The Itinerary.

Me and a statue friend in Bratislava.

I am a Libra, which is the sign of the scales, which means that I often see both sides of a situation. It also means that I cannot make a decision.

On the phone last night with my mom, while I was in my dorm room in blistery middle-of-nowhere Brno, and she in unseasonably warm 80-degree New Jersey, she said that I might be spending too much time in each country. Two weeks is too long.

She might be right.

My intention for this trip was to concentrate on a few countries. I didn't want to spread myself too thin, visiting 20 countries and coming back home barely remembering any one of them. Instead, I really wanted to sink in and see what each place was really like--by visiting the big places and also finding the little gems along the way.

But after two weeks in CR, I was over the country. Aside from Brno, I enjoyed all the places I visited, some better than others. I really have a good sense for the country, which is a nice feeling to have. But maybe I am too focused. By spending so much time on the small places, maybe I am missing the bigger picture.

"You should go see more countries," my mom suggested.

After a few days in Slovakia, I was planning to conquer Hungary in the same way as Czech Republic. I am meeting Dan in Budapest in two weeks, so that means I can't venture out too far. I planned to explore the countryside until he gets here. But what if these small towns were just other versions of Brno? Will I have to spend yet another few weeks not speaking to anyone?

I flipped through my Hungary book and some of these little places sounded really cool. When will I have the chance to explore Hungary again? Plus, I already purchased a Hungary-Austria-Germany train pass, and I don't have all kinds of money floating around.

Ah, the life of a Libra.

I went to my hostel in Bratislava and met my roommate, Rose, from Australia. I swear, just talking to someone for ten minutes in English felt remarkable. She told me that she traveled the some of the small cities in Hungary herself, but she didn't recommend it because even though the places were nice, you basically saw everything in one day and you had no one to talk to because no one spoke English. I knew exactly what she meant.

A small, mischievous smile swept across my face. I was going to screw the itinerary.

I will spend a few days in Bratislava, maybe hit up a small town in Hungary and then I am heading to Croatia. I have no guide book, no maps, no background knowledge. I heard it is warm there, and I have to be back in Budapest by November 3. That is all I know. I will have to figure it all out tomorrow.