A Bit of Spontaneity

One of the more entertaining aspects of describing my trip before I left was how little I had planned out between London and Vienna. Many caring people were shocked, even a bit worried, about my leaving so much to chance and my lack of organization. While there are definite benefits to having a plan, I felt that would limit me with the ambitions that govern this trip. This has worked for the best in plenty of minor events and allowed me to carve out the best time for my Balkan side trip. But the next four days will really epitomize this ideal that I laid out in the beginning. In fact, it may well be a culmination of these numerous minor events building into something grand.

Four days ago, I booked a flight to Bergen, Norway with about ten minutes' deliberation.

A friend I made in Zagreb, and now a bit of a role model in my travel career aspirations, was organizing a hiking trip to this area as we lounged in the garden. Upon mentioning my aspirations to one day see Norway, she quickly invited me along. What was stopping me?

I quickly realized that this was exactly the moment I wasn't planning for: changing course on a whim because of a stranger's recommendation. Short of racing across India in a rickshaw, this is adventure at its finest. What makes this even more fitting is the fact that we'll be hiking to Trolltunga, The Troll's Tongue - one of the most surreal places to visit (according to the trustworthy Internet). And I've already established how strongly that sensation attracts me.

So I found a cheap enough flight that the only thing to stop me would be myself. I returned to Zurich for a couple days, arranged things with my magnificently hospitable hosts and am now writing from my iPod in the Frankfurt airport. It feels  pretty damn awesome. This is where I am truly in my element.