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American men have been reduced to nonenties all in the name of feminism. WTF is this sh!t? Anyways, makes for good entertaining TV, 3 idi0ts & 1 h0e pic.twitter.com/YDovpK9pir
— 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒂𝒍𝒕 𝑶𝒇 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑬𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒉 (@Shadaya_Knight) April 24, 2023
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Just kidding of course.
Today we have an adult woman who has never learned to operate a motor vehicle.
I know that for our bustling and European friends this may not seem like such a bug deal. But not being able to drive in america basically makes you a second class citizen and a burden to everyone around you.
Back in 2019, my wife didn't have a license and attempted to drive an hour to the airport to pick me up. I got stressed out on the plane coming back to the airport and found out she was driving without a license and decided to scream at her about how dangerous that was and what if she was pulled over by cops and arrested. After this incident, she couldn't drive for 30 minutes without having a panic attack
To counteract this, OP's wife (absolute queen), has successfully gas lit her servant in to believing this is his fault.
She stated it was therapy for me or divorce, I went to therapy. I have been in therapy since february for communication and listening development, as well as increasing emotional intelligence in myself... I know, without a shadow of a doubt, I'm the A-hole in this.
inside)
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How the frick do you deal with any of this shit? Good lord.
- smolchickentenders : s*x work is real work and this is illegal revenge porn
- Impassionata3 : the incel misogyny energy is going critical
- Jew : would
running for a Virginia election streamed herself having s*x with husband and asked to pay money for specific s*x acts 
about this
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Other threads
https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/1701388579765637408 thanks @BimothyX2
Virginia election candidate responds after leak of tapes showing her performing s*x acts with husband: "It won't silence me"
A candidate in a high-stakes legislative contest in Virginia had s*x with her husband in live videos posted on a pornographic website and asked viewers to pay them money in return for carrying out specific s*x acts.
Screenshots of Susanna Gibson on the website were shared with The Associated Press. The campaign for Gibson, a Democrat running for a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates in a district just outside Richmond, issued a statement Monday in which it denounced the sharing of the videos as a violation of the law and her privacy. Gibson called the exposure of the videos "the worst gutter politics."
"It won't intimidate me and it won't silence me," she said in the statement. "My political opponents and their Republican allies have proven they're willing to commit a s*x crime to attack me and my family because there's no line they won't cross to silence women when they speak up."
The Washington Post first reported the videos on Monday.
The revelation marked an explosive turn in a contest that will carry significant weight in determining the balance of power in the Virginia General Assembly. The race has attracted large amounts of spending and interest for an off-year legislative race.
Democrats control the Senate by a four-vote margin, and Republicans control the House of Delegates by the same margin, with four seats currently vacant. The parties are waging intense legislative battles as GOP rising national political star Gov. Glenn Youngkin looks to bolster his conservative agenda with full control of state government.
Gibson said that exposing the videos is "an illegal invasion of my privacy designed to humiliate me and my family." Gibson's attorney, Daniel P. Watkins, said that disseminating the videos is a violation of Virginia's revenge porn law, which makes it a crime to "maliciously" disseminate or sell nude or sexual images of another person with the intent to "coerce, harass, or intimidate."
"A criminal act has occurred here, and that's the dissemination of revenge porn by a Republican operative," Watkins told the AP.
Watkins cited a 2021 Virginia Court of Appeals ruling that found it was unlawful for a man to secretly record his girlfriend during a consensual sexual encounter even if he did not show the video to other people. The court found that consent to being seen is not the same as consent to being recorded.
Gibson, 40, a nurse practitioner and married mother of two young children, won a Democratic primary in June and is running against Republican businessman David Owen in one of the most competitive districts in the state.
"I'm sure this is a difficult time for Susanna and her family, and I'm remaining focused on my campaign," Owen said in a statement.
A top-ranking Virginia Democrat immediately came to Gibson's defense after the videos were reported by the Post. "Now we are going to make this the biggest fundraising day of her campaign," Sen. L. Louise Lucas wrote on social media.
Garren Shipley, a spokesman for Republican House Speaker Todd Gilbert, did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment.
Gibson and Owen are competing in the 57th District, an area that includes suburbs of Richmond in both Henrico and Goochland counties. The district chose Youngkin by a 51.2%-to-48.3% margin in 2021, but in the 2022 congressional midterm elections, the split in the district was 50% Democratic to 49.1% Republican.
Gibson has said the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade propelled her into the race.
Gibson had an account on Chaturbate, a legal website where viewers can watch live webcam performances that feature nudity and sexual activity, according to the screenshots reviewed by the AP. The videos show Gibson and her husband, John David Gibson, having s*x and at times looking into the camera and asking viewers for donations in the form of "tokens" or "tips" to watch a private show.
Chaturbate videos are streamed live on that site and are often archived on other publicly available sites, the Post reported. More than a dozen videos posted under Gibson's Chaturbate username were archived on one of those sites — Recurbate — in September 2022, the month after she announced her candidacy. The most recent were two videos archived on Sept. 30, 2022. It is unclear when the livestream occurred.
Replies: 
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OP is both not a train and has an absolutely fascinating post history.
to post such an L "My ex bf impregnated me without consent and is making fun of me on TikTok"
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- Vv : non working link...
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Accused by Teens of Encouraging them to have oral s*x 
, bragging she makes kiddie porn 
and mailing her daughter's underwear to a man who liked to sniff it 
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"I need 3.5" long, 16D, hot dip galvanized, twisted nails."
"What do you need them for?"
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I've been in therapy and on medication for years to deal with my anxiety and depression.
I moved 10 minutes away from Disney World to see whether it would help my mental health.
Having the parks nearby makes me more eager to get out and socialize.
Ever since I was a little girl, I've dreamed of living in Disney World --- not in a "I want to be a princess" kind of way but because it was a place where I always felt free to be my most authentic self.
There was something about being surrounded by people who embraced the magic that made me feel safe and at peace. It was at Disney World where I could leave my anxieties at home for the day and just exist as a normal person.
As I grew up, my anxiety turned into a full-blown disorder and was shadowed by depression, which consumed me. While I'd been in therapy and on medication for years, I was still miserable in every waking minute of the day and would long for a time when I could take another trip to my happy place.
That's when I considered moving to Disney World. At first, it sounded like a wild idea because I'd never lived alone, but for the sake of my mental health, I was willing to try it.
It's been the best decision for me
I talked through the idea with my therapist, friends, and family, and I came to the conclusion that I'd try it to see what happened. At the end of the day, the worst thing that could happen was that I hated it and moved back home.
But after nearly three months of being settled into my new apartment only 10 minutes from Disney World, I can wholeheartedly say it's one of the best decisions I've made for my mental health.
I'm not saying that because it's all magic and pixie dust --- though it is a lot of the time. I still have rough days, with depression leaving me stuck in bed as I go days without showers and my apartment falls into utter disarray. But when I can gather the energy to get out of bed, having the parks to go to makes me keen on going outside, socializing, and relaxing, which I've found has been very beneficial for my mental health.
On days when I would normally sit in my room and either sleep or work all day, I find myself at the parks living my life. I have more of a reason and a desire to take breaks and have some fun.\
There are even some elements of visiting the parks that have added healthy habits to my life. When I'm at the parks, I'm outside in the sunlight. My therapists have always harped on the importance of vitamin D, especially for coping with depression, but I never really listened before.
Now that I'm at the parks a lot, which are essentially all outdoors, I've had increased exposure to sunlight, and that has had a profound influence on my mood. And walking around the parks has increased my physical activity, which I'm sure has had an effect on both my mental and my physical well-being.
It's easier to socialize at the parks than anywhere else
I think the most helpful part has been the social aspect of being at the parks. I find it easier to socialize, and I have the desire to make connections. Since there's this shared love for Disney, that's the icebreaker, and it makes the rest of the conversation easier.
Even when I meet characters at the parks, it gives me the opportunity to have conversations about an imaginary world, which provides me with an outlet to escape the mundane small talk that drains the life out of me in regular conversations.
With all this said, I'm very lucky to have been able to make the move near Disney World. It's given me a new outlook on life and a reason to wake up in the morning.
While the depression and anxiety don't go away, I have a place I can visit to let go of my problems, even if it's only temporary. I can take a step away from my intrusive thoughts and difficult feelings and simply bask in the place where I feel happiest.
accepts free drugs, is shocked 
the drug giver wants to frick her
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- FrozenChosen : Read it, it's worth it
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The family was poor. The father a drunk. The kids beat her up at school. The envelope had no return address. The upper left hand corner just said:
A GIFT
Well open it, said her mother. And she did.
It was a check for one million dollars.
In the memo section it said “You'll Never Want Again.”
The address section had no name. It just said TREEHOUSE CORPORATION.
It's a prank, said the mother. Throw it away.
Yes, the girl agreed. A prank. But it's funny. I like it. I'll put it in a frame.
That's ridiculous, the mother said. Why torture yourself like that.
It's fine, said the girl. It's funny.
The next day she skipped school and rode her bike to the bank. Presented the check. I think this is a joke, she said. But can you check to be sure. The teller gave a half smile and went to get the manager. She took the check with her. The girl's heart picked up. There was a long moment at the window. The radio was playing Fleetwood Mac. Well there you go again– you say you want your freedom. The manager came to the window. He wore a light purple shirt and a dark purple tie. He was holding the check. Are your parents outside, he asked.
No, she said. I rode my bike.
I'm going to need a parent or guardian for this situation, he said.
It was real.
**
Her parents didn't steal the money. They bought a modest house. She went to a new school. They didn't beat her up there. She read French. She played viola. Before the school she didn't know what a viola was. She loved it.
She looked for TREEHOUSE CORPORATION every day at first. Then every week. Every month, every year. But she never forgot. She went to college. Majored in journ*lism. Asked her professors: how could you find someone from their bank account. Treehouse Corporation was an LLC owned by an S Corp owned by another LLC in Bermuda, and so on. They didn't want to be found.
She placed little classified ads. Places where someone who owned a corporation would read it. The Financial Times. The Economist. I'm the girl from Oak Grove. You gave me a gift. It changed my life. I'd like to talk to you. Please write to me.
No one did.
She got a job at a newspaper. The Paris bureau. A girl from her town, her home. She met a man, a painter. They married in June. A boy. She would speak at night about the gift. Treehouse. Let it go, he told her. His palm on the back of her neck, kissing her hair. Let it go. It gave you a life that brought us together. It did its work. It doesn't matter anymore.
And one day there it was. In her very own paper.
A billionaire was dying. He'd built half the homes in America. He never gave interviews but now just once. He grew up poor. The father a drunk, he beat the boy. One day a kindly neighbor gave him a gift. His first ten dollars. He bought lumber. Taught himself to build. Made a place he could be safe. A treehouse.
He had no office anymore. His mysterious foundations didn't return her calls. Marcel took the baby while she flew 20 hours. Back roads to the mansion outside Omaha. She came to the gate with the high beams from the rental car cutting into cold pouring rain just as night fell. Big black button on the old intercom. Hello, she said. Hello—do you remember me. You gave me a gift.
No one answered.
Please, she said. Please—I've looked for you all my life. The cold rain fell and fell. She was crying.
And a voice came.
I can't believe you've found me, a man said. Raspy and tired like waking up from a long sleep. Is there anything you'd like to tell me. And she said: can I have some more money.
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TikTok influencers and finance watchdogs are warning of scammers posing as a 'sugar daddy' or 'sugar mamma' and conning targets out of thousands of dollars via dating and cash-transfer apps.
The scammers find targets on Tinder, Bumble or another dating or social media app, presenting themselves as a wealthy suitor before sucking their victims into a scam and draining their bank accounts.
The Better Business Bureau (BBB), which monitors frauds, warned on Friday of the approach, a new twist on the 'romance scams' that saw some 70,000 victims lose $1.3 billion in 2022.
TikTokers have for months posted about being duped into thinking they were getting an 'allowance' paid into their digital wallet, only to discover later that the money had vanished
One victim told BBB they lost $19,500 to a con artist, who mailed them checks that initially appeared to have cleared into their bank account.
Scammers increasingly present themselves as a 'sugar momma' or 'sugar daddy' and offer to pay an allowance of hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars
Next, the scammer sends targets a check, or pretends to transfer money into their bank account
In return, they often ask for a favor — buying a gift card, transferring part of the money to a needy friend, or donating money to a charity
After they've parted with their own cash, it emerges that the benefactor's payment never materialized, and the con is revealed.
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Still trying to process the wild conversation I just had with my boyfriend, we have been dating for a month now after I got out from a horrible relationship. This relationship has been far superior for my mental health and he treats me far better in many ways. but today while fooling around while watching a documentary we were talking about how someone married this guy for money and planned to have him killed by an assassin. My boyfriend talked about how this lady never found her husband attractive and it was all a ploy to get money and then he suddenly goes, '' I would never do this to you, I love being with you , even though you are like a 6/10, but I love you, so it doesn't matter''
I was shocked, to me if I am with someone they are endlessly beautiful and attractive to me. I don't rate every inch of them like its a science project, I love them for everything they are, yet for him I am some object that is barely beautiful but I am pleasant to be around for other reasons. I realized this relationship is completely hollow and he will just move on when he tires of me.
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Cw: discussion about weight
I am so tired of these dudes who have a complete meltdown if their partner gains some weight.
They will fall all over themselves to say how wonderful and amazing and great personality and whatever that their significant other has but magically they are not attracted to them anymore because they got a tiny bit heavier? Reading stories like this about them trying to force the woman to diet, exercise with them, etc. The sad thing is the sheer number of people that will agree with this guy and guys like him, other women included.
Example: Dude told his girlfriend that she was too fat and that's why he won't sleep with her, causing her to have a complete breakdown and crying for days. People thought this was somehow acceptable behavior because it was "honest". Kept saying stuff like "required for my attraction" when talking about weight. Kept saying how weight like this "isn't acceptable" in his country. He wants a family (?) with this girl too. Where does he think get weight will go then? (ETA he said she was already overweight when they met btw)
I'm just flabbergasted. People even compared it to being trans and transitioning. The fatphobic comments were terrible.
ETA: the men trolling this post is hilarious. Even got some DMs. Get a life please lol
ETA2: I live for the men's comments on this thread, you're also trash fyi 😚
the post she's talking about is this one. i made a post about it here. please upvote 
Because he's probably ugly, stupid, toxic and broke and nobody else fell for his bullshit
Yeah there's no way they'd care as much if they were dating or screwing someone who was so ill they couldn't eat or so ill from not eating. It's fine for women to be weak or small or barely exist. Anything else is intimidating or gross to some of these creeps
In the thread she even offered to go work out but because their schedules are different he won't change his schedule to go work out with her at all. He wants everything but puts in nothing
everything means her not being 20kg(44 pounds for 
) overweight
The dude said in his thread that he grew up being overweight and so because of that he spent his adulthood getting in shape. So to me it seems really weird that he would date a girl that is not to his level of fitness? Just don't lead this girl on ffs. If you really want to date someone who's going to be as fit as you go find that person. Also makes me think he's probably not as fit as he claims to be anyway.
she put on 20 kilograms. if anything she lead him on 
Ya, I've seen many of them and most do not live up to their own standards even lol. It's why I wonder wtf they see in the mirror. Maybe he thought he could change her - her personality and everything else is up to standard so now he just has to fix weight by getting her to lose it so physically she'll meet his ideal too. Either way, she can find someone who'll treat her better and I hope she leaves.
yes, dump the boyfriend that actually cares for her well being. this will surely be a good move in the long term 
He was talking about having kids with her and I'm like bro what do you think is going to happen?
Men really don't understand how much pregnancy changes a woman's body and that it isn't just eat less and you can keep the weight off. They really don't understand how hormones work.
They totally think they're going to marry the unicorn woman who's going to bounce right back after each and every kid. Omg it makes me so sad when I read about a husband who is no longer attracted to his wife after she birthed all his stupid kids.
and when a woman loses her pregnancy weight they'll blame genetics or some other bullshit reason.
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My Husband Won't Work
In the 10 years we've been together he has collectively been employed for two years. I kicked him out again this morning. He has been making these passive aggressive comments to me the last few weeks. I just couldn't take it anymore. I told him I refused to be treated like this under the roof that only I pay for. We were seperated when I got this apartment. As soon as I let him move back in he quit that job. He has never been on my lease. I had to threaten to call the cops to get him to leave.
I just feel like it's so cruel for him to have put all of this stress on me for this long. He does all the dishes and laundry, so he's contributing something I guess. But I pay for everything. I buy his weed, pay the bills/rent, car payments, trips. I just....can't do it anymore. It hurts me so much that he isn't willing to be my partner. In the few hours he has been kicked out he reached back out to his therapist and got a hire-at-interview. But....I feel like he's just going to quit everything again as soon as I let him back in.
I haven't eaten since yesterday and I can't stop crying. Why won't he stop exploiting me and be my partner?
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I recently spent two weeks backpacking through Europe for the first time.
I found that it wasn't the glamorous, romantic adventure that it often looks like on Instagram.
While backpacking, I was disappointed by overnight train rides and crowds of tourists in each city.
In 2022, I tried backpacking for the first time.
With a passion for fashion, traveling with just a backpack never appealed to me before 2022. There were always too many things I wanted to pack.
But since I began traveling more last year as a travel reporter for Insider, I realized I needed to lighten my load to make it easier to hit the road for longer periods of time.
I made a minimalist travel style a priority in August 2022, when I spent a week backpacking for the first time through Eastern Canada. It turned out to be a lot easier --- and more efficient --- than I'd originally thought.
So when I planned a two-week train trip through four European countries two months later, I decided to push myself to fit everything I needed into my backpack again.
Unfortunately, I found that backpacking through Europe wasn't as romantic or glamorous as it often seems through photos on my Instagram feed.
Over the course of two weeks, I backpacked across Germany, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland while exploring the cities of Berlin, Vienna, Venice, Rome, Milan, and Zürich. It was my first time visiting each country and backpacking in Europe.
As part of my travels, I slept in shared train cabins and budget Airbnbs, and initially, felt like I was living the life of young adults on a gap year, or post-college students on a big adventure.
But I quickly realized it wasn't as glamorous as I expected it to be based on stories I'd heard from other people, or more commonly, pictures I saw on social media.
On Instagram, I've often seen epic photos of an empty nature scene save for the backpackers with a caption about life being an adventure.
But after backpacking Europe myself, I found that the travel style was full of hardships I rarely see posts about.
First, I found that my biggest backpack couldn't squeeze in all the clothes I wanted to bring.
I picked the largest bag I own --- a 32-liter backpack --- for my trip to Europe.
I wasn't sure how well this bag would work for a two-week trip, so I practiced packing as lightly as possible to ensure I could fit everything.
I started with my work gear, which included a laptop, cameras, lenses, and a notebook. Then I packed chargers, pottyries, and snacks before realizing my work gear and other essentials were taking priority over clothes.
I was hoping to bring two packing cubes full of clothing, but I could only fit one in my bag. This cut my proposed wardrobe in half. I ended up only having room for two polos, one t-shirt, one long-sleeve t-shirt, three pairs of pants, a sweater, a blazer, a dress, and two light jackets.
Although I impressed myself by packing lighter than I ever had while still having everything I needed for the longest trip I'd ever taken, I couldn't help but feel disappointed in my limited outfit choices.
Because I could only bring a few garments, I had to do laundry at nearly every accommodation.
The authors laundry in Germany (left), Austria (top), and Italy (bottom).Joey Hadden/Insider
I've never seen a backpacking social media post about doing laundry, but I found myself washing my clothes at nearly every Airbnb I stayed in.
I stayed in each accommodation for just one or two nights, so to ensure my clothes would be dry before checking out, I had to prioritize doing laundry as soon as I checked in.
I brought my own laundry soap and used sinks and bathtubs to wash each garment before hanging them up to dry.
This was a bummer since I often arrived at each accommodation feeling exhausted from travel, and washing my clothes was the last thing I felt like doing.
Coming home to tiny Airbnbs with wet clothes everywhere stressed me out after a day of exploring.
From a converted wine barrel outside of Zürich to an Airstream trailer in Vienna, most of my Airbnbs were tiny homes with less than 100 square feet in size. So even a little bit of clutter made them look messy to me.
I also thought having my clothes hanging to dry made the spaces feel even more chaotic.
Each time I returned to my accommodations, I was greeted with a disheveled space that made me feel stressed out. Since I work hard to keep my apartment looking spotless at home, I wasn't used to living in a cluttered space. I found it hard to relax in these rooms after tiring days of exploring.
I thought a sleeper train would be a smart way to arrive in new cities and maximize my time, but these shared cabins felt cramped and uncomfortable.
I booked two overnight trains during my trip. I thought this would be the best way to travel through Europe so I could explore more during the day.
But the small, uncomfortable spaces I had to travel in for long periods of time made it hard to sleep.
To get from Vienna to Venice, I booked a bunk in a shared cabin on an overnight train run by Nightjet, a rail line that operates overnight routes between Austria, Italy, France, and the Netherlands, according to the company's website.
Since I booked a shared room with up to five other people, I expected to feel a little cramped, but I anticipated being able to move around the room freely.
However, I found that the 74-square-foot cabin didn't feel like enough space for myself and the other travelers, especially with everyone's luggage. Our cabin only had four people in it, and I thought it would have been even more uncomfortable had it been fully booked with six people.
There was space for bags above the beds, but not enough for everyone. I couldn't do much more than sit and lay in my bunk, and quickly became disappointed by my choice to travel in this way.
I was also surprised by the lack of privacy inside the shared bunk cabin on the train.
Before my trip, I imagined that each bunk in the shared cabin on the sleeper train would have a curtain for privacy. However, the beds were completely exposed, so I had to go to the bathroom to change into my pajamas privately.
I also had to wake up another traveler using the top bunk in the middle of the night to use the bathroom since the room's lock was only accessible from their bunk.
After this experience, I don't think I'll ever bunk with strangers on an overnight train again, especially since some Nightjet routes have private cabins, according to the company's website.
"Offering our passengers a high level of travel comfort is an important concern for us," a representative for ÖBB Nightjet told Insider. "We are constantly working on improvements to our product and also take into account the requirements of our customers."
But I thought my experience was even worse on the other overnight train I took where I booked a regular seat and didn't sleep at all.
On my other overnight train from Berlin to Vienna, I had an even harder time sleeping. I sat in a seating carriage room with six seats facing each other, which is Nightjet's version of standard coach seating.
During my leg of the journey, three travelers were already there when I boarded, and two others arrived within the first few hours. Right away, I thought the room was cramped and lacked enough legroom for each traveler.
The seat appeared slightly wider than a typical train coach seat, with two cushions, and reclined far enough to almost lay flat, but not fully. I reclined mine all the way, but I thought the gap between the seat back and the bottom of the seat made it tough to get comfortable.
When I tried to sleep, I found it impossible with the constant bumps on the ride and so many people around. I ended up staying up until the morning and regretted traveling overnight.
"The quality of travel depends not only on the carriages, but also on the route," OBB Nightjet wrote in a statement to Insider. "We recommend the sleeper or couchette car for night travel. There is enough space to stretch out. Seated carriages are recommended for shorter journeys."
While some influencers might like this type of travel, next time, I'll stick to daytime routes if I can't sleep flat on a bed in a private room.
I often arrived in each country feeling exhausted from lack of sleep, which made it harder to enjoy my time in each place.
Because I had so much trouble sleeping on both overnight train rides, I often arrived into a new city feeling tired and depleted instead of excited and ready to start exploring.
When I got to Vienna at 7 a.m. after a sleepless night in the seating carriage, I was so exhausted that I looked for any hotel that would take me in so early in the morning. I thought this made the overnight ride ultimately not worth the time saved since I didn't do anything when I arrived other than sleep.
And when I got off the train in Venice, while I had enough energy to explore since I got some sleep in the bunk, I still felt fatigued, and it took away from how much I was able to enjoy that first day.
As a result, my first day in both cities felt disappointing, and that my plan to save time and energy backfired. I couldn't help but think I wasted two days that could have been spent feeling more appreciative of the city surrounding me, had I gotten enough rest.
In fact, a lot of my trip was more physically draining than I anticipated because carrying my backpack each day made my body sore.
On travel days, I had to carry my backpack for long periods of time. I wore it on the go to catch my train, and then when I arrived into a new city, I had to keep it on my back until I was able to check into my accommodation. And then I'd repeat the entire process when I checked out before catching a train to my next destination.
I've certainly never seen any Instagram posts about these bags being comfortable. Each day, after wearing my backpack while walking for extended periods, all of my muscles felt incredibly sore.
In these moments, I was surprised to find myself questioning if a backpack really is more convenient than a carry-on suitcase. Sure, a carry-on suitcase is larger and often needs to be wheeled around, but after lugging around my backpack all day, I felt like it could be easier to roll a suitcase around, and it would have been better for my body. Plus, I'd be able to pack more.
Large crowds made having a backpack even harder. I thought traveling in October — the end of shoulder season — would help me avoid this, but I was wrong.
In most photos of backpackers I see on Instagram, it looks like they're completely alone in a dramatic scene, whether it's a scenic landscape or a major tourist attraction.
But I found that even during the shoulder season, which is when I was in Europe, this was never the case. From Rome to Zurich, I trudged through places that were overrun with tourists.
Throughout my trip, I stood on tippy toes to see popular historic sites above rows of heads obscuring my view. I found that even getting just one photo of myself at tourist hot spots, like the Colosseum in Rome, felt nearly impossible. And since I'm 5'3, I found it hard to see these sights over the heads and smartphones of the people around me.
I also wasn't used to the weight and size of my backpack, which made it challenging to get around. In crowded spaces, I kept forgetting that the backpack made me about a third larger than I typically am. In busy streets and train stations, I found myself bumping into people with my pack before realizing that I needed to reconsider how I was taking up space.
Next time I plan a trip to Europe, I'll visit in the off season for fewer crowds.
While it wasn't a picture-perfect adventure, backpacking through Europe made me realize that you can't plan out every second, and maybe that's a good thing.
While there were a handful of hardships, I found that backing in Europe was full of good surprises, too.
For example, I initially thought seeing so many new places in a short time would make them blend together in my mind, but each city felt genuinely unique and left me with distinct memories. And without my backpack, I probably wouldn't have been able to travel to as many places in one trip.
I'll never forget how alive Berlin felt with its lush pockets of greenery, dramatic murals, and street performers, or how Vienna's garden mazes and fairytale architecture made me feel like royalty --- even with a turtle shell on my back.
Ultimately, I thought the good surprises outweighed the bad, so I would definitely backpack in Europe again. But next time, I'll avoid shared accommodations, overnight rides, and the busy season.
We would like to begin by acknowledging that the land on which we gather is the territory of the Mohegan, Mashantucket Pequot, Eastern Pequot, Schaghticoke, Golden Hill Paugussett, Nipmuc, and Lenape Peoples, who have stewarded this land throughout the generations. We thank them for their strength and resilience in protecting this land, and aspire to uphold our responsibilities according to their example.
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Also another woman's thread that she practically jacked.
Low effort I know.
