here's a series dedicated to the people i meet, the lessons i learn & the memories i make with a pack on my back.
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stay tuned & stay wild.
the
backpack
series
*all photos are my own, unless marked otherwise*
N E W Y O R K.
Stop One:
it's all about the people & the slashes.
so. first stop: NYC.
this is a place of people. that's no surprise. each person here is a book. New York is the grandest library, & I could spend days & days reading. some people here are hard covers-- tightly bound by deadlines & running 10 minutes late. other people have no covers-- showing their paragraphs on their skin. regardless, it's a library that would blow Belle away. I wish people here would spend more time reading. I don't think all of them know the one of a kind treasures scattered through the streets.
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im a sucker for stories, so it's no surprise that my trip would begin with some of the best novels of people.
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beginning with Moqtar, my lyft driver from the airport. We began chatting (because I tripped getting into the car. if you ever feel uncomfortable, just trip. it will break any walls). I soon found out that he was a refugee from Somalia. He told me about his two boys and wife and favorite foods and culture. When we parted, we called each other old friends & promised to meet in Africa.
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oh how many friends we would have if we saw people for what they are-- the grandest story tellers. talk to your drivers. laugh with your waitresses. ask your barista about themselves (if there's not a mad rush). people are worth investing in-- regardless of how briefly.
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I also met a guy named Stephen at a social club in Williamsburg (my brother & I missed FOUR subway stops & an uber driver while trying to get there). Stephen is from Nigeria & loves the art of fashion. I guess his passion is addicting, because a lot of people want to see it. Stephen & I got to chatting about art. He noted how some people in New York just utilize their passion & talent for the sake of self gain, while he tries to use his position as a platform to launch a greater message. We laughed, he played a lot of ping pong, I read a great story in a crowded outdoor party.
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This morning I met with Shannon-- she's an old friend of mine. There's something so sweet about meeting with an old friend after years have wedged themselves between you. We spoke about our futures & aspirations & dreams. She talked about how we don't want one thing; we don't want to be one thing. I have many dreams that don't match the same colour palate. She explained how she wants her life to have slashes. For example, Jim might be a banker, but on the side- he's a painter. Jim: banker/painter. Jim is no longer defined by one job or one thing. I love that concept. What are your slashes? Teacher/soccer player? Student/poet?
Finally, I met Francine outside of Strand bookstore (THE MOST AMAZING BOOKSTORE OMG). I have seen heaven, and it is four stories of books. We met outside of the bookstore while waiting for it to open. She told me she was searching for the perfect English Mystery book and we discussed movies. She wore bright blue bifocals, a thick Brooklyn accent & years of obvious joy. I am a fan of Francine-- she's one of the books that lays itself open on the coffee table.
I suppose what I've learned the most from New York is to never stop reading.
I suppose what I hope you hear from all of those words is to keep reading.
My mom says that everytime she meets someone, she tries to find what they're an expert in. People are the greatest terrains to explore. Keep reading, my friends. Here's to the Books of New York-- may you find kind eyes.
I'm off to Berlin! See you there.
Further up & Further in,
Brie.
wow. it feels like years have passed in the last two days. I have many things I want to talk about, but I think I'll save those for later. I want to talk about the things I've found to be universal the last two days: Justin Bieber, laughter & death. There are many other things-- but these are the three that have stood out. Allow me to elaborate
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So-- Weiden is pretty much in the middle of NOWHERE. It took me four trains (for 7 hours) to get here. Let me tell you, in small German towns, no one speaks English. On one of my trains, four teenagers sat next to me. After a while, you can totally tell I'm not German. about 9.9999998 % of the time, I have no idea what people are saying around me. At one point, one of the girls said Justin Bieber. I looked at them & laughed-- repeating JB. We all laughed.
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One of the guys spoke some English & we started talking. All of us talked for a while, & I found out I was the first American they ever met (that's a cool fr*ggin feeling). They asked about my travels, & I asked about their plans after school. One of the boys got my WhatsApp number & talks to me every once in a while. We parted as friends & they promised to visit in America. I love the little things us humans find to connect to one another. This time so happened to be JB & Chewbacca. We were from such different worlds but something so small made us friends with plans to meet in the future. Life is so strange, unpredictable & beautiful. The smallest things can make the greatest connections.
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Laughter. Laughter is one of my favorite things in the entire world. I mentioned it above, but I want to dig into it a little more. I walk about a mile to the grocery store & 3 miles to the center market of town (I must have burned like a trillion calories by now). Many, if not most, Germans walk or bike everywhere.. so there's always a plethora of people outside that I pass. It's energizing to see so many people enjoying nature & a healthy lifestyle. As I walk, I don't know what people are saying (I know four words in German, literally). But when they laugh. I know what that means. I know that means happiness. I know that means friendship. I know that means enjoying life. I may not know what the old men outside the meat shop are discussing, but I know what they are experiencing as they laugh with one another. It's a reassuring feeling. It can be lonely in a place where no one speaks your native tongue, but there's something about laughter that feels like home. It's human. It's so wonderfully human. Laughter is a universal language
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This last one may seem like a downer, but it's something I've been reflection on a lot on this trip: death. I walk past a place that carves gravestones on the walk to Norma (the grocery store). I realized as I passed it, the universality of dying. Maybe that's obvious, but seeing it in person is something else. Today as I walked back home, I took a different path into the woods to rest. I stumbled upon a cemetery. Truly, it was one of the most beautiful & serene places I've ever been. The graves are scattered through this trail in the woods. There's vegetation EVERYWHERE. Every gravestone is embraced by a garden. There is so much life. I've never seen anything like it. They have little wells through out the cemetery with a rack of watering cans. I watched women who have been long since friends with time slowly & purposefully fill their cans. It is a place of peace. It is a place of life. I've never viewed death in such a regard. I have never truly been in a sanctuary before this. The cemetery mirrored life: twisting, turning, alive, often steep, scattered, creative, colorful, full. I have never seen life celebrated so peacefully & gracefully after death. I learned many lessons as I walked the trails-- lessons about life in a place dedicated to the dead. I'm attaching a few photos of the cemetery, & I hope no one is offended by sharing the stones. I want to share the life & beauty I saw (you can see them if you click "see more photos".
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As I left the cemetery, I wandered down a street. I heard singing & saw a church on the corner. They were singing "This is My Father's World" in German. I went to the door & peered in. I thought to myself-- how like the Giver & taker of Life. Something as scary, painful & dark as death made a sanctuary of peace, contentedness & life-- the graves tended to daily. This is my Father's world. Life & death. One in the same at times. Universally, this is my Father's world.
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Outside of the church was a lavender bush. When I got back home, I looked up what Lavender signifies. The first results: serenity. tranquility, calmness. How fitting. Uses of lavender: calming & rest, promoting peaceful sleep & happiness. I looked up some history. Apparently, people used to use lavender attached as a scent in love letters.
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Outside of a church the King teamed up with life to send me a love letter about life & death. What a gift. Death can bring life. Death can be life. Yahweh turns grounds dedicated to death into lovingly tended to gardens of life.
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There's a quote on top of the graveyard outside my school. It says: Something as universal as death must be a gift. I never fully understood that until my feet walked the sacred grounds of that cemetery. Until my ears heard the tune of a song about Home. Until my senses smelt the love letter of lavender. It's all a Gift; death is no exception.
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Humanity is miraculous. We are all connected & it's truly beautiful to witness in such an intimate & sometimes lonely/scary way. The strangest things might connect us. Laughter is not contained by cultural boundaries. Justin Bieber could end wars prbly tbh. Death is a double edged sword. Living is a universal, beautiful struggle. Being human. I cannot wait to see the streets of Home-- laughter. Justin Bieber. & the gift death brings.
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I have much to say about Weiden, so I'm not quite done... but I'm off to Nuremberg tomorrow bright & early (I decided tonight lolol)
Further up & further in,
Brie
CLICK HERE FOR MORE PHOTOS
Nüremberg. A sacred place of history. A place that has seen so many things. I think that's one of the (three) things that stood out to me in Nüremberg. I'll write about the other two as well later on (getting lost & being responsible for yourself).
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I'm not going to give a huge history lesson on the town-- you can hit wikipedia up on that. I did go to a bunch of museums & listened to those guided audio tours that usually only 70 year old women with fanny packs full of granola bars use.
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What I want to talk about is how one thing can be so many things. Poetic, I know. Stick with me. Okay here's a little history on Nüremberg (I lied before). It's seen so, so much. Everything from the Renaissance, Industrial Revolution, WWII & modernization. As I walked the cobble stone streets alongside the castle wall (pictured to the right/below if you're on a phone), I couldn't help but wonder the hearts, stories, lovers, musicians, tears that stepped where I stepped. Those streets have so many stories to tell-- in between those cobble stones are many secrets.
As I laid in my bed at the hostel, listening to the mopeds drive past out the open window, I thought about the town... how it relates to our stories. We go through our own time periods within ourselves. Some of them are the time-defying paintings of the Renaissance. Others are the times of seeking shelter from life's rampant raids. Our hearts have seen much through all of our days. Our lungs have inhaled the sweet air of love & hurriedly sought the harsh air of relief. We are many things at once-- a culmination of all that we have been & will be. It's pretty amazing & daunting all at once.
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Although Nüremberg has had a painful & complicated past, people travel from all over to visit her. I met people from Australia, Japan, England, America.. each putting Nüremberg on their long list of stops. It's worth visiting. It's worth wandering through. It's worth getting lost in (which I did over 7 times- literally).
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It's the same way with our soul's history. We've each got a past-- maybe yours is dark & complicated, non-linear. Hearts will still seek you out & work to greet you. They will take trains, planes, buses to see you. Those who understand the beauty of a story with twists will embrace the subject. It just takes the right traveller-- those willing to embrace the miles to reach you... whoever you may be. You're worth making a trip to meet; you're worth learning about. Each part of your history has made you exactly who you are: many things all at once.
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I learned a lot on the cobble stone streets of Nüremberg. She kept pieces of my heart & mind. She lent me many thoughts to explore. I'm excited to share more of it with you all.
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Off to Spain tomorrow!
Further up & further in,
Brie
POST TWO OF STOP THREE
N Ü R E M B E R G, G E R M A N Y
the beauty of being lost
Update! I keep a playlist for each place I visit. The songs I listen to while traveling, walking around, etc. It's on my Spotify (Brie Monetti). Feel free to check them out!
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I get lost so much. Like SO much. At least 5 times a day. In my defense, I'm traveling (by foot, bus & train mostly) in a place I don't speak the language. It's a valid excuse but honestly not good enough for the amount of times I get lost.
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The first like two times, I absolutely freaked out. I have no wifi or date or service most of the time out here-- no way to find directions if I don't very specifically lay them out via screenshots beforehand. Even then, it can be pretty difficult to navigate street names like "FrauenrichterStraße or Schweigerstraße". Those are actual street names I turn down to get to the train station.
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Don't even get me started on the buses in Nüremberg. I ended up about 6 miles out of the town. The bus driver stopped & said in broken English: "bus done here". I got out & sat outside of a bus station with no directions or internet or inkling of familiarity. I have literally gotten lost on every possible mode of transportation in Germany. No joke. Every. Single. One.
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Here's my mental process when I get lost. First, I typically freak out. I give myself 20 seconds of pure freaking out. I'm allowed to imagine up the worst case scenario- but only for 20 seconds. Then I breathe. Deeply & many times. I then imagine myself later that day in the place I want/need to be as a reality-- something that will happen after this passes (it always passes). Then, I try to ask around for help (which usually doesn't work well). Finally, I trust my gut.
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While at the bus station, my gut said to take this certain bus for some reason. So I trusted it. Low & behold, after a 30 minute bus ride on random streets, I landed near the Nüremberg castle.
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That's just one example. I could give you literally over 20 instances where I've been lost so far (sorry mom & dad- don't freak out).
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I think this relates to life.. specifically to folks my age, but no person is immune to being lost in life. Whether it be spiritually, emotionally, physically or future-ly. Anytime you walk, you are taking the risk of getting lost & in life, you have to keep walking.
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After experiencing being lost in every shape & form it comes in, I can honestly say I love it. It's put me in some of the scariest & most wonderful places of my life.
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I've discovered side streets of towns & doors of myself that I never knew existed. There's so many things out there begging to be found, but often their discovery requires us being lost.
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Back in Florida, there's this thing I do when I get overwhelmed by life. I take a coin & flip it. Tails is left, heads is right. I just keep goin until I find something or I get tired. I've found some super cool things this way & gotten pretty lost doing it too. My point is, you don't have to be on a European Backpacking trip to get lost. You can in your own backyard, in your thoughts, in a book. When you're lost, you're completely reliant on yourself & your surroundings to get found again.
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To my friends who feel lost with the next move in life:
embrace being lost. Know that you will be found-- in time. The next thing I do when I'm lost in gain perspective. How many times am I going to be lost in Germany walking alongside a castle wall? How many times will you be exactly where you are? Maybe you just graduated & have nothing planned or plans fell through. Maybe you're a senior (like me now woah) & you keep hearing that beautiful question, "So, what are your plans after school?". Or maybe you're 47 & trying to decide what's next in life. Know that when you are lost is when you have the most room to be creative. You get complete permission to choose what's next. You are in control of getting un-lost. My next post is going to be about being responsible & obligated to yourself alone-- a product of me being lost so often.
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Look around you. What are you finding that you wouldn't find on the straight path? Life has twists, 90 degree turns, jagged edges, hidden passage ways & sometimes dungeons masked as castles (sorry I'm still coming down from the Nüremberg high). Enjoy the ride. Embrace the twisting cobblestone streets. LAUGH. Most of the time when I'm terribly lost, I just laugh-- at the situation & at myself. Sometimes you literally have to laugh to keep yourself from crying. Being lost can be scary after all, but not all scary things are bad (I wrote about that/bravery here).
Don't take life too seriously. It's short & it passes. The good & the bad. Let the fact that being lost passes be both reassuring & a warning to embrace where you are. You will never again be where you are: hold the moment's hand. Ask it questions. Use it to wonder & to wander.
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You will be lost in life-- it's a part of the deal of having a heartbeat. Remember to breathe. This time is exciting! You get to learn new pieces about yourself. You get to be brave. You will have a new respect for yourself after you get un-lost.
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So, allow yourself to be lost, trust yourself, embrace the many roads you will discover & laugh. Always, always laugh.
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Happy travels!
Further up & further in,
Brie