2013: I wasn't planning on going to Europe so early in my life. I was thinking maybe some time in my 30s when I'd be more comfortable financially, and then I'd be able to enjoy Europe to the fullest, maybe do a road trip for a few months and sleep in nice hotels along the way. But the opportunity came early as I spotted a reasonably cheap flight ticket to Paris, and I was going through a rough spot and desperately needing a break. I also wanted to go somewhere outside Asia, as I was sort of trying to spite some people at work who were making my life hell. Lame, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
Anyway. So it was rather spontaneous. I bought the tickets and quit my job and packed my backpack (only one small one) and hopped on the plane.
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| Always a light packer |
I flew with Qatar Airways and it took 7 hours from Kuala Lumpur to Doha, 2 hours of transit and another 7 hours to Paris. A long journey that I didn't mind at all. It took my mind off things that were bothering me, and I was very well taken care of. It was a welcome respite from budget airlines that make you pay for everything. Qatar Airways gave me fabulous meals and bottomless drinks and onboard entertainment and free travel kits, which I also nicked from the unoccupied seats. It made me wish I had enough money to fly with them all the time in the future.
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| Can't believe I actually enjoyed airlines food |
Throughout my stay in Europe which spanned two weeks, I Couchsurfed. I met a lot of wonderful people whose pictures I may not publish here for privacy reasons. In a nutshell, I went to Paris, shared a car to Brussels, took a train to Luxembourg, then a bus to Amsterdam, and lastly a bus back to Paris for my flight home. The whole trip cost me MYR3.3k inclusive of air tickets. They don't call me "Budget Queen" for nothing, y'know?
These were the highlights of my trip:
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| Paris |
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| Bruges |
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| Bruges |
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| Brussels |
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| Luxembourg |
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| Amsterdam |
See my post on visiting the Eiffel Tower.
