Wandering with Kals
From saving lives to chasing mine.
Introduction
Hi, I’m Kali (Kay-lee)-but people call me Kals. I left both of my jobs as a critical care paramedic/firefighter, moved out of my home, booked a one-way ticket to Europe, and walked away from everything I thought I’d be at 31. It’s my first time being single in a decade. It’s also the first time I’m not “on shift,” running toward chaos to keep someone else alive.
This trip? It’s been a decade in the making. When I was 21, I mapped out this same journey but never took the leap. Life, love, and the job always came first. But now, it’s me.
Follow along as I figure out who I am without the uniform, the relationship, or the schedule. I’ll be sharing my honest experience-from beautiful hikes and cultural surprises to loneliness, growth, and the messy middle parts no one talks about.
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Wow. Prague was everything I never expected. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to go to Prague because I wanted some nature instead of another big city but God clearly knew what I needed. I arrived in Prague after a long train ride and immediately when I stepped out of the train station I felt…
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Hey guys! I’m writing because I have officially left Vienna, Austria, but mainly to keep my brain occupied from the anxiety that exists within it. I know I’ve mentioned this a couple of times now but ever since I went into SVT on a train in Italy and almost died I’ve really been struggling during…
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This will be the best but most heartbreaking update I have for you guys so far. I followed Chris to Bled, Slovenia with a plan to stay for three nights. We arrived and fell in love with the city. It is so beautiful. One of those places where pictures just don’t do it justice. We…
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Chris and I made it to Venice after a 2.5 hour train ride. We checked into our Airbnb which was thankfully only a 5 minute walk from the train station. Walking with those heavy bags on my back for long distances in this scorching sun is really not the move or fun. It’s nice because…
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Wow- I’ve fully finished two new cities now and haven’t had a single second to sit down and write. So I’m writing as I ride the train from Florence, Italy to Venice. I ended up making friends at my hostel after our game night on the floor in our dorm. You aren’t allowed to bring…
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Hi all! It’s been a few days and I have so much to share. I’ve spent the last 3 nights/4 days in Naples, Italy and I’m obsessed. When I first arrived in Naples, I somehow, someway got on the correct bus to take me to the central train station so I could catch a different…
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During my first few days in Scotland, I didn’t feel the instant spark I was hoping for. At first I blamed it on my stressful travel day then I blamed it on London stealing my heart immediately and missing the experiences I was having there. The friends I had made were still all together and…
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Good morning! I have officially arrived in Edinburgh, Scotland after a ROUGH travel day yesterday. I had a train booked for 0852 in the morning from London to Scotland. The French doctor who I was spending a lot of time with dropped me off at the train station and carried all of my things for…
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Possibly More of a Diary Entry??? I’ve been trying to write this blog for three whole days now. I have so much to share. I’m not really sure where to begin and it’s highly possible this will be all over the place. First, I have fallen head over heels in love with London. I can’t…
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The past week has been a complete whirlwind. As the countdown to my one-way flight to Europe hit single digits, reality started sinking in-and with it came all the feelings I knew I wasn’t prepared for. My best friend, Olivia, threw me a “bonvoyage” going away party with my closest friends and we had a…