I know it’s taken me longer than I’d hoped to get this post up but… man. What a month it was. Just to list some basic structure of the trip I took between July and August…

-      30 days

-      20 flights

-      15 hostels/hotels

-      13 cities 

-      8 countries

-      And way too many memories to count

As soon as I got back from the trip, the thought started going through my mind of, “How do I even begin to tell people about this trip?!” My guess was that, aside from a very select few, most people didn’t want the 3-hour version of all the adventures and stories. So I started to try and break it down into favorites and that’s when I started to realize that I had a way of sharing a lot of things in a short amount of time. I just needed to choose a favorite country (of the eight I stayed in), a favorite city (of the thirteen I stayed in), and a favorite moment (too many to even count). 

So. Sit back. Grab a drink (pairs well with coffee in the morning). And let me tell you the short version of my thirty days abroad. 

My Favorite Country

The list of countries I visited on the trip (not including layovers) in order was: Italy, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Tanzania, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Zambia, back to Turkey, and Switzerland. Even just reading that, it’s crazy how different those places all are. Spanning three continents and two hemispheres, it was sensory overload every day and I loved it. 

But. When it came to choosing my favorite. It was so easy. 

Switzerland. You have my heart forever. 

Flying into Zurich, I was so hyped up to see all of the Swiss mountains that I’d heard so much about and seen so many pictures of. Unfortunately, Zurich isn’t exactly packed in the mountains, which I wasn’t aware of, so I was a little disappointed my first night. That combined with the outrageous Swiss prices on everything, I got a little worried about how the week would go. The next day I made my way by train to the central region of the country to a stunning town called Grindelwald. It was like being transported into a fairy tale! Passing by the blue lakes of Interlaken and up into the mountains, I began to realize that my Swiss dreams were unfolding before my eyes. The mountains seemed to grow with every twist and turn the train made as it slowly climbed upwards to my destination. 

When I arrived I just stood on the sidewalk, in awe of where I had just landed. This small mountain town is sprawled out over undulating grassy hills in the shadows of three massive, snow covered peaks (Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau). My first day in this magical little town, I wondered around just taking it all in until I stumbled on a lift that takes you up several hundred feet to a restaurant and lookout point. Obviously, I took advantage. 

Over the next week, I visited the towns of Lauterbrunnen, Interlaken, Chandolin, and Zermatt. Every city seemed to be the previous city, but on steroids. Traveling from city to city, I began to LOVE the train rides! Not only is it just the most European way to travel, but I caught myself with my face pressed against the window for hours at a time, just mesmerized by the enormity of the landscape around me. It was so unlike anything I’d ever seen. Everything was stacked and packed into such a small area. If you are a mountain lover and think the Rockies are amazing… You NEED to see Switzerland. Because honestly, you haven’t seen anything yet. 

I may have survived on beer and fries for a week, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Take all of my money Switzerland, I’ll still love you. 

My Favorite City

My trip took me to some of the most historic cities in world history. Cities like Rome, Istanbul, Dubai, Ephesus, and Zanzibar dotted my itinerary. But it was the canals of the sinking city, Venice, Italy, that took the cake... or pasta in this case.

Honestly, it was the first city where I felt good enough to really explore because I got started off on a rough few days health-wise. But the first day I arrived in Venice, I decided to walk as much of the island city as I could and search for some great photos. And I hit the jackpot. 

I feel like any good movie that features a European plot line ends up going through Venice at some point… and with views like these, can you really blame them? Every single view was photo worthy. My favorite aspect of Venice was that even though it’s a very tourist-heavy city, there were times where I’d walk and get lost and not see anybody for 20-30 minutes at a time. Most people tend to stay around the outer edge of the canals near the Grand Canal. But I wanted to get lost and explore the center part of the island. I walked by churches, through tiny passageways between buildings, and over dozens of little bridges crisscrossing the canals. It was magical.

On my second evening, I wandered the streets well into the night and saw the moonlight glisten off of the water, deep in the heart of Venice. I met a few new friends at a restaurant that was suggested by another travel friend (@gonegirlabroad on Instagram) and ate way too much of the best Italian food I’ve ever had. Prior to the food coma setting in, we all made our way back to our accommodations, completely in awe of the experience we just had. 

We felt like movie stars who had just lived out our best plot line. End scene.

My Favorite Moment

Can any moment really top jumping off of a 400-foot-high bridge in the heart of Africa overlooking one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world? 

The answer is no. There’s no moment better. 

Bungee jumping at Victoria Falls had been on my Bucket List for almost 10 years, ever since the day I created it. As soon as my dad and I started to put the pieces together for this trip, I knew I was going to do whatever it took to make this happen. I had played and replayed it over and again in my mind, seemingly every night in the months leading up to the trip. So by the time the day came for the jump, I felt like I’d done it thousands of times already. 

I elected to do a helicopter tour over the falls prior to jumping because I thought it’d be cool to see where I’d be jumping from, view the falls from above, and almost as a way to really appreciate where I was. Victoria Falls is basically where the Zambezi River plunges into a giant crack in the earth to form one of the most beautiful and gripping sites you’ll ever witness. In the local language, the falls are called Mosi-oa-tunya, which translates to The Smoke that Thunders. Is that not the most epic name for a waterfall or what?!

When the time came to jump, I had to walk from the Zimbabwean side of the bridge to the Zambian side to check in, weigh in (that’s a little nerve racking haha), and make my way to the bungee area. With every step I took, my heart rate seemed to jump exponentially. When I arrived to the bungee platform, the guys working for Shearwater Bungee told me I was the first one to jump that morning. Yikes. That didn’t help my nerves at all. Did they test the ropes?! How do they know everything is hooked up?! What if they forgot a clip and I plunge 400 feet into oblivion?!

Relax dude. They do this every day. You’ll be fine. 

The build-up was crazy. I found a nice Zambian (or maybe he was Zimbabwean…) guy to use my phone to record the whole event because there was no way I wasn’t getting this documented. Pics or it didn’t happen. The guys started getting me all hooked up with a harness, putting straps on and clipping things on everywhere.

Click! Click! Clickety click, click!

“Toes over the edge. Arms up. 5-4-3-2-1-BUNGEEEEE!”

That’s how fast it happens. No time to look back. No time to ask them “what if”. Just pure build up. Then the biggest shot of adrenaline you’ve ever had, powerful enough to take any racehorse to the winner’s circle at the Kentucky Derby. 

I gotta say, the first half second after you launch yourself off the bridge, you feel great. You jump, you’re all smiles, you think to yourself “Oh hey, look! I’m flying!”

Then gravity hits. And you feel the weight of physics pull you towards an impending death. As you begin your downward descent, you start to approach terminal velocity… and trust me, you can feel it.

I believe my exact words while falling were… waaaaAGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

Three and a half seconds and it was over. Think about that, 400 feet in 3.5 seconds. Wow. Pure living.

Memories

This trip was mind-blowing. So many historical cities, unique people, dozens of languages, and so many memories to add to the collection that I had to write them down just so I didn’t forget them. The beautiful part is that I get to do it all over again, but on a grander scale. Starting Sunday, October 6, I’ll be packing my bags and heading out again. I have no idea how long I’ll be gone or where all I’ll go and that’s the way I like it. Just pure adventure. Just living. I’ll be documenting everything via Instagram (@coffeyonthego) and would love to have you follow me. My hope is to show you unique corners of the world, widen your view of what’s possible, and inspire you to create your own memories.