let's explore everything
My European travels started off in Spain with the rest of my family. We spent a couple days exploring Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, and Granada.
Each city was so unique and I loved getting a feel for each one by doing the “touristy” things and just walking around.
It’s hard to capture four cities in one blog post, so I thought I’d just share some pictures from the trip instead.
Enjoy 🙂
I came abroad to explore new countries and cultures. I wanted to walk up and down streets with new foods lining bakery storefronts and watch people walk around with different fashion styles. I wanted to see the different architectures, the new ways people style their houses, and live their lives.
So in July, I began my exploration of the European lifestyle. I started in Spain with the rest of my family, made my way to England and said goodbye to them, then ended up in the Netherlands for three months to study.
Throughout these last couple of months, I’ve taken advantage of how easy it is to travel around Europe, traveling to 11 different countries and 27 different cities. I’m going to retroactively document my journeys on this blog by posting a story about each trip over the next couple of weeks. I’m excited to share where I’ve been, what foods I’ve eaten, and everything that went wrong on my travels!
Before I get into each city, I wanted to talk more generally about travel in this first installment.
While I was in the US, my travel Pinterest board was my portal into other cities. I have almost 1,000 different travel destinations pinned on my one travel board and for a long time this was how I satisfied my wanderlust. Although looking at pictures of pristine beaches and cobblestone alley ways is a nice way of exploring other cities, it’s also a very superficial way of experiencing other cultures. By looking at those pictures, you’re not experiencing the political climate of that city. You miss out on all the history that built the streets you’re walking on. You can’t hear the local languages that fill the air or the local music that characterized a region for centuries.
After traveling around Europe, these 2 dimensional pictures aren’t enough for me anymore. Luckily, there are ways of experiencing different cultures right from your couch- wherever you are in the world.
BOOKS
With my light class schedule here in the Netherlands, I’ve had plenty of free time to satisfy the bookworm within by reading a variety of books that take place across the world.
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan- Although fiction, this book was based on the people who Kwan grew up around and the schools he attended in Singapore. It provided fascinating insight into the wealthy Singapore community, which I didn’t realize existed to the extent it does. He does a great job of painting the picture of their lifestyles and placing the readers along side the characters in Singapore.
Anne Frank’s Diary- I never read this book in school, so I thought I should read it before visiting the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam. I’ve learned so much about the Holocaust and WWII in school, but it’s an entirely different experience reading this book from Frank’s perspective. This book transports you both in place and time, giving insight into her living conditions and fears.
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie- This is another great book for transporting you to a different time period and country. This book takes place during the Nigerian civil war from 1967-70. Having never lived in a war torn country, this book did a great job of showing how war effects everyone involved, from professors to their houseboys.
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi- This book is currently sitting on my desk unopened, but it’s next on my list. This graphic novel covers life in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. I look forward to reading this true story about life in a society that I’m not too familiar with.
MOVIES
I’ve grown up watching Bollywood movies, so this is a familiar category for me. On this trip, though, I’ve added movies from other countries to my constant rotation of Bollywood movies.
Ali’s Wedding- This rom-com takes place in Australia, but is about dating as Muslims. It’s a cute insight into customs that aren’t covered in mainstream movies and also does a great job of diving into the religious dynamics that are so prevalent throughout Ali’s life.
Barakah Meets Barakah- This is also a rom-com of sorts covering the struggles of Muslim dating in a strict Saudi Arabian society. Although it covers a similar topic to Ali’s Wedding, this movie is drastically different because of the religious police governing Saudi, making dating very difficult for this young couple.
Tamasha- I had to through in a Bollywood movie 🙂 I really liked this one because it’s a grand story, starting out in Corsica, traveling to India, then ending in Japan. It covers travel, romance, and touches on mental health.
MUSIC
As I’m writing this post, I have my go to playlist on- Global X– by Spotify. I’ve found so many great songs from all over the world on this playlist. Some of my favorites are…
Oui by Sivas (in Danish and Portuguese)
Djadja by Aya Nakamura (in French)
Bom Diggy by Zack Knight (in Punjabi, English, and Bengali)
…but it’s hard to narrow down since a lot of the songs are great.
I hope you all enjoyed these different ways of experiencing cultures across the world. You don’t have to have a passport to hear different languages and learn about the different societies people live in.
Please let me know your favorite books, movies, and songs from all over the world! I love getting new recommendations!
RaveenKaur 