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Old 11-10-2007, 07:36 PM   #1
joe7f
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Default The "First day in Europe" feeling

I think I have mentioned this on Tpunk before but am just curious if anyone else feels like this.

I have been outside North America 5 times. Each time I get an uneasy crummy feeling that is shared by 3 out of 3 family members. We call it the "First day in Europe" feeling. I attribute it to being sleep deprived, a little disoriented in a foreign place, excited and having a confused internal clock.

I had it in Norway, in the early morning hours of the next day, in France, on arrival day, in Spain, on a boat around the Barcelona harbor 4 hours after arriving, in Brugge after finishing dinner alone in my hostel room (one of two times I have not had any hostelmates) and walking around Shibuya on my first day in Tokyo.

It always disappears by the 2nd day as I get stoked for backpacking. I think I get it to a minor extent whenever I arrive in a new city via night train. I'll get to test it in January when I return to Spain to a place I have spent time before. I sometimes get this when I get woken up in the early morning hours to go to a hospital emergency room.

So am I just crazy along with my family or does anyone else get this also? :D

--Joey
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Old 11-10-2007, 07:46 PM   #2
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I have been to Europe many times, however, this summer when I was in Copenhagen, I felt that "first day in Europe" thing. I was in my hotel lobby at 9 am on my second day, having a hair of the dog with a bunch of Australians, and I felt this real strange feeling of displacement. I looked around the lobby and I felt as if there was no one there and it was a real strange feeling. I thought it was from a lack of sleep or jetlag, but I have had those feelings before and it wasn't the same.

On my second day in Sweden, I had the same feeling again. It was real strange. That is when I decided to focus and start getting out and have some adventures. I never felt that way again and it was great from that point on.
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Old 11-11-2007, 07:32 PM   #3
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Okay cool my family is not alone

I found it worse going East than West but that may be because when you arrive in Europe it is 8am at "3am" but when you fly to Tokyo it is 2:20pm when it is "8pm".

--Joey
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Old 11-11-2007, 08:07 PM   #4
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I know what you're talking about. My first day of backpacking started at Piccadilly Backpackers in London, probably the most anti-social hostels I've ever stayed in (as far as no common areas or anything). After a couple of days I met a group of Aussie guys to hang out with and it was all uphill from there. The jetlag and tiredness probably adds to the disconnected feeling you get. Plus just being in a new place can be surreal.
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Old 11-12-2007, 09:36 AM   #5
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I remember my very first day in the Dominican Republic. I was all alone and in a town I had never been before. I hadn't eaten since the morning before and was searching for a place to get some breakfast. Finally I saw a place that looked like it had a lot of expats and a big American flag hanging on the wall. I ventured in there and sat at a table all by myself. There was a sign that said WIFI, so I tried to hook up my laptop and get an internet signal to write home and talk to some family. But the WIFI wouldn't work. I was so emotionally spent and felt just so all alone. I remember staring at my computer screen and out of nowhere (or so it seemed) these big tears just started streaming down my face.

A girl from another table, sitting with a bunch of friendly faces looked over to me and said "are you ok??" and I just nodded. I was invited to sit over with them so I composed myself and went over to their table. And the way the world works is mysterious sometimes. This table of people essentially became my "DR Family" for the rest of the time I lived there.
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Old 11-14-2007, 06:44 PM   #6
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I definately had that feeling, I had arrived in London on my first solo trip and as soon as I got out of the tube station at about 11pm I was just like, wtf am I doing here.
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Old 11-14-2007, 08:12 PM   #7
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I use to always get to the airport several hours early, just to bar hop, and then drink on the flight too. That always gave me a disoriented feeling upon arrival. Now we have a no alcohol till we arrive policy, and I feel just fine upon arrival. Maybe a bit tired, but other than that, I head straight out and go about my travels. Damn Alcohol!!!!
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Old 11-15-2007, 02:47 PM   #8
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You two would be an interesting example, because you always start in Amsterdam so the Schipol to Centraal route can be done in your sleep.

--Joey
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Old 11-18-2007, 03:54 AM   #9
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I feel like that whenever I fly long distance, its a question of the stress of flying add being jet lagged. That said if you can push through the pain the rest is just to damn good!
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