Stay on Europe or Go back to America? My unplanned adventure

by Zayra Miranda (Mexico)

A leap into the unknown Mexico

Back in April 2019, after 2.5 months in Tallinn, Estonia living with my boyfriend, I had to decide if I was going to do an epic movement to try to bypass the "90-day rule" for tourists in the Schengen Area. I kept reading blogs and official websites of each country in the fore-mentioned zone. I spent weeks reading about it and still it was not clear to me what could be done. It was very confusing. I was doing crazy plans about going to Moldova or Georgia and stay there some weeks or going to Egypt and then stay in Africa for a few months to wait for the period to "reset". I considered to apply to alternative language and artist visas in Germany and France, but with only 2 weeks left it was risky. I was also counting days by hand with the unclear stamps in my passport. I'm not that an adventurer, I don't like the idea to risk a bad stamp in my passport, I don't like the idea of doing something illegal at all. The only thing that was very clear to me was that after a third visit to Estonia I couldn't pass the opportunity to know the rest of central Europe, particularly, Germany and Italy. I had very little cash and very little time left, but I had a life-long dream: get to Trieste, Italy. I don't like airports so the route should be with any alternative methods. I left Tallinn on a night ferry to Stockholm, Sweden, stayed there a few days and then took the train to Norway. I stayed with a great Airbnb host in Stavanger that helped me to catch a very unknown ferry that lands on Hirtshals, Denmark - I had never in my life heard the name "Hirtshals". After the issues to arrive from the ferry station to the train station, I was able to take the train to Copenhagen. I enjoyed some of the royal bakery there, and continued my, now bus, route to the famous Berlin. My boyfriend had to go back to a work commitment to Tallinn, so being in Berlin was the first time I ever stayed in a hostel alone. I was between terrified and amused the first two nights. I booked a women-only hostel room and without any inconveniences I started to like the idea to travel this way. I chit chatted with an awesome chilean girl, a taiwanese that was learning german and someone from Belorussia talked to me about how her country is. I was getting paid weekly and had little savings so I was not able to plan long term or pay upfront for any plans. With the help of some apps I was deciding week by week what my route was going to be, according to last-time bus and hotel offers. Google Maps and I became best friends as I was researching my route to arrive to Trieste. I ended up in Nuremberg, then Salzburg, then Vienna Austria and I can say it was one of the best decisions I have ever done in my life. In Nuremberg, I stayed at a hostel where a friendly italian taught me to do pomodoro sauce by hand. My eyes could not believe the beauty in Salzburg. Just getting off the train was pure magic for my eyes. Snowy mountains, castles, a river, all in one picture? am I in Cinderella? - I wanted to stay longer but remember, I had not much time left in Europe. I had to continue to Austria and then, finally, Trieste. I arrived to a warm Vienna. The beauty and elegance of the city center was entertaining. I went to Schönbrunn palace and enjoyed a Sacher Torte. I was doing all this alone and the dreamed day was finally coming. After a midnight bus I arrived tired but happy to the small city of Trieste. The early morning colors of the calm Adriatic sea are now a permanent picture in my mind. I checked in at a hostel near the Miramare castle, and reflected about my adventure up to that point: all my effort was worth it. I was finally happily feeling the wind of Trieste.