Goodbye to Europe

and the 200+ people I've called friends

Goodbye, Europe.

We’ve spent ten years together: two solidly cohabitating (2024-2026), five on-and-off (2020-2025), and a few more flirting (2017-2019).

What an excellent long-term relationship. What a secure attachment.

Goodbye, fast trains. Goodbye, friendliest cycling routes. Goodbye Black Forest, U-bahns, cobblestone, steeples, brown bread, ubiquitous high-grade coffee, Alps, and canals.

Goodbye, peak partner dance: all those sweaty weekends in Bern, Busca, Berlin, Brussels, Toulouse, Vienna, Lyon, and Krakow, and all the lovely little local scenes that support them.

But really—goodbye to 200+ people I’ve called friends.

Nuclear families, domestic stability, and geographic monogamy aren’t my thing. I prefer to surf among one, big, chosen global family. You’re all a part of it.

I’m headed to America for a while. I’ve got people to see, roads to cycle, and deserts to wander. But I’ll be back, soon enough. How could I stay away? This is love.

❤️ Blake

The People

(in no specific order)

AUSTRIA

Andy, Eli, H, Christian, Christian, Flo, Flo, Sarah, Sarah, Marie, Lenka, Melinda, Judith, Eddie, Sofia, Alma, Nadine, Fabio, Caro, Ned, Anya, Mira, Nepo, Dana, Sandra, Sandra, Hannah, Blanka, Änna, Lucy, Kirsi

GERMANY

Jacky, Steffi, Paul, Clemens, Pablo, Piret, Jonathan, Eva, Andrea, Marco, Elena, Nine, Luke, Laura, Jules, Tonia, Lui, Luisa, Carla, Paul, Madita, Florian, Flo, Emelie, Henrik, Sandra, Pia, Veronika, Alex, Tinka, Martin, Sonia, Carolin, Susanna, Nehal, Andreas, Susi, Tabea, Tata, Anne, Cam, Maria J, Nis, Lukas, Anna, Marina, Stacey, Sina, Sarah

FRANCE

Anaïs, Celine, Jimmy, Meagan, Justine, Rolando, Ouardane, Olivier, Julie, Lou, Maxi, Ariane, David, Amélie, Marine, Amandine, Thierry, Iris, Vanessa, Carole, Axel, Lizea, Amelia, Kasia, Cécile

POLAND

Weronika, Weronika, Agata, Agnieszka, Nastya, Kasia, Joanna, Alena, Dan

CZECHIA

Blanka, Evgeniya, Míša, Zuzana

NETHERLANDS

Josine, Anouk, Anne, Nate, Jeremy, Rowena, Roos, Remy, Micha, Katz, Pieter, Naomi, Ellen, Nicky, Tjitte, Tamara, Abel, Brian

DENMARK, NORWAY, FINLAND

Liam, Fie, Rebekah, David, Anna, Biru, Iggy

BELGIUM

Tim, Emily, Lies, Arnoud, Cécile, Noémie, Laure, N, Alexi, Laurein, Xavier, Cedric, Lisa, Francesca, Katia, Freddie, Hilde, Raven, Verena

SPAIN & PORTUGAL

Fred, Alicia, Amalaia, Carole, Meg, Ivo, Marina, Fer, Elena, Jenny, Lou, Faviola, Monlam, Atenea, Ksenia

SWITZERLAND

Bea, Nathalie, Kade, Katrin, Zora, Sia, Ryan, Lea, Sinje, Tian, Tanja, Angie, Andreas, Amélie, Nicholas, Sonja, Pascal, Pascal, Mandana, Sarah, Kevin

UK

Alex, Duncan, Alec, Claire, Alain, Frankie, Genna, Malcolm, Nick, Jess, Dan, Nirjala, Charlie, Tina, Martin, Annelore, Michael, Siân, Ceri, Jeremy

ITALY

Giulia, Tommi, Flouer, Chiara, Chiara, Marco

(Those I’ve neglected to mention—forgive me!)