Luna Explores Europe
My name is Luna,
and since 2022, I've been exploring the European continent. I haven't discovered anything new, mind you, but it opened up new worlds for me. The world that had been unknown to me until then suddenly lay at my fingertips with a simple realization: the world is much larger than the few square kilometers where I move daily. It's more than just the Netherlands, 'bitterballen', countryside, work, study, and staying at home. Looking back now, it seems like my urge to step outside those boundaries emerged all at once, but in reality, it has been a long process influenced greatly by spending a lot of time in front of the television since I was young.
When I was young, my parents and I watched a lot of 24Kitchen on Dutch TV. One of the first shows was called The Taste of Life Travel, featuring well-known chef Rudolph van Veen, among others.
This is a culinary travel show, and I can say with complete certainty that it sparked my love for both traveling and food. I was only six years old when the show first aired in 2007. Now, 18 years later, I'm traveling myself and enjoying the most delicious local dishes.
At that time, I had no idea I would become a history enthusiast. I was getting extremely low grades on my tests and had no interest in reading historical 'facts'. And look at me now. I'm almost a graduated historian with a special interest in the preservation of cultural heritage, the Middle Ages, the Early Modern Period, the Vikings, and the Ottomans.
The love for history and a good plate of food now shapes the travels my partner and I make (so far, still within Europe). Thankfully, my partner, Patrick, shares the same interests as I do. Over the past year, we've also developed in fine regional wines. And I must admit: we haven't been disappointed anywhere yet!
What else do I do in my free time?
- Weightlifting
- Cooking
- Writing
- Watching history-based series on Netflix (I'd recommend The Ottoman Empire and Vikings + Vikings Valhalla)
- Visiting museums
- Catching up with my best friends, Luka and Guzel
- Walking with Patrick
- Household chores in our little home
- Reading (historical and travel magazines, non-fiction books)
- Attending concerts and lectures
At the moment, I'm an assistant manager at a drugstore, working around 30 hours a week. I have truly fantastic colleagues whom I consider close friends, so the moment I have to say goodbye to them would really hit me. But sometimes, it's necessary to leave the familiar behind in order to open new doors.
Because I'm on the path to financial freedom, in order to live the life I envision for myself.
I don't want to worry later about having enough vacation days to travel, which is what I love to do most! At some point, you run out of content, right? Haha.
Additionally, I think it's important to have something that's just for myself. I've always dreamed of having my own website where I can share what's close to my heart and inspire others. What I didn't expect was how many people would contribute to it.
For example, Luka, a friend who is very dear to me, has his own 'column' about solo travel. How amazing is it to be able to share your passion with strangers, but also with one of the best people ever by your side? I can't imagine a better co-writer.
A community
I would love for this blog to be more than just about me. There are many people who have been to places before me and inspired me along the way, but there are also plenty of people who can't wait to share their own stories with the traveling world, because they haven't had the chance to do so yet. I believe travelers can naturally connect with one another. As Luka mentioned in his first blog post about his own experience: he was able to effortlessly talk to fellow travelers when he had to wait for his connecting bus. Probably because everyone was in the same boat. I think this applies to travelers like us who don't meet each other in person, but online. And that's okay. The world is going online, and we can all make the most of it. That's why I encourage you: share your story, make friends, and be unapologetically yourself. I've found that most people who travel a lot are really enthusiastic and curious about life. Don't deny yourself that, and be the source of inspiration that you may have wished for in the past.
Share, inspire, connect.
Gallery
Dubrovnik, Croatia
April 2022
Krka, Croatia
April 2023
Narva, Estonia
August 2024
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