Last year, for my birthday, my girlfriend surprised me with tickets to the Formula 1 race in Hungary. I immediately started planning my trip, intending to travel by motorcycle from Germany through the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, and back to Germany.

To organize my route, I used a fantastic road trip planner called Furkot.

Around that time, I purchased a rackless bag system from Mosko, but I soon realized it wasn’t the right fit for me. After many hours of research, I decided on a bag from a Polish brand called 21Brothers. It has a capacity of about 50 liters, but even that didn’t seem to be enough!

After what felt like an eternity, the departure date finally arrived. My plan was to wake up at 6 AM and hit the road by 8. However, I still hadn’t packed all my gear and quickly realized I couldn’t bring everything with me. I ended up repacking my luggage twice before deciding that I didn’t need to bring a pillow, a thick sleeping bag (it was summer), or any food. After all, I wasn’t heading to the end of the world—just to Hungary! If I got hungry, I could easily stop at a gas station, supermarket, or restaurant.

After a couple of hours of delays, I finally hit the road around noon but immediately got stuck in traffic. Thankfully, after about 40 minutes, the road cleared up, and I continued my journey toward a camping ground about 300 kilometers east. There, I met a good friend, and we pitched our tents, enjoying some beers from a local shop.

Over the next few days, I cruised through the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia, trying to visit as many Soviet memorials and museums as I could. With some troubling fascist sentiments rising in Europe, I figured I should see these sites while they’re still standing.

After six days on the road, I arrived in Hungary, where I reunited with my best friend for the first time in two years. We set up camp at a local campground and spent the next few days basking in the sun, feeling like bacon sizzling on a griddle.

After the race, I headed to Serbia to visit my parents and grandma. I spent three relaxing days there, enjoying cold beers and the company of the family cat.

Following my short stop in Serbia, I made my way through Croatia, Slovenia, and Austria back to Germany.

In Croatia, I deliberately took the back roads but didn’t plan for much sightseeing. I had only one stop in mind—the Yugoslav monument in Podgaric.

While I didn’t plan any stops in Slovenia either, I still took the back roads. After a good night’s sleep, I went through the Karavanke Tunnel into Austria. However, I stuck to the highway and headed straight for Germany. I made an overnight stop at a friend’s place in Munich and returned home the next day.