In the theme park business, we have what’s known as a “soft opening” period in which rides and facilities are operated for the public for the first time. As you see how things run and what might not be working the way it was expected, you make adjustments to make the experience better. For me, month 1 is my soft opening.
I’m now one week into my journee and I now have a pretty good feel for what’s going well and where I need to tweak things. It’s been an amazing time but as I expected, I’ve learned a lot very quickly.
Here are some toplines (part 1 of 3).
Key learnings:
- Stick with the plan! The notes below are adjustments but not wholesale changes.
- Remember your strengths! The first couple of days got a bit frustrating as things didn’t go exactly the way I had pictured them – even though I KNEW they wouldn’t. Planning, logistics and adapting to new information are some of the things I’m best at, so I need to take better advantage of those skills.
Accommodations
Lesson #1: Hostels take some getting used to.
When I first walked in, my brain spiraled into “what the fuck am I doing here?” mode. I’m fairly relaxed about travel, but I have to admit that I’m used to staying in nice places on an expense account so I’ve certainly been spoiled for a long time.
By day three I had adjusted to the lifestyle and I slept well. The cleanliness in the place I stayed was the real challenge for me (hint: time your restroom visits to just after the daily cleaning).
Lesson #2: A hotel once in a while is a good way to settle my mind, let me get organized and re-group.
With my clothing and gear loaded in 5 separate bike bags, it’s been an adjustment to pack & unpack everything all the time. I still haven’t quite got the knack for what to put where, but I’m getting there.
A hotel is an opportunity to fully unpack, spread stuff out and spend some time adjusting plans without the distractions of a hostel or even a homestay.
Lesson #3: Renting a room for a month could be more challenging than I expected
Of course all the ads for rooms are in French. Duh. My limited grasp of the language has made it a challenge to even find a good resource for a room rental. I hadn’t planned on getting a room in Lille, so it’s fine for now, but I will need to improve on this as I move elsewhere.
As a foreigner, room rentals aren’t easy to come by unless you’re a student or have a work visa. Tenant rights in France are pretty strict, so once you’re in, you pretty much can’t be kicked out – which makes landlords very cautious about who they’ll rent to.
I have to back up and take a fresh look at Couchsurfing, Warmshowers and a few other sites that offer B&B style homestays at a lower cost than official B&Bs.
I just found some great places to stay in Amsterdam at Airbnb.com so I’ll be giving that a look for next week. They include week and month long rates for some places, which is right up my alley.
—————-
More to come, as I update on transportation challenges, blogging & writing and oh yeah, how about some travel reports? The Tour de France, World Cup parties and a London gay pride parade (let the jokes flow…) are all part of week one. More to come…
