RILEY J ROAMS

I spent the month of June in Tuscany excavating a collapsed castle from 12^thcentury AD with the Monteverdi Archaeological Field School. This was my second time in Italy, so I wanted to see other countries while visiting Europe as well. My time in Italy was spent on an estate in a remote part of the country, but the Swiss Alps were calling my name. I asked some of my friends to meet up with me in Europe after my field school, but none of them were able. I couldn’t let this complication stop me from experiencing the mountain air, so I decided to take the adventure by myself. I had spent ample time traveling alone while catching planes to different cities in the U.S. and driving around northern Michigan while working for Traverse Magazine, but this would be my first time traveling solo in a foreign country. My destinations included Venice, Switzerland, and Germany, but I also spent some time in Austria as a pit stop, which ended up being my favorite place. 

June 23, 2018: Monteverdi – Rome – Venice 

After a night of barely sleeping I shoved my suitcase into the white van to leave Monteverdi around six in the morning. The sun was just rising over the rolling hills while the air was already heavy with humidity. As we drove down the mountain I gazed out the window taking in the Italian countrysides for the last time as my friend Michael slept on my lap. The two-hour drive to Rome dragged on. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to my friends or leave this place. 

After hugs goodbye I took a train from Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport to Rome Termini as everyone else from the field school headed to their gates. My ItaliaRail train to Venice, which cost $50, left at 11:35. I had bought the ticket online a month prior when I was still in the U.S. The four-hour train ride wasn’t too bad, because I was excited to meet a new city. I had originally bought the ticket to Venezia Santa Lucia, but Edo, an archaeologist I worked with, told me to get off a stop earlier at Venezia Mestre since I was not staying on the island. There was supposedly a bus that would take me where I was staying at Camping Rialto, but I couldn’t find the stop, so I turned on my data plan with Verizon to see how far I was from where I was staying. My data plan wasn’t working, so I found a cab to drive me to the property.

I made my way to the front office after the cab dropped me off. All I had was my backpack and a rather-large suitcase. I wish I had brought less so I wasn’t lugging so much around on travel days, but I needed the extra room for my digging clothes. The person working in the office was very nice. She took a scan of my passport, had me sign some papers, and gave me the key to my tent. She also sold me a ticket for the bus and said Wi-Fi cost 2 euro per 24 hours. I booked this place through HostelWorld where I paid $5.60 in advance online and then paid 23.72 euros when arriving to Camping Rialto. In total I paid 28 euros for two nights here. 

I meandered along the rock-paved walkway to my tent in the front corner of the property. I unlocked and unzipped my tent to reveal a wooden floor with a twin size bed with sheets, a blanket, and a roll of toilet paper stacked on top of each other. And that’s when it all hit me. I went from staying at a dreamy estate to a tiny tent. I thought I at least rented out a small cabin or a glamping-style yurt, but it was a tiny, single-person tent. I missed all my friends and being at Monteverdi so much.

Trying not to waste my time being upset, I gathered my things to take to the island, and I headed for the bus stop across the street. The bus ride over the bridge was beautiful as the scenery changed from green forests to the endless sea to a lively city. I finally made it to Venice around five o’ clock, and I aimlessly wandered around for a few hours before sitting against a large, white building along one of the canals. I began to journal all while wondering what I’d gotten myself into. 

I’m not sure if this whole traveling alone thing was such a great idea, but it’s only the first day. My data plan isn’t working, and I have to pay for the Wi-Fi at the hostel. 

After writing I searched for a bathroom. It can be difficult to find free toilets in many cities in Europe, and Venice wasn’t any different. Whenever I need to use a bathroom I usually just buy a drink at a bar, so I can use their bathroom. The normal price to use a bathroom in Europe is around 1.50 euro, which is pretty similar to the price of a beer. 

I decided to sit down and eat dinner at Gino’s Ristorante Pizzeria. I chose a spot that offered Wi-Fi inland because my professor Sandro warned me about restaurants along the canals up-charging when dining in. I ordered a glass of white wine and spaghetti with tomato sauce. My whole meal only ended up being 11 euros. When I connected to Wi-Fi I received messages from Michael saying he missed me and he would see me again soon. I started to cry right in the restaurant while waiting for my food. I couldn’t believe how much I missed him and everyone else I had met. Even though I was in a bucket list city, this transition was not easy. 

After my delicious meal I roamed around a little longer but made sure to make it back to my tent before it got too dark. It was karaoke night at Camping Rialto, but I didn’t feel like participating. I read Kristen Newman’s What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding in my tent until it got too dark, so I fell asleep to singing voices. 

June 24, 2018: Venice

I woke up around nine and took a shower in the community bathroom. Most hostels don’t offer free towels, soap, shampoo, or conditioner, so I made sure to pack my own. Then I bought the Wi-Fi and ate breakfast at the restaurant while learning German on Duolingo. I was also able to contact Verizon, and I figured out I had my roaming set to voice only on my iPhone when it should have been set to data and voice.

I took the bus into Venice around noon and was feeling much better than the day before. I was finally enjoying my alone time. While walking around the island I did a little shopping and got an amazing cheese and spinach calzone at Quanto Basta.

I studied my train tickets while I was eating my calzone on the steps of Venezia Santa Lucia. I purchased them online from a company called ÖBB, or Austrian Federal Railways, but I couldn’t read them because they were in German. After eating I wandered into the train station and saw that most of the trains on schedule for today were going to other Italian cities. I asked an employee for help deciphering the screenshot of the ticket on my phone, but he told me to go to the Biglietteria Italo, or the Italian ticket office. When I showed the woman behind the counter my ticket she informed me the train was one-way to Innsbruck, so I wouldn’t need to transfer. She also told me to print my tickets, so I made sure to do that when returning to Camping Rialto that night. 

I loved taking in the Italian architecture surrounded by peaceful waterways. I had no plans for my time in Venice, but I still had an amazing time strolling through the small city and gazing at its unique beauty. 

June 25, 2018: Venice – Innsbruck

I had to check out at eleven in the morning, and then I took the bus into the city for the last time. Walking over the huge, cobblestone bridge from the bus stop to the train station with my luggage was a work out, but I got to the train station around noon with two hours before my train to Innsbruck, Austria departed, which cost 24 euros.

I bought a few croissants for breakfast and journaled while anxiously waiting for my train. 

The train doesn’t get into Innsbruck until 18:30. Hopefully the right bus actually stops at the train station so I don’t have to take a cab to the hostel again. At least I can use my GPS on my phone this time if I get lost.

The train ride was so relaxing. We were cruising through the Italian countryside until we zoomed through a tunnel. The darkness of the tunnel made me sleepy, but right as I was about to fall asleep we rushed out of the tunnel where I was greeted by incredible limestone mountains. 

As we passed over the Austria border, polizei barged into the train car to check tickets and passports. I didn’t know much about Innsbruck or Austria. My main interest for this solo trip was going to Switzerland and hiking the Alps, but the train ride straight from Venice to Switzerland was interminable. So I looked at a map and decided I would stop in the panhandle of Austria in between the two destinations. I chose a random town I could access by an inexpensive train from Venice, and I had no idea this place would become one of my favorite spots in the world. 

When I exited Innsbruck Hbf, snow-covered mountains and colorful buildings surrounded me. The air felt cool and clean. What was this breathtaking place I just stumbled upon? The bus stop was right outside the train station, and this time I was able to find the correct bus. I confirmed with the driver that he was stopping near the hostel, Doug’s Mountain Getaway, before grabbing a seat by the window. 

The drive from Innsbruck up the mountain to Fulpmes was amazing. We were coasting along switchbacks on the side of the mountain offering an exceptionally better view with each turn. The bus driver basically had to tell me when to get off the bus, and when he saw me walking the wrong direction, he pointed where to go. I must have seemed confused, because he asked a man who was standing near the stop if he could take me to Doug’s. The man led me up the hill, and he didn’t know any English. We tried to talk during the walk but the language barrier made it difficult. I tried to tell him how beautiful this place was in both English and Italian, but he still had no idea what I was trying to say to him. It was so weird hearing people speak German after constantly hearing Italian for over a month. 

He led me to Doug’s, and I said “danke,” as I headed for the White House. A note from Doug saying, “I’m out right now, but make yourself comfortable,” greeted me behind the front door. My room assignment and the Wi-Fi password were written on a whiteboard in the kitchen. While looking for my room I ran into a couple who were hanging out in a cozy room with an at-home theatre. They were very friendly and also spoke English. I found my hostel room and met one of my roommates, a woman around my age from Canada. She was also traveling around Europe by herself and spent the day mountaineering.

After chatting with her I went on a short walk around the neighborhood, and I was dumbfounded. The Austrian style architecture was so majestic among the cool mountains. I felt blissful in this foreign place.

When I got back to the hostel there were a lot more people there: two employees, Doug, and the two other people I was sharing my room with—Emma from the United Kingdom and Matt from Australia. They were also solo travelers. While we were sharing our experiences I realized I had forgotten to stop by the grocery store to get dinner. The beauty of the mountains completely cleared my mind of any responsibilities. Thankfully Emma said she was about to make pasta and offered me some. We all spent the night drinking and playing card games in the kitchen. It was so nice to be around these young, friendly people from all over the globe. 

June 26, 2018: Fulpmes – Schlick 2000  

I woke up before anyone else and explored the other parts of the hostel I hadn’t seen yet like the mini rock climbing room and the back patio with a hot tob. I couldn’t believe how unique this hostel was. I paid 79.10 euros for two nights here.

I got dressed and walked down the street to the grocery store, MPREIS, as others were waking up. I bought a baguette, pasta, and marinara sauce. I ate breakfast while editing photos from Venice and going through emails. When Matt and Emma joined me, we decided to go on a hike together. Emma said she wanted to hike Hoher Burgstall, so Doug told us how to get there by taking a cable car to Schlick 2000, the ski resort.

I packed my Nalgene water bottle, a Clif Bar, my Canon camera, and a light sweater in my Nike drawstring bag. I was contemplating wearing shorts or pants in this 75 degree (Fahrenheit) weather, and I’m glad I went with pants because it was chilly at the top of the mountains.

We walked for twenty minutes through the small town of Fulpmes to the cable car station, INTERSPORT Pittl Talstation Schlick 2000, where we each paid 12 euro for a one-way ride. We were surrounded by stupendous mountains and delightful silence most of the ride until we heard jingling in the distance. Once we ascended higher we discovered the jingling was from the bells strapped around the necks of cows grazing in the fields. The metallic jingling was the only thing I could hear for miles in the mountains. It felt like a fairytale. 

When we finally arrived at the top I could not believe how alluring this place was. After taking some photos we began the hike along the Kalkkögel mountain range. We hiked with clouds as it got colder with higher elevations. We arrived at the 2611 m. (8566 ft.) peak signified by a cross around two in the afternoon and took in the panoramic views from so high up.

We hiked through the valley on the way back down. It was freeing strolling through fields covered in yellow flowers at the base of towering mountains. We started to get hungry while walking through the valley, and when we finally made it to a restaurant it was closed. We questioned whether we should walk back to the cable car and head home (since it stopped running in an hour at 16:45) or continue hiking and hope we find an open restaurant on the way down. 

We decided to continue, and I’m glad we did. As we were hiking we found ourselves surrounded by cows. We stumbled upon them just as they were being herded away by a farmer, so we walked along with them, their jingles, and their protesting moos. One of them even came up right behind me and kept booping me with her nose.

Right after the cows were herded away, we found ourselves outside another restaurant, Schlickeralm. It looked closed. I would just have to be hungry all the way back down to Fulpmes. But then we saw an open door. An Australian Shepard puppy named Apollo greeted us when we walked in. Emma asked an employee if they were closed in German and she said we could sit down. I ordered a huge beer and cheese dumplings on top of a salad. It was so delicious and filling. After eating I was ready to hike the remaining two hours back to Doug’s. There was a little farm that housed cows, pigs, chickens, rabbits, and goats right outside the restaurant. As we left Apollo tried to follow us, and eventually his owner had to drive down and grab him. 

We had been searching for a lake to swim in, but it was pretty chilly by the time we found it. Matt jumped in anyway. The water was so clear and the blueness shifted as I paced around the lake. The last hour and a half of the downhill hike was pretty rough because I was so tired. We did run into more goats, cows, horses, and dogs along the way. I hiked a total of 12 miles by the time we got back to the hostel after dark. It was a draining but life-changing hike.

June 27, 2018: Innsbruck – Luzern 

When I woke up I felt nostalgic for early mornings at Monteverdi preparing to go out and dig. I never thought I would miss getting dirty and performing strenuous labor so much.

I said goodbye to everyone as I left for the bus stop. My train to Luzern left at 11:48, and I wanted to make sure to get there with plenty of time. The first bus that came was really crowded. I don’t think I could have fit on there with my large suitcase, so I waited for the next one, which ended up being pretty full too. I stood by the doorway wondering if I should try to squeeze on or keep waiting and hope there would be more room on the next bus. While I was lost in thought a man on the bus grabbed my suitcase and pulled it up for me. I guess he answered my question.

Sadness took over as I waited for my next train at Innsbruck Hbf. This stunning place was filled with the nicest people, and I wasn’t ready to leave.

I was a little nervous about finding a seat on this train, because I didn’t have a reserved seat like I did on the others. Luckily I was able to find a seat on this four-hour train ride to Luzern, which cost 29 euros.

When I got to Switzerland the first thing I did was take 60 francs out of the ATM. Then I searched for the bus to take me to Bellpark Hostel. I paid $71.95 for two nights here. I saw the number one bus leaving right as I walked outside, so I went and sat by where it left. While I was waiting, a greasy-looking man next to me started mumbling something in German.

“English?” I responded.

“I am breaking down.” I didn’t know what to say. I thought he was going to ask me for money, but instead he was muttering about “happy hearts” and mental health in broken English. I tried to ask him if he was okay, but he didn’t seem to understand me. While I was trying to decipher his mutters I realized I wasn’t even at the right bus stop. Eventually I had to tell him I had to go and that I hoped he was okay. I was so muddled after the interaction with that man that I decided to take a cab to the hostel, which ended up being 25 francs, but whatever I made it.

When I got up to my room there were older men from Scotland claiming two of the six beds. They seemed nice enough, and one of them told me there was a different outlet just for Switzerland. I locked my valuables in my locker before going down to the kitchen to make pasta. Then I went for a walk to see if I could find a converter. I was unsuccessful, so I decided to buy cookies instead. After being catcalled, I returned to the hostel for the night. I asked the receptionist if they had extra converters, and they did for a 15 franc deposit. When I got back to my room both the Scottish guys were gone, and I found out I could have used the convertor I already had. At least I was able to get my money back since it was only a deposit. I spent the rest of my night chilling in my room alone until another guy my age showed up. After talking a bit he told me he lived in Rochester, Michigan—only an hour away from where I lived in East Lansing. What a small world.

June 28, 2018: Luzern

When I woke up a little after eight all of my roommates were gone. I went downstairs and ate the continental veggie fried rice for breakfast, a filling meal for a long day of hiking. I grabbed my drawstring bag before taking the bus to Kriens, the town at the base of Mount Pilatus. The large buses were sparkling clean and free.

The cable cars up were pretty expensive, so I hiked to the second cable car station. It was a pretty tiring hike because it was entirely uphill and scorching hot. When I got to the second cable car station there was no one at the ticket counter, so I rode up for free. The ride up was beautiful, but I noticed the top of the mountain was hidden in a cloud. I exited the cable car at the next station and hiked the rest of the way to the peak. 

I listened to Real Estate while hiking through the rolling valley, The Shins while climbing up the cliff, and Glass Animals when the gray cloud devoured everything in sight. I loved being alone in the middle of the mountains. Eventually three people did catch up to me and asked if I wanted to join their group. I didn’t know how to say no politely, so I said sure while trailing behind them. They were nice, but I was really enjoying my alone time. 

When I made it to the top everything was completely engulfed by fog. It was much colder in this spooky landscape than it was at the bottom. There was a shop at the peak selling souvenirs such as Swiss knives, chocolate, and watches. After lingering around the deck for a bit I decided to take the big cable car down for 16 francs. About 30 people stood in this huge contraption while inching down the mountain. 

When I got out of the huge cable car I realized how tired and hungry I was. I wanted to get home as quickly as possible, so I hopped in a cable car and rode all the way back down to Kriens.

I got back to the hostel around four in the afternoon and made a ton of pasta for dinner. After stuffing my stomach I went up to my room to take a shower. There wasn’t anyone there, which was exactly what I needed. As I was drying myself off I was thinking how lovely my alone time has been right as I heard someone open the door to my room. After they tried to open the obviously locked bathroom door I came out and greeted the two men I would be sharing my room with tonight. One of them was from India and the other one was from Canada. 

I recommended the hike I just went on. When I showed the Indian guy a photo on my phone from my hike he snatched my phone out of my hands and eagerly swiped through my photos. I literally had to grab my phone from him to make him stop looking through it. They weren’t around for too long before going to get dinner, so I was alone once again. I spent the evening watching Netflix—something I hadn’t done in a long time.

June 29, 2019: Luzern – Dortmund 

I took a train at ten in the morning to Zurich Airport to catch my flight to Cologne, Germany where I met up with Caitlin, my friend from high school who was studying abroad in Dortmund. The train cost 38.80 euros and the Eurowings flight cost 132.56 euros. I couldn’t believe how well traveling alone in Europe went. I had a great time, but I was glad to be with Caitlin for the remainder of my trip.

Switzerland was just as expensive as everyone says but all the public transportation is free. I spent 50 euros on train tickets that didn’t even get checked, but better safe than sorry. 

My flight was only an hour long, and then I hopped on a train to meet Caitlin in the city of Cologne. I paid seven euros to put my luggage in a locker at the train station before exploring. We were both pretty hungry, so the first place we went was Wonder Waffle, where I got a waffle covered in Nutella, bananas, and strawberries. It was the perfect cure for my sweet tooth.

After traveling alone for almost a week it was nice to be with a good friend who could speak German well for the remaining four days of my trip. We spent our time in Germany cooking amazing food, exploring a park, shopping, and attending a festival.

Conclusion

Traveling alone in Europe has been one of my favorite experiences. Not only was I able to learn more about myself, but I also had to push myself to figure out how to navigate a foreign country on my own. This trip allowed me to visit places that were at the top of my bucket list without having to worry about anyone else’s interests or needs. Although I always love traveling with my friends, I immensely enjoyed traveling by myself because it offered me more room to fulfill my needs and grow individually.