Maltese life

I love Malta! It's like Rome, except it doesn't smell gross and there's no graffiti. People are straight forward and helpful. I think it's the new Florida, cuz there's tons of old people here. I don't speak Maltese but I think I read their gestures right. I'm sitting at this cafe eating brunch and there are definitely regulars here. Everything is so cheap. Boutique clothing stores sell dresses and cute blouses for only 5€ and I just ate a meat pie and timpana (a Malta dish that's basically fancied up mac and cheese in a pie) for less than 5€. One old woman walked in and saw her friend and I can imagine that what she said was, "hello dear friend, it's so great to see you again. Love what you've done with the hair, how are the plants doing?"

I think if I was old and had zero obligations, I would move to Malta. My host said he came to Europe (Manchester) studying abroad his junior year and loved it so much that he came back for post grad work then never left. He's from a suburb in CA and said I was the first person from UT he's met and the first Vietnamese person to stay at his place. This house is amazing. It's actually exactly what I want.

I wanted to see all those sites that Malta is known for so with my 21€ unlimited public transit card, I hopped on a bus and followed my map. But we all know I'm a liiittle narcoleptic so I fell asleep on the bus, then a woman woke me up and checked on me to make sure I didn't miss my stop. She was so sweet. I made it to Popeye Village! Only to realize I would have to pay to go in, so I caught a bus back. We passed some basilicas, I got off at the wrong stop, then I realized just because other people like to check out tombs and old churches doesn't mean I do and I don't have to. So I skipped that, tried to stay awake and not miss my stop, then finally made it to Valletta, Malta's capital. The country is so small, that they cover all the streets with hanging string light bulbs. This place is beyond adorable. I walked through the shops, ate some gelato, and decided I needed a souvenir from this place. I was going to buy a shirt but I decided that I don't need more clothes, but I want something I can use. I bought some playing cards. They're pretty cute too. There was also the most beautiful sunset, but if I hear one more street performing play Ed Sheeran....

I went to the grocery store after and missed my stop so I had to walk a lot. But John, my host, said this place is super safe. He's cool and his house is amazing. The grocery store is a chain in Europe called Lidl which is exactly the same as Aldi. On my way home, I miraculously caught the last bus and got off at the right stop. I'm getting the hang of this. After my cold shower, which I'm loving in this summer heat w no AC, I went up to his roof. The most insane views! I can see the whole city, all the domes, all the sand stone buildings. It's magic. Malta has my heart.

Solo travel

Pros: I don't have to check off anyone else's bucketlist, I get to improvise when I'm stuck, I can stay on the bus w AC as long as I want

Cons: sometimes I miss my stop, no one will dance w me to street performers playing music

Grateful for: english, music, public transit, cheap and healthy food options, rooftops, city views