTY
• Hostels really aren't as bad as you might think. Looking back, I would've rather stayed in a hostel in a few more cities. Hostels have cool chill out areas which made it easier for me to talk to people (or the other way around)
• Take all kinds of clothes with you. Just because you go in summer, that doesn't mean there will be nice weather. I went in August and I felt like the rain was following me into every city/country.
• Train reservations! Originally I wanted to go to Spain and Portugal but I couldn't get any train reservations anymore! So book them REALLY EARLY!
• Carry a notebook with important numbers, blocking your card, your parents phone numbers and every other number you might need. If anything goes bad, you'll still have those numbers in your pocket.
• Think about what you take on your trip. Don't take the three books you wanted to read in the last five years. If you're not a reader, chances are you won't read anything. Save some space and let that weight at home. 
• You need GOOD SHOES. I was running around Europe for a month and looking back, my shoes were ruined! I really don't know if they were good for me :D
• Join a Facebook group with other Interrailers. Chances are that you might make a friendship for life. 
• You don't need to go backpacking. If you want to take a suitcase, take it. When I go to Prague I always take a suitcase but when I went interrailing I took a travel bag and I was not organized at all. Looking back, I should've taken a suitcase because I can organize all my stuff better.

So, these are the things that I didn't think of until it was too late or until it was last minute. 

Here's a list of things that helped me while I was abroad:

• Journaling. It's not only good to write down your fears and worries but also to keep your memories in a safe place. You'll remember all the little things, like that weirdly nice guy that was pretty high in Amsterdam or that pretty asian girl who's conversations you listened to on the train. You don't need to write full pages full of emotions but even just small key words might make you remember that trip in a more magical way.
• Download good music. This was really important for me. Music can be very therapeutic and it can make you forget all you worries and your home sickness. I listened to (mainly) three albums on my trip: WILLOW by Willow Smith, Singular Act I by Sabrina Carpenter and Singular Act II by Sabrina Carpenter. 

• Download good podcasts. Preferably in your own language. They helped me a lot when I felt like I needed to talk to someone. They make you think about other things than being homesick. Here's the ones that I listened to:

• Download good games that you can play offline. You sit in trains a lot and you try to fall asleep in hostels and what makes that more enjoyable than games? I'm talking Sudoku, Crossword puzzles, puzzles, paining and maybe Candy Crush. It again, gets your mind off of things. 

This might be a shorter blogpost but I hope I could help some of you. Sure, during this time, sadly no one will go on trips abroad but once all of this is over I hope you have a lovely time on your trip and hopefully you'll be better prepared than I was. Enjoy it as much as you can. 

It would be great if you check out my other social media pages where I've also posted about my trip:
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Lots of love to all of you, stay safe,