Last year Luke shared his experiences of backpacking around Europe with his friends after graduating. It seems he’s definitely been bitten by the travel bug and this time they decided to venture further afield.
My friends and I all loved exploring Europe last summer so this year we decided to venture a little further afield. This summer ten of us went to four different countries in the Baltics – Finland, Estonia, Latvia and lastly Lithuania.
It’s a year since we all graduated and it was great to be around my friends again, exploring different European towns and experiencing the culture and nightlife. In reflection we felt a lot more confident backpacking and just being generally streetwise when sightseeing this time round as we knew what to expect and be aware of.
Because I was still in Europe, I didn’t feel any major concerns around my medication or liver condition. We carried out the same protocol as last time by giving spare medication to a couple of friends alongside with a sheet of paper that contains a brief medical history and a list of emergency contacts and some instructions to follow in case of emergency. In addition I always wear my medic alert necklace, so with all of this in place, meant that no matter the circumstance I’d be able to get help and my friends knew what to do if something serious happens. Thankfully to this date I’ve only had to use this system once and that was when I was on an expedition in the Indian Himalayas.
To anyone thinking of travelling in this way, don’t let your liver condition put you off. If you prepare well and trust the friends around you, you’ll enjoy it as much as anyone else.
