[No] Sex, [Some] Drugs, & Country Music

Day 249-254, August 3-8, 2011

There were a couple reasons I was excited to go to Amsterdam. First, it was Pride. You always hear about the craziness of European gay prides and Amsterdam was surely to exceed those expectations(for what Pride was really like, check this post out). But I think I was actually even more excited because this would be the first time I meet another fellow travel blogger on the road, Jaime from Breakaway Backpacker.

We had been planning this for months now and it was finally here! With our apartment booked and our train arrival times happening within a half hour of each other, it was time to head off. For me, it was a 20 hour train ride from Zagreb, through Munich and onto a night train to Amsterdam. For Jaime, it was a two hour train from Antwerp, Belgium.

Perspectives of Pride

The chance to go to Gay Pride in Amsterdam came a few months ago through Twitter and Facebook correspondence with Jaime of Breakaway Backpacker. We had been talking for months and knowing that we’d be in Europe at the same time meant we would have some opportunity to create to meet up somewhere. At first it was for La Tomatina in Spain but that wouldn’t work out for me, being as I would be in Eastern Europe at the time. So, somehow, the idea came up that we, being gay travel bloggers, meet up in Amsterdam for Pride. So we did.

 

Queering the Backpackers Trail

It’s the first full week of June and back home in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, Pride Week is in full swing. Perhaps it’s because of this, or because of a couple recent posts by fellow queer backpackers Jaime and Dani & Jessica of GlobetrotterGirls, that I’m feeling like I need to do a post outside the norm of what I’ve been doing.

For the most part, this blog has not been a normal “travel blog” full of tips and amazing articles of great insight. No. This blog is more of my journal of what I’ve done each day of this massive trip. Gay issues have certainly come up as this is just part of who I am and I don’t feel like I should completely censure myself. If I go to a gay bar, I’m going to write about it.

Both Jaime and Dani & Jessica have written amazing posts on their perspectives of being gay while traveling. They’re insights are amazing and are given with such honesty. I highly suggest you check them both out. Now it’s my turn.