So here’s the thing about travelling. You can either plan everything and get upset if things are getting out of hand, or you can let go and really just keep your mind and heart open to anything that might happen.

I choose to let go

I used to carry my backpack all day in Portugal and not book more than one hostel night at a time, just in case something comes up. Whether it is a spontaneous offer to drive to another city. Or meeting great people on the way and going to their hostel on that same night. You might see an offer to sleep on someone’s couch or you might end up in the rain, walking endlessly because all the hostel are fully booked.

So being open to the unpredictable doesn’t mean it will go well. Nor does it mean you will have the time of your life. But for the few times I might have regret being unprepared, it is totally worth the risk.

• Like that time I was in my period in the middle or nowhere in Morroco and ended up paying 8 euros for a small box of tampons
• Or that time I was sick and hadn’t brought any medication with me.
• Or that time I went on a night out camping with strangers and I wasn’t carrying my contact lenses liquid with me.

Because those few incidents lead me to being a very spontaneous traveler. So when I was in Greece, I could get to a nude beach and have a blast! Here’s how to do it:

Step 1. Arrive at the Port in Athene only 20 minutes before departure of your boat to an Island.

Step 2. Realize the boat is full and your day trip back and forth to the Island is ruined.

Step 3. Try to convince the lady at the desk to let you on because you are tiny and only carrying a plastic bag with a scuba diving kit, a microfiber towel and a book, while using your traveler French-Canadian charm.

Step 4. Realize it won’t work this time.

Step 5. Hope you will convince the captain of the boat with your lady charm.

Step 6. Talk with a girl about where exactly the boats arrive so you can run and be first up for the sake of your mission.

Step 7. Reflect about the  fact that you became an anarchist that can’t take no for an answer.

Step 8. Meet a Greek girl and her friend while waiting, laugh, realize you get along well and talk about life.

Step 9. Get invited to sleep in their two people tent on a full moon night.

Step 10. Get exited and realize you will lose 20 euros for the night you booked (ahead for the first time ever) in Athene.

Step 11. Confirm that your habit to never book a night ahead should remain as your first and only attempt at booking two night at once failed. This is a sign, for sure.

Step 12. Have your new Greek friend pull out tricks to convince the desk people to let you on the boat while pretending you are their foreign cousin and trying endlessly until it works.

Step 13. Discover the island from a local view, sleep with a bunch of hippie on a night where the moon raised and turn orange and laugh about how unprepared you were for a night sleep-over.

Just imagine that moon on a certain magical night, Greece, 2016

Step 14. Remind yourself to always carry your contact lenses liquid.

Step 15. Realize a microfiber towel is the perfect blanket and a book is the perfect pillow.

Step 16. Wake up and go to a local half-nude beach with awesome girls and have the time of your life. (Wearing your bathing suit though, because you didn’t feel wild enough to get naked in front of Greek guys!)

As I like to say:

Fear the unknown; do it anyway

All the Polaroid pictures were taken by lovely Dle Yaman