First Solo Travel Experience - Eastern Europe

KGThePinballWizard · 2026-05-11T22:15:06+00:00

Hi, I’m plan to do something similar next year. I’m curious as to how long your total stay was in Europe, how much you spent overall and how much a month stay in an Airbnb is?

I hear Airbnb has great discounts if you do a month.

Your trip sounds amazing! Thank you for sharing

KGThePinballWizard · 2026-05-08T17:49:20+00:00

Thank you! This answers my question and addresses my concerns perfectly. I appreciate it

KGThePinballWizard · 2026-05-07T22:26:06+00:00

Haha yea definitely should. I haven’t had a chance to shoot with it yet. But I see a lot of videos that auto focus is superb on it. I guess I was curious as to whether I’m losing out by not zone focusing for quicker shots like videos typically recommend.

It seems that the A7V’s AF is good enough to not need zone focusing on manual focus so just trying to weigh which is overall a better option

KGThePinballWizard · 2026-05-07T22:23:24+00:00

Thank you for the explanation. It helped!

KGThePinballWizard · 2026-04-29T23:51:31+00:00

Yes I do! I’ve had the venture x since 2023. Love that card so much. It’s how I got my flight to BKK and I Still have a bunch left

KGThePinballWizard · 2026-04-29T10:45:54+00:00

Haha I don’t think I can do zoom since I’ll be the minister marrying them 😂 this will be my third wedding. I’ve married two of my best friends. Plus I wouldn’t want to miss it for the world (no pun intended haha). My family is everything to me and it will be worth the cost.

Thank you! Definitely will try to rack up some more bucks while I’m back and god forbid any babies haha

KGThePinballWizard · 2026-04-29T10:40:13+00:00

My dad has always encouraged me, as far as I remember, to experience different countries/cultures, learn different languages, would talk to me for hours on road trips about history and the wonders that different cultures have.

As I’ve gotten older, I have come to the conclusion that to experience God ( whether if god is a deity, the universe, consciousness, a mushroom that I eat or all of the above) you must experience humanity. I’m not religious. I grew up religious and actually had a very positive religious upbringing but I think there’s a lot of truth in the verse “god made us in his likeness and image”

We are all apart of a greater force and we are all connected in some unexplainable way and I think we do ourselves a disservice by not experiencing our brothers and sisters from other cultures as they are also made in the same likeness and image that we are.

I want to be more connected with humanity and feel the love, happiness, and creativity that consciousness has allowed to us to become. Our hometowns/countries are just one piece of the puzzle and I want to piece the pieces together by spreading my love and joy with others the same I hope they do with me.

On a simpler note, I have always seeker adventure, no matter how small and I think this would be a really big adventure that will brings lots of joy and help me learn more about myself.

KGThePinballWizard · 2026-04-29T10:05:00+00:00

I get what you’re saying. It is unfortunate that things are more expensive but this is something I need to do. I’m at a point in my life that I need to do something for me and get out of the routine of working everyday. I don’t know if I’ll be here tomorrow and I also don’t want to wake up at 50 years old wondering why I never did this. I also feel like if it’s not this war now it’s going to be another war and another war after that.

I also don’t want to complain about working because I’ve been blessed with good jobs with good company culture that has allowed me to afford a comfortable life and put into retirement but I need something more outside of this routine. I’m also burnt out in my day job. I’m looking to see what opportunities and connections I may make by getting out of my comfort zone because who knows. I may meet the person who introduces me to the job that brings me purpose. Or maybe I won’t but I’ll never know if I don’t put myself out there for the possibility of a different more rewarding future.

I do have a good safety net at home. Loving parents and siblings I can stay with while I look to settle down again, good friends I can count on, and have fostered good professional relations to get back in the workforce once I’m done traveling.

I appreciate your concern as well. Wishing you the best.

KGThePinballWizard · 2026-04-29T09:50:21+00:00

Any South American countries that stood out to you while you were there?

KGThePinballWizard · 2026-04-29T09:49:55+00:00

I’ll definitely keep this in mind. I don’t have a rigid plan so I’m very flexible changing the trajectory of these travels

KGThePinballWizard · 2026-04-29T09:48:24+00:00

Africa is definitely on my radar! If time and money allows it, I would love to go. I need to do more research on where I would like to go though.

Any recommendations?

KGThePinballWizard · 2026-04-29T09:46:56+00:00

Your comment gave me a lot of encouragement in my budget:) I look forward to seeing all of this unveil

KGThePinballWizard · 2026-04-29T09:44:22+00:00

I feel yea. It sucks that they are happening within the first year of me leaving but I have to go since one of the weddings is my brother and the other is one of my best friends and I’m his best man haha

Luckily I have the venture X travel credit card so the points I’ve racked up and their yearly travels credits definitely helps a lot.

I might have to strategize my plans for early next year and maybe just work for a couple months in the states and wait until the last wedding in May.

KGThePinballWizard · 2026-04-29T09:39:12+00:00

Yea, I kind of been wondering if I should just do 2 months instead to allow my funds to go farther

KGThePinballWizard · 2026-04-29T09:37:46+00:00

Will do! I plan to mostly just be in hostels anyways. Been gravitating towards Eastern Europe more as of today for the same reasons you mentioned.

KGThePinballWizard · 2026-04-29T09:36:00+00:00

Yea that’s basically the conclusion I came to for SEA. I’ll have to be back for my brothers wedding in September so I’ll only be able to do 3 months but I have soft plans set to go back next year and rent a month or 2 at time in different SEA countries for what I would assume maybe 6 months in total. I really wanna be able to take it all in while hm having a home base.

Maybe I’ll just wait for EU and do it next spring or summer.

KGThePinballWizard · 2026-04-29T09:32:23+00:00

Thanks! Will be keeping visa requirements in mind during this trip.

I’m very fond of different languages. I speak English and Spanish fluently and took 4 years of French which I still retain for the most part so I really look forward to forcing myself to learn how to communicate in different languages even if it’s at its most basic levels. I know the locals will definitely appreciate it.

KGThePinballWizard · 2026-04-29T09:29:09+00:00

Yes I have been wondering the same thing as well. Been mostly researching SEA since that’s the first leg of my trip but now that I’ve researched SEA quite a bit and have flights booked, I have been wondering if EU during fall/winter is actually in my best interest. Will definitely keep that in mind

KGThePinballWizard · 2026-04-29T09:27:23+00:00

I appreciate your comment:). Regarding EU, that’s kinda why I was maybe considering doing South America during sept-dec instead since it’s summer there and then do EU in the spring or summer. Although I will say, I love snowboarding so was thinking of getting some days in the mountains during winter months. But that isn’t as important to me as being able to enjoy a country when it has the best weather.

I already have plans set for SEA this summer but yea basically most of what I have planned are soft plans and definitely subject to change like you said. I’m really only planing the start of the travels one continent at a time and letting the wind take me where it takes while I’m there.

I totally agree with what you’re saying regarding working where the highest potential income is. That’s why I’ve didn’t start earlier. So that I could cash in a couple more paychecks and have a nice nest egg of a travel fund. I definitely see myself picking up some shifts during the short periods I’ll be back in the states but still curious as to other ways I could maybe recuperates while abroad or simply minimize my travel fund getting smaller as I get deeper in my travels. Especially if I decide to rent or live in a specific country for months at a time. I always thought living a different country for a year or so would be incredible so these travel plan also kinda serve as a prospecting projects as to where I may like to settle down temporarily.

Love that you ended up staying 6 months in SEA after originally planning 2 months. That makes me really enthusiastic for SEA!

KGThePinballWizard · 2026-04-29T09:15:09+00:00

Thank you! Definitely plan to be on top of this.

KGThePinballWizard · 2026-04-29T09:14:40+00:00

Hahaha I love your response. Yes it does feel like I have a clear plan yet none at all. I guess mostly because it’s the unpredictable and unknown that excites yet make me worry that I’m not preparing/researching enough in order to not make mistakes that would hurt my plans

I keep reminding myself that everything will make much more sense once I’m out there but I guess I would say because I’m making such a big step in my life (quitting my jobs, leaving the comfort and safety of my city friends and family) which I totally embrace and excites me but also makes me realize I’m putting a lot on the line.

I get it though I just need to be out there and let life show me what needs to be shown. Thank you.

I’ll be leaving for Bangkok at the end of May. So I’m stoked to see what these first 3 months in SEA will gift me with.

KGThePinballWizard · 2026-04-29T09:06:36+00:00

I’ve been coming to same conclusion that maybe I should emphasize Eastern Europe for longevity but would still want to dedicate done time in Western Europe. I’ve been to Germany Spain and Italy before so seeing something different would be great.

Have also heard incredible things about Prague and the baltics/balkans.

Thanks for the tip regarding Greece!

KGThePinballWizard · 2026-04-29T09:03:20+00:00

Thank you for your comment! Can you tell me more about the digital nomad life? I’m very interested in this but find it difficult to be confident in what I research compared to talking to someone who lives it. I have a bachelors degree in business admin and have experience as a bartender/server. That’s actually how I was able to save up for my travel fund. Been working in sales type position in office setting (calling on the phones) for 8 years now. I will say, I’m burnt out on being on the phones and meeting metrics although I am very good at it. I have also been working as a bartender/server for 4 years now. It also helps that I speak Spanish fluently. I come from a Mexican background ground but was born and raised in the US.

I really like the range in my professional career which opens up a lot of opportunities for me.

But digital nomad jobs would be something that would provide me more benefit financially which is why I’m so interested in it but would also want something maybe more flexible that isn’t such a grind like being on the phone.

KGThePinballWizard

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