minus 2 months 19 days: get a travel buddy

Jerrain has been toying with the idea of joining me on this one month (37 days to be exact) Europe trip. But like any responsible and slightly workaholic Singaporean, the big question is whether she can take leave from work.

She finally popped the big question! I hope she made sure her boss was sitting down. And her boss said yes! *party poppers*

Those of you who were worrying about me travelling alone, I can hear you heave a huge sigh of relief. You probably do not know Jerrain that well. (Ok Jerrain, I'm just joking!)

To save you from the trouble of running a background check on her, let me give you a brief background. Jerrain - I prefer to call her Pey Pey - was my classmate in Dunman High. We were the nerdy duo for a year before we plunged into the darkest days of our secondary school lives, filled with Ferragamo belts, knee high socks, OshKosh raincoats, and liquid-papered Converse shoes.

minus 2 months 26 days: meet the experienced

Wai Hoong, a friend of Jerrain's, spent six months travelling around in Europe under an extremely small budget.

After checking out the amazing photos from his trip, I could not wait to hear all about it!

Over potato chips, blue cheese dip and wine, we - Jerrain, Wai Hoong, Alex and I - met at Garage Riverside point and chatted for three hours.

After two bottles of excellent German riesling, we came to a few (very wise) conclusions:

• It is always safe to travel on night trains.
• No matter how small your backpack is, you must bring a pair of heels.
• In any awkward situations, just high-pitch laugh yourself out of it.
• Always plan a day at a park after a crazy night.
• Leggings are great alternatives if there is no space for boots.
• No one will try to rob you.