Shadowing Practice: I Wanted To See Europe - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Last summer I did something different.
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199 sentences
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Last summer I did something different.
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I wanted to take my van on a long road trip.
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So I packed my bags,
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looked at an old map and left with the only goal of having fun.
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I wanted to see it all from the mountains in the
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Alps to the little coastal towns to the melting glaciers and also the missing ones.
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So I guess this is what happens when you have no plans and there's a whole continent to explore.
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Anyway, I left Portugal in early July,
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and my first stop was a beautiful national park in the north of Spain,
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called Picos de Europa.
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I just made it to a town called Rianho, which is behind me.
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I think this is like the beginning of the national park.
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Oh my god, it's really exceeding my expectations.
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I've driven across Spain quite a few times.
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It's your only option when you live in the westernmost country of Europe.
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But each time I've managed to find new places and this was no exception.
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That over there on the other side of the river, that is France.
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We are about to cross to a new country.
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Let's go.
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we made it to France oh god this is the exact
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same spot where I crossed the border last year during my bike trip
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so if you watch that video you'll know that there's no signs telling you you made it to France but yeah
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this region is so incredibly touristy
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it's kind of impossible to do anything because there's
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so many people everywhere I think I'm just gonna drive past all these coastal towns.
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As tempting as it was to explore the coast,
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I ended up driving towards inland.
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The roads were empty and there were so many villages to explore.
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We're going inside a castle.
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Oh my god.
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All our children know They're taking the high road After spending a few days on the road,
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I made it to Paris.
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The idea was to meet up with my friend Jules and convince her to join me for a couple weeks.
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Luckily, she agreed, so together we decided to drive east, towards Strasbourg.
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This trip was actually only possible thanks to Quadlock.
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They have the perfect phone case for your next adventure.
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Recently they came up with the new mag cases,
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which have magnets on them,
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so instead of having to twist and lock,
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it just snaps into place.
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The cool thing is that it is compatible with wireless charging,
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so by connecting the charger to the car socket,
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you get a wireless charger in your car,
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which I think is pretty cool.
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Obviously, they offer all sorts of mounts and cases,
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so if you'd like to grab one,
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make sure you check the link in the description to get 10% off on any purchase.
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Again, thank you QuadLog for sponsoring this video,
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and now let's go to the Alps!
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I'm so glad I decided to come to the Alps
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because I've always wanted to come here during summer seeing the snow up there and using just a shirt outside.
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I don't know.
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I think it's a cool combination.
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me It's been black and needs to change let's restart
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This is dinner, it's just here
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Are you laughing I I wish we had a stove, but we don't.
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It's funny how a tent,
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some boring sandwiches, and a cold night in the mountains can make you feel so alive.
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I had no plans when I left home.
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I didn't know what I was looking for.
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But I feel like this was in fact the very essence of what I was seeking.
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But anyway, after spending some time in the French Alps,
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we made it to a new country.
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Switzerland, here we go.
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There's the flag.
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As we crossed the border,
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we heard about a little cabin lost in the mountains.
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So after doing some research, we found some clues.
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Okay, if my guess is correct,
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this should be the place.
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And the cabin should be somewhere over there.
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Which seems like a pretty short hike.
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I'm pretty sure we can get there in less than two hours so let's go
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Can somebody tell me if these are Edelweiss?
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Because I wanted to see them,
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but I'm not sure if this is Ed.
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I think they're dead There it is!
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And I'm pretty sure there is nobody there.
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Here it is!
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Oh no!
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It's locked!
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Can you read what it says here?
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Oh, there's a lock here.
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So maybe the keys are inside.
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Okay, so it might be possible there's a number here.
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I'm just gonna try to message them.
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Yes, it is possible.
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Yay!
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Yes.
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Yes.
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Yes.
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Yes.
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Whoa.
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Oh, it's so cozy already.
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Oh, the smell.
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It smells like a sauna.
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Yeah.
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It's like a fairy tale.
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Yeah.
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Maybe it's not from the outside.
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Oh.
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Very good.
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Oh.
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It smells like a sauna.
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Yeah.
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It's like a fairy tale.
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Yeah.
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Maybe it's not from the outside.
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There he is.
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Oh, there's light.
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Wow.
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Can't believe it.
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What do you think of this view?
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Meh.
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After spending almost a month in the Alps and hiking a bunch of different trails,
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we were longing for a good swim.
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So the next morning we left in search of that.
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Eventually, we left Switzerland and drove all the way to Venice,
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which was so much fun to explore.
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Look what we have here.
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Oh, what is it in Italy?
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Of course.
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After spending so much time in nature,
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it felt good being in a touristy spot and trying every ice cream shop we could.
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Unfortunately, Jules' holiday was coming to an end,
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so after spending almost four weeks together, we said goodbye.
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And as for me, I decided to continue on my own and drive further south.
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Honestly, I think coastlines are overrated.
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I think I've done that mistake myself.
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But you just need to drive a little bit inland to find spots like this one with no one.
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I have spent the whole morning here and I haven't seen a single person
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nobody really cares about my van the police is not coming
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and yeah I don't really know why people are
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so obsessed with the coastline and I'm not just talking about Croatia I'm talking about coastlines in general
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I think it's much nicer to be in a spot like this than being on a crowded beach somewhere.
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So I think I'm going to spend the whole day here.
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It's very nice and the water is so cold.
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Obviously, after saying that, I drove towards the shore.
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And I'm happy to report that it's still possible to find some empty beaches.
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Also, as I spent time alone, time was slowing down.
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And since I was not in a rush,
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I decided to take a ferry to go explore one of the many islands along the coast.
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I cannot believe that I'm here all alone!
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What?
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And the water is so blue.
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Look at this.
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Life on the island was amazing,
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there's not much else you can ask for.
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But after a while I was starting to miss the people that I would like to share it with.
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So after giving it some thought,
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I decided it was time to go.
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morning I'm about to board a ferry to go back to Italy which means I'm officially on my way back home.
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Even though leaving Croatia was a bit sad,
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I was excited for the last leg of the road trip.
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So after crossing the Adriatic Sea,
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I arrived to the south of Italy,
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and my first stop was Matera,
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where they filmed a James Bond movie.
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I'm having breakfast with this view.
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Wow.
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It definitely lived up to my expectations.
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And as the sun was still shining and the views were good,
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I decided to stay for a few days.
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After all, I was trying to enjoy the ride back home.
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This is just an old cistern and it's humongous.
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It had capacity for 5 million liters of water, which is mind-blowing.
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And it's pretty cool inside.
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I kept on driving west,
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and eventually I made it to the Amalfi Coast,
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where I found some of the sketchiest roads of the whole trip.
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And to be honest, I'm still not sure how I managed to park my van there.
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I'm swimming in Positano.
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Well, it was definitely cool to see it in person,
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but it was so packed that instead I decided to go try the best pizza in the world.
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Look at this!
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That looks so good!
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so good
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I can confirm those were indeed the best pizzas I've ever had in my life
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and I still have some leftovers for dinner
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As I drove across Italy,
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the trip slowly came to an end,
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and after spending over three months on the road,
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the idea of going back home felt right.
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We are back in France!
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I didn't know what to expect from a trip like this.
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Driving over 12,000 kilometers across 10 different countries while eating outside every day
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and going for the most beautiful sunset swims really makes you feel like you're making the most of it.
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You might call me crazy,
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but if waking up in the morning and peeing out of your van isn't the best feeling in the world,
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I don't know what is.
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Back in Spain!
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And so after spending 105 days on the road,
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I made it back home.
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And honestly, I couldn't have asked for more.
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guitar solo
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And so now I ask you,
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what's your next adventure going to be?
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I hope you don't let it pass by,
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because life is short and there's plenty of time to be dead.

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Why practice speaking with this video?

Engaging with the video "I Wanted To See Europe" offers an immersive experience for English learners. The spontaneous narration of a road trip across several countries presents a unique opportunity to practice speaking through the shadowing technique. This method involves listening to the speaker's words and mimicking them in real time, closely following their intonation and rhythm. By revisiting the video, you can enhance your English speaking practice, effectively improving your fluency and pronunciation while expanding your vocabulary. This realistic conversational context not only helps you grasp everyday language but also prepares you for similar encounters during your own travels.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

The speaker uses various grammatical structures and expressions that are vital for English learners. Here are some key highlights:

  • Past Simple Tense: "I left Portugal in early July." This structure is common for sharing experiences and timelines, a critical skill for storytelling.
  • Descriptive Language: "It was really exceeding my expectations." This phrasing showcases how learners can express surprise or satisfaction, making dialogues more engaging.
  • Infinitive Phrases: "to meet up with my friend." The use of infinitives to express intentions is essential for clear communication.
  • Conjunctions: "so together we decided to drive east." Linking ideas helps create complex sentences, crucial for fluency.

By focusing on these structures, learners can better understand how to construct their own sentences, enhancing their overall communicative competence.

Common Pronunciation Traps

The diverse accents and regional expressions featured in this video may present some pronunciation challenges. Here are a few words and phrases to pay attention to:

  • Picos de Europa: Ensure you pronounce this with attention to the Spanish sounds, as it can be tricky for non-native speakers.
  • Strasbourg: This French city name often confuses learners. The "o" sounds are often pronounced differently than in English.
  • Coastal towns: The "t" in "towns" can sometimes be softened, especially in casual conversation, leading to variations in pronunciation.

Paying attention to these traps during your practice will help improve your understanding and enhance your speaking clarity. To master the aspects of pronunciation and intonation, consider utilizing a shadowing site where you can find similar content, or use other resources to learn English with YouTube videos like this one.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

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