This is the first book in an 8-10 book fictional series about two travelers, Travis and Asrid, who become friends and travel the world together.
It is about two backpackers, a fun-loving, partying, womanizing and meat and veg lover Travis from Scotland, meets the intellectual, liberal, feminist, vegan and Lesbian Asrid from Sweden in Paris while the both of them are traveling Europe for an entire year. The two of them do not get along at first, however as the story goes on and they get to know each other they become the best of friends, and discover not only each other, but their own individual identities.
Excerpt
Travis
Edinburgh, Scotland
July 1, 2013
Hello, world! My name is Travis McGivney and I’m from Edinburgh, Scotland. I am 23 years old, and I work with my dad in my family’s fish and chips shop, McGivney and Sons. This is the first time I’ve ever written a blog before so bear with me people. However you’re in for a treat. Today is my last day in Edinburgh, at least for the next year. I quit my job a few days ago in order to begin packing and prepare for my backpacking trip across Europe. My mum and dad think I’m mental to just go traveling for a year but what they do not understand is that my life is so boring. I still live with my parents and work for their bloody shop-what kind of life is that for modern guy like me? Therefore, for the past year I have been saving up to travel at least Europe for now because 1) I’ve never traveled outside of the UK before 2) bring meaning to my life and 3) discover who I am and who I want to be.
So where am I going? My plane lands in the Azores, however from there I have no plans. I do know that I want to see as much of Europe as possible by July 1, 2014. I also need to travel cheap because I’m not David Tennant. In order to make due, I plan to stay in hostels and if I have to find work. Even though my plans are not made in stone I have researched on the internet about some of the best destinations to visit, some hostels I can stay in and how to choose one, and how you can find work to pay for your travels while on the road. I do have an idea of some places I want to see like Amsterdam and Paris, but I want to be random for once and do something I’ve never tried. Therefore, I want the destinations to guide my itinerary and not a guide book. Guide books are for twits.
How do I feel right now? Nervous but excited. This is definitely a new experience for me which is why I’m on edge right now, but I’m looking forward to tomorrow and beginning my journey. Well that’s all for now-please tune tomorrow!
Asrid
Stockholm, Sweden
July 2, 2013
Greetings everyone and welcome to my blog! My name is Asrid, I’m 21 and I’m originally from Stockholm, Sweden. Since 2009, I have lived in Oslo, Norway because I was receiving my Bachelors in Classical studies from the University of Oslo. I just graduated this June, yay for me, and in order to celebrate I have decided to go on a one year backpacking trip around Europe. Why travel Europe you might ask? Yes, I am “European” however I am first and foremost a Swede-therefore the mission of this journey for me is to discover my continent. I am a bibliophile and academic person so I have read much about the world however I have not seen enough of it. Therefore I want to take this chance to see the countries, regions and cities I have read about all these years but also discover bits of knowledge that are new to me. I also want to take this time to take a long holiday away from school and real-life responsibilities because even though I want to go to graduate school and receive my PhD in Classical studies I’m not ready to go yet. I haven’t been on holiday for five years now, so this is a chance for me to spend time on my own, maybe meet some people and do something adventurous and new that will enrich my life. Hopefully I will grow as a person and come to know myself better-I would say that’s evident. But exactly how, well, we’ll have to learn together won’t we?
Tonight is my last night in Stockholm until July 2014. My parents are worried yet supportive. They know I have been busy and have worked hard and believe that this will be a life building experience, holiday and reward for completing my undergraduate studies at university. I know which countries I want to visit and a list of cities I want to see, however I am open to changing my itinerary if I find someone to travel with or I learn of a really great spot. So, where am I going first? My plane leaves from Stockholm to Copenhagen, which is in Denmark and I will spend my first week there.
Well anyway, that is all for tonight. Please check my blog for an update on my status tomorrow so until then, Good night.
Travis
The Azores, Portugal
July 2, 2013
Hello again and welcome back. I just arrived in the Azores thirty minutes ago. My flight went very well-I flew with Iberia and connected in Madrid this afternoon. I had two hours before my flight so I decided to eat some tapas at this little bar. This is the first time I had ever tried tapas so it was quite interesting however will not be the last. The first item I tried were these fresh anchovies served in a sauce with vinegar, garlic, olive oil and parsley in it. The next item was called, well at least this is how it was spelled: c-r-o-q-u-e-t-a-s d-e r-e-s. Basically it was a long fried item that had crispy breading and a ground beef filling. Whatever they were called they were awesome! Both items were really good and went well with my beer-so good I had to order a second pint! I never knew the Spaniards made such awesome beer!
Two hours later it was time to catch my plane to the Azores, and I was able to get help to find my gate because after all I don’t know Spanish so help was enormously welcomed. I finally arrived in the Azores around 15h00. I arrived in my hostel perfectly fine-so far I have met some nice people here and I cannot complain about the bar-cheap beer, mate, nothing better than that!
Well mates I’m totally knackered and pissed right now, so I’m off to bed. Tomorrow I will tell you about my day at the beach! My roomies recommended the beach here because it is beautiful! Until tomorrow and good night!
Asrid
Copenhagen, Denmark
July 3, 2013
Hello from Copenhagen! Since my last post I have been traveling from Stockholm to Copenhagen! I woke up quite early this morning in order to catch the 8 AM ferry to Copenhagen. My parents and siblings went along to the waterfront to say their goodbyes and wish me a safe and successful journey.
Two and a half hours later my ferry arrived in Copenhagen. Once the ferry was docked I caught a taxi to head towards downtown. After I got out of the taxi, I rented one of the public bicycles one can find ubiquitously in Copenhagen to ride towards my hostel because it was located in an area of town restricted to motor vehicles traffic.
So far I really like my hostel; I have been assigned a bed in a six bed co-ed dormitory, which I share with two other people right now. When I arrived they were out touring the city however I was able to meet them this evening. They’re a young heterosexual couple originally from South Korea, and they plan to tour Europe for the next four months. Apparently Copenhagen was their first stop in exploring “Scandinavia” and then they would tour “northern Europe,” Italy, France and then end their trip in the United Kingdom. I told them that I honestly thought that their itinerary sounded very nice; however they admired my audacity to tour the entire continent in a year. They invited me to go out to a bar with them and join them for a few drinks, and we got to know each other a bit. I had a very nice evening with them, and we’re planning to repeat the fun again tomorrow.
I realized I got off track, but I digress. After I dropped off my backpack I rented another pubic bicycle and took a ride across some of the picturesque bridges and streets on my way to Christianborg Slot, which is a huge palace. Once I arrived at Christianborg Slot, I went inside and toured the building, including the courtyard and Christianborg Slotskirke, which is the palace’s old church. I also toured the other government buildings, well at least what I could.
After visiting Christianborg Slot I went to a nearby café to get lunch, which was a salad with cheese. The cheese looked lovely and everything however I took it off because I’m vegan. After lunch, I went to a local market to purchase some fruit and vegetables to provide for my dinners and breakfasts for the week. Once I was done shopping I went back to the hostel, which is when I met my roommates and went out once again for a pint.
Well, I’m off to bed everyone. I plan to write another entry tomorrow however let’s see what happens. Thanks everyone and goodnight!
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