The Castle Was Real. My Expectations Weren’t.

I’d seen Neuschwanstein on a thousand screens, but standing in Schwangau, the fog clinging to the towers, it felt smaller and lonelier than I’d pictured. I waited for the awe to hit, but mostly I felt the ache of every early morning and missed train that got me here. There’s a strange relief in seeing a place for yourself—finally knowing the angles, the crowds, the way the wind bites at your face. The photos never show the cold benches or the quiet, anticlimactic walk back to the bus stop. I wasn’t disappointed. I was just finally honest about what travel can and can’t fix. #ExpectationVsReality #TravelConfessions #SoloTravelTruth #Travel