A year ago, in August 2025, after saying “no” probably three times to my mom’s invitation, I finally said yes.
The mission was simple: accompany my mom on a journey to Europe to visit our extended family from my mother’s side — relatives who have been living there and becoming European citizens for more than 30 years.
Let me explain.
My mom is Indonesian, and part of our extended family from my mother’s side has European roots. My mom’s cousins, as well as some of my cousins, have been living in Europe and becoming citizens there for more than 30 years.
Some of them had visited Indonesia several times over the years, but I was still very young at that time. So, this trip became something more meaningful — a chance to finally reconnect with family members who had always been part of our story, even from afar.
A Europe trip is definitely not a cheap trip. And at that time, I was still facing many realities in life, especially after several difficult events that affected my family’s financial situation.
But then I thought…
Why not?
Why not start saving, prepare what I could, and just try?
After all, I had never taken an overseas holiday with my mom and my family before. Maybe this was the moment.
So, we bought our tickets in August.
And honestly… what kind of dream was this? Somehow, we got Qatar Airways — one of the world’s best airlines. I still couldn’t believe it.
The Visa Journey
For the visa process, I received a lot of help from Indah Tour.
And trust me, if you prepare your documents carefully and pay attention to every requirement, the visa process can actually be smoother than you imagine. Ours was approved in less than a week.
I’ll share more details about the visa process in another post because there are many things worth explaining.
Today, I just want to share the story behind this “crazy decision” to go.
Because honestly, at that moment, I didn’t really have a solid plan.
I only had a dream.
I kept thinking:
“When will I ever have another chance to go to Europe with my mom?”
For many people, Europe means a holiday destination.
For us, it was something more meaningful.
It was about meeting family — cousins, uncles, and aunts whom we had only known through stories and occasional visits.
The funny thing was… I was completely blind about Europe.
I knew almost nothing.
I didn’t know the cities, the transportation system, the distances, or how to build an itinerary. I was literally starting from zero.
And at that time, forget having the minimum bank balance for the visa — I was just holding onto a dream and a little bit of “crazy optimism.”
Of course, my mom sponsored around 90% of the trip. But I also knew I had my own responsibility for the remaining part.
Our European journey covered:
- France — especially the South of France
- Spain (which disappeared from the plan for a while but magically came back at the last minute)
- The Netherlands as our final destination
Manifesting a Dream Written in 2020
The funniest part?
Back in 2020, I actually wrote in my journal that one day I wanted to travel to Europe.
HAHAHA.
Looking back now, it feels unbelievable.
Somehow, that little dream actually happened.
Planning Europe When You Know Nothing About Europe
As someone who was completely new to Europe but suddenly had to create an itinerary, I received a lot of help from Google and ChatGPT.
I used AI exactly for what it should be used for:
- calculating travel distances
- estimating travel time
- comparing transportation options
- collecting reviews and recommendations
- organizing information
It honestly became my travel assistant throughout the planning process.
The Budget: How Did We Make It Work?
Before this trip, many people told me:
“Prepare at least 50 million rupiah for one European country.”
But somehow…
Our total cost was around that amount for two people and multiple countries.
How?
Here are some things I learned:
1. Flight Tickets
I constantly monitored prices through Trip.com.
One rule I followed: I avoided buying tickets on weekends or Mondays because prices were usually higher.
When I saw the right price, I immediately booked.
Was it risky?
Absolutely.
But sometimes, if you keep waiting, the trip will remain only a dream.
2. Accommodation
Honestly, I found many affordable and comfortable options.
I searched through Agoda, Trip.com, and Booking.com.
For visa purposes, Agoda was very helpful because I could make temporary bookings.
During our time in Spain and the Netherlands, I was also very grateful because my uncle and aunt welcomed us into their homes, which helped reduce accommodation costs significantly.
I’ll share the details of each country in separate posts.
3. Transportation Between Countries and Cities
This was actually one of the most exciting parts of planning.
For some flights between cities and from Spain to the Netherlands, I booked directly through each airline’s website.
Inside the cities, we mostly used Uber.
Honestly, because my mom was still recovering after her total hip replacement, I didn’t want to take too many risks with crowded public transportation.
Was Uber expensive?
It depends on the city.
But having that option gave me peace of mind.
4. Food and Daily Spending
I only carried around 11 million rupiah in cash for daily expenses.
One thing that helped us save money was breakfast.
Many hotels provided free breakfast, so I made sure we ate well in the morning.
For snacks and simple meals, supermarkets became our best friends.
So what is affordable in Europe?
Bread. Some fruits. And…
Wine. LOL.
Wine can actually cost less than 1 euro in some places.
Meanwhile, drinking water can sometimes be surprisingly expensive.
Luckily, I brought my tumbler everywhere, so I could refill whenever possible.
One funny thing — I don’t know what was going on in my brain at that time, but when I was thirsty, I would happily refill my bottle from restroom water fountains. 😂
The cleanest water experience, for me, was in the Netherlands.
5. Outfit and Safety
Before leaving, so many people reminded me:
“Be careful with pickpockets.” “Be careful with crime.” “Don’t look too much like a tourist.”
So I decided to keep things simple.
I wore outfits that made me look more like a local — comfortable, practical, and not too attention-grabbing.
We also always moved together as a group.
For my bag, I invested in PACSAFE.
It was not cheap, but honestly, I would buy it again for future travels because feeling safe and comfortable is priceless.
I’ll share more about PACSAFE in another post.
The Bigger Meaning Behind This Trip
After everything that happened in our lives — the challenges, the difficult seasons, and moments when we almost lost hope — we were still given the opportunity to experience something this beautiful.
To see another part of the world.
To reconnect with family.
To create memories.
After working for 20 years, this was the longest holiday I have ever taken.
And honestly?
It was unbelievable.
Now, I want to share this journey because maybe someone else has the same dream but feels that Europe is impossible.
Maybe the budget feels too big.
Maybe the timing feels wrong.
Maybe you don’t know where to start.
But sometimes, dreams happen when you start taking small steps toward them.
With proper planning, a little courage, and (in my family’s case) a lot of drama along the way…
We landed home safely.
No major problems. No missing luggage. No disasters.
Everything worked out beautifully.
And yes…
That “budget that didn’t exist” somehow took us all the way to Europe.
The Functional Mama - by Britt Sukrisno 
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