Defining a Trip Through Places and Company

Today was wonderful. We spent it basically from start to finish with Ruby and Daniel, Mary’s older sister and her boyfriend. For me, it was a pertinent reminder that I too often get tangled in perfecting the logistics and forget about the holiday part.

We left our hostel. It wasn’t all terrible. Truly. Far from the worst place. But equally, staying in a nice place can make a massive difference. Simple things. A dependably comfortable bed. Putting on three loads of washing. Listening to music and having a cup of tea before bed. Coming home to somewhere that makes you feels less stressed, not like you’re walking on eggshells.

I get it. Budget backpacking is the trodden path. It works. It can be really cheap. I’m fairly indifferent when the accommodation isn’t ideal. But, paying however many extra dollars per night it might be is absolutely worthwhile if you actually enjoy said night, rather than feeling like you’re surviving it. I digress. Sometimes I fear I’m becoming a little grinch-like.

Yes, today was great because of the company. For me, the jury is still out on Vienna as a city. Stunning. Historically relevant. Definitely with more subtle sides I’ve only come to appreciate over the past 24hrs. But I don’t think it’s the location.

Like on most occasions, the people you’re with make the trip special. Even though their appearance will be brief, I think seeing familiar faces—particularly those who you’d love to spend more time with ordinarily at home, but don’t—takes a lot whole of seriousness and weight out of travel. They’re on holiday! They’ve saved up specifically for this handful of weeks. Taken work off just for this time. They want to have fun and explore, and aren’t hamstrung by frugality, travel fatigue, or future daydreaming. It feels fresh and exciting. Being swept up amongst that energy, if just for a day, was brilliant.