2007. A friend and I had just finished our community service. It was April. I was 19 and had saved some money. Where to go for our last big vacation was difficult to decide. It had to be more than just one country. I wanted to travel around Europe first. It turned out to be a train trip—an Interrail trip, to be precise. Looking back, the stops in the cities weren't the best experiences at all; it was more the times on the train that were sometimes boring, sometimes exciting, sometimes funny, sometimes interesting. We shared chocolate with Spanish nuns, philosophized with a Brazilian pilgrim, slept on night trains, and talked a lot about life after community service. These were the kind of conversations you rarely have in everyday life. I learned that friends show you a lot about yourself. They are the mirror you need—sometimes friendly, stressed, and sometimes critical. They help you be, remain, and become the best possible self.
