When I was staying at a hostel in Austria, I met a guy who had been travelling constantly for over two years. We talked a lot about places he had been, and places that I wanted to go. I voiced my doubts about being able to make time to get to any of these dream destinations, and he said something that I will never forget. He told me not to worry, and that he was sure it would all happen, because he saw something in me; a kindred spirit. He said that, like him, I was intrepid.

        Now I don't say this to congratulate myself, but rather to explain how I was feeling at the time. Something about that word really resonated with me. It is that spirit of adventure, the desire to explore, that enabled me to travel throughout Europe on my own. It was nothing compared to the adventure my friend from Austria had experienced, but it was a great start down that path. To see some of what I saw on my adventure, click on any of the cities in the key below.