Robbed

So i got my backpack with my 2 cameras, my ipod with all my pictures, my glasses, and a few other things stolen from me. In Barcelona there is a street called Las Ramblas, famous for its night time treachory, this however is also the main road, neccesary to get from one place to another, so i knew to never take anything of value on it at night.. After all, im not an idiot and a stolen camera is not worth the red light districts pictures you can get from it.

So i didnt have it with me at night. I left it with a friends in their hostel room down the way and in the morning i went to go collect it from their room, where it was safe and going to walk around and take some morning pictures. The time was about 8 in the morning. While i was walking back i went to get a sandwhich down an side street of Las Ramblas and while i was waiting for it to be made i set my bag down, as i do often since ive been having serious back pain. I had my foot on the strap and before i knew it, it was gone. I didnt notice for sure when they took it from me and i thought i saw someone running down the street but didnt know if they had it or not or if i just wasnt looking in the right direction.

I filed a report with the police and dont know what will become of that. most likely i will never see any of it again. I am going to post a 500 or so euro reward for the items in it. as the pictures are priceless.

In florence i met a nice girl who let me back up my photos on her camera in the extreme case that it did get stolen or lost. and i am very grateful. i have already come in contact with her and will hopefully work something out to get those pictures back but i am still missing the first half of my trips pictures, where my lad in cork has them backed up on his computer as well. so there is still hope.

all of this happened two days ago. and since then i have not been able to do anything. i have been completely wrecked, any of you who know me know i am a very frugal person, i do not spend money flippantly and have been staying in the most budget of places while i have been here in europe, eating out almost never and mainly eating at grocery stores. I have lost a lot of weight to prove it. So the past two days ive been not living the hostel at all, just sitting trying to figure out my next step.

My journey is almost at its end. I am going to go home on the 11th, and am just trying to get to Brussels now to be with my friends and to perhaps see if i could leave early if neccesary.

I am still hopeful though, even despite this ultimately bad occurence. i called my parents this morning, 4 in the morning i believe your time. they calmed me down heaps, as did a friend i met here who let me use his computer to call them. He met me my first night and we became friends, he is from Colorado and has been travelling 4 months now, he then saw me yesterday after the camera was stolen and he could see how different i was and how i had definitely changed. He said the first day i was a happy go lucky guy much like himself who loved travelling as much as he did. After the camera was stolen however he said i was not myself in the slightest and rightfully so.

Since then he has stayed with me and comforted me telling me what my parents said, that it could always be much worse, and both he and i have heard other traveller´s stories where it has been much worse. He and i just got back from dinner, i realized i hadnt eaten for 36 hours, we went out for pizza, he paid. He kept my sanity and for that i thank him. Of course i am still upset about the whole matter but what has happened has happened (Florence Petranto reminded me of this as well). And i should carry on. This is the worst thing that has happened on my trip and for that i am thankful.

I am a weary traveller though, and perhaps this weary contributed to my unfortune, but as i was just telling my new friend, i am not bitter. I still love travelling and my journey is not over yet, and i do not regret my trip in the slightest.

I still want to travel more, and am glad i did this one by myself.

I am excited for my future as well as my present, and cannot believe what good fortune i have had, and how i have a brilliant past to shine on my dark hours.

The people i have met. The places ive stood. Pale in comparison to anything a theif could take away from me. My new friend is not the only one to comfort me. A spanish speaking staff member gave me hugs when i was breaking down as did other travellers.

I did not write a blog sooner because i could hardly find the energy to think about it at all. I feel like there is more that i could have done to prevent this, but at the same time, almost nothing.

I am not ready to go back home and get a job to be able to gain the funds for another camera, and am ready to comtemplate my next move... career, travel, peace corps?

the world is like a large book, those that dont travel only read one page.

caio,

your weary,
more enlightened traveller