But I Must Live Fully

5 years ago (can't believe that 2019 is truly 5yrs ago), one of my best friends in this entire world and I were traipsing around Salzburg, Austria to chase after the places that at one point became the setting in the life of Mozart, to wait for a half hour just to be seated in an 1880-built restaurant where we  tried their famous schnitzel and beer soup, to do our own rendition of the Do-Re-Mi song at Mirabell Palace and Gardens, and just to immerse ourselves in a city that is full of historical and musical importance. Of course the best Mozart-related activity that we had, more than visiting the Mozart Residence, was eating the Mozartkugeln chocolates. Those were truly divine, and inspiring. 

Fur top: Zara | Pants and inner long-sleeves: Uniqlo | Beanie: Tommy Hilfiger | Boots: from USA | Bag: Pacsafe

Ever the reliable friend, we had matching bags in this trip thanks to Tatiana. It is probably unwise to leave 2 super-trusting, super-adventurous girls without any protection, so to speak, that her Dad made a very smart move of buying us "thief-proof" bags before we went on our trip. There is always the possibility of being taken advantage of anywhere in the world, yes, but Europe was so far away from Manila that her Dad's first thought after learning of our trip was not to wish us enjoyment but to esnure that we'll have at least something to secure our belongings; not that our common sense was lacking in any way. It's just that, it would prove to be very difficult if we suddenly found ourselves without our wallets and cards. I'm happy to report that all the cities we visited proved to have the friendliest and safest locals to tourists like us so no, we didn't lose any money nor important stuff that we weren't readily willing to part with, save for a few taxi fares that we had to take because of having no other options.

Perhaps I have been a little sentimental and recollective of my Feb 2019 Eurotrip because I have just completed a form regarding my accommodation for the foreseeable future, in Europe. Yes, I am going back to Europe before the year ends. No, it doesn't excite me as much as planning a 2-3wk family trip but it excites me in a more be-brave-Gellie way. More than my conviction of going to a new city/country every year, my goal this year is to try something that I have never done before. And this, my friends, is where the double feeling of fear and excitement enter. 

I am now in my thirties. And though I am unfortunately among those who do not have hard-driven goals, one thing that I am certain of is that, I will live a life that would hopefully have no regrets. I'm going to go on as many adventures as I can, take as many leaps albeit calculated as I can, and enjoy all of it. I am going to be scared, sure, but I will try to gain independence out of it all. Ahh 2024, I am so excited for everything that you have in store for me.