Love Field

Saying goodbye was much harder than I thought.

I know I haven't blogged for a while, but readjusting was a little harder than I had planned it to be. 17 months ago I decided I wanted to go to the States for a semester and 17 months later, the journey now over, all I do is wish I was back there.

The last couple of months have been a bit of a blur, my final weeks in the States went by far too quickly in a haze of travel, goodbyes and holidays I suddenly found myself in Dallas Love Field at the security gate, bawling my eyes out at the realization that 1) That this glorious little bubble that had been my life was about to pop and 2) That I had another 4-8 months of long distance ahead of me with my boyfriend. I had gone from being calm and collected to a complete wreck in the time it took me to check my bags in and walk to the security gate.

Ok yeah, I cried, lots of people cry at airports that's not completely out of the ordinary. What is a little out of the ordinary is when the guy working security leaves his station to give you some tissues and share his wisdom on love and relationships. He was a nice guy.

I had been so consumed by the act of leaving I didn't even think what it would be like to return home, I guess I thought it would be fine which is why I didn't think about it. People always talk about reverse culture shock, which i've never really been able to grasp - despite the fact I have done a fair amount of travel in my life. I can now say with absolute certainty, that I know what it is and that it sucks. The last 7 or 8 months feel like a dream, everything is the same at home, but different. My friends are still my friends, but they've moved on somewhat, shared experiences that I cannot possibly understand and moved on. Maybe they see this in me as well, i'm not sure, I try not to talk too much about Mizzou because I feel like that could get irritating, though I do get asked - things like "what was it like?", a fair question but how do you succinctly put that into words? It was many things - good and bad, there aren't enough adjectives to sufficiently describe my experience or how i'm feeling about it right now.

A little over a month later, i'm feeling a bit better about things. I began work in Auckland almost immediately after I came home and am so thankful for it, it gets me out of the house and acting like a normal person (I think if I didn't go to work I would probably be locking myself away in my room 24/7). I still have my days, but i'm sure they will lessen, especially with my next semester around the corner (3 more days boo) and the arrival of Drew in the country (3 more months yay).

As for my little corner in cyberspace, i'm definitely gonna try keep this chugging along quietly, but who knows - maybe uni will take over my life. I hope not.

Boston bound!

Boston couldn’t have come at a better time, just a week after my second lot of exams and assignments and right before we started final projects I had got to that stage where I was sick of Columbia, sick of Mizzou and ready to get away for a while.

Boston is great, it really is. I remember first hearing about the city from Dan, a restaurant manager who worked in the same hotel as me a couple of years ago – he’d spent a few years working in restaurants over there and was in love with the city, when he found out I was going to New York for Christmas he pleaded that I spend a couple of days in Boston, but the bright lights of New York City captivated me and Boston became a lonely memory. A year later when I first started looking into study abroad I actually thought about applying for Boston University, who had an exchange partnership with AUT at the time, sadly though by the time I was applying for the Fall 2010 semester AUT and Boston University had parted ways.

This brings me to about 2 months ago when I decided I needed to do something with my life other than study (believe me, Mizzou is great, and I’m loving being in the convergence sequence, but I’m an exchange student for crying out loud. I need to travel.). I had originally thought of going south, to Nashville or Memphis or maybe across to Washington D.C so I could reenact my Forrest Gump fantasies – but then that little light bulb flickered and a thought came to me – Boston. I had nearly been there twice already, I might as well just do it.

To make this great idea even better, my good friend Keaney who studied in New Zealand for the 09-10 school year was FROM Boston. So not only was I going to a great city, I was also getting to spend my time with an awesome friend who actually knows her way around. Epic bonus. To top it all off, I found out another one of my friends Nam was flying over from Seattle that same weekend. That was it. My life was complete.

Initially, Boston kind of seemed like some crazy love child of Jersey Shore and The Sopranos – interesting combination I know, but I encountered people from both ends of that spectrum. Sometimes I felt like I was right in the middle of a real-life stereotype. It’s a cool little city though, it’s one of those places that feels really small, but is actually pretty big. The first thing I did with Keaney and Nam when I got off the plane was to go get food at this place called Grumpys, it’s famous for their steak and cheese melts among other things. Grumpys was the epitome of American food, and it reminded me why I’ve gained weight over here, but it was completely worth it. After we got back to Keaneys place we set Nam to work in the kitchen (just like the old days) and she made us her awesome m&m cookies!

Saturday was what I like to call my “tourist-sesh”. I’ve traveled a lot in the past, but I don’t really like being a tourist (I know, this is somewhat of an irony) so I usually devote a day or two of my trip (depending on the stay) to being outwardly geeky and touristy. Saturday was my day. A bunch of us took the train into Boston where we perused Quincy market (good looking food that is super pricey), the shops (money was spent, I don’t like to talk about it) and finally… THE FREEDOM TRAIL.

The Freedom Trail was around three hours long and mainly revolved around Paul Revere and the revolution. Naturally, I didn’t grow up learning about American history so I wasn’t always aware of who they were actually talking about, but they had a section on the Salem witch trials which I loved and the tour guide was a character so I really enjoyed myself.

Geek-fest over, it was time to get down – going out in Boston was heaps of fun, socializing in NZ is a lot different to the US (especially Columbia) and I think Boston was my happy medium between the two extremes – you can dance a bit and do the whole sitting down and socializing thing (extreme plus: bars in Boston close at 2am instead of 1. Hurrah!). I haven’t really gone out a lot while I’ve been studying purely because of my schedule, so it was nice to go out, let loose, have some fun, and come home to awesome after-town food and The Kardashians on demand.

Sunday, my final day in Boston was lazy, which was just what I wanted. Keaney took me to get the best Black and White frappes in the world (they were in fact very good) and we all just kind of mooched about. I think so far, Boston is probably one of my favorite cities – it’s generally pretty friendly, the food is good and architecturally I love it… hopefully the stars will align and I’ll find myself back there again.

But for now I’m looking forward to thanksgiving in Dallas with Drew’s family and Florida in less than a month with my friend Rania… can’t wait!

wait... you mean american's are actually friendly?

I can’t believe this is about to come out of my mouth – believe you me I was surprised when the thought first popped into my head too… but I can’t believe how gosh darn friendly Americans are! I’m sure it’s one of those things that change throughout the regions – maybe if I went further south I’d meet up with those toothpick-chewin’, gun-slingin’ white-extremist folk we associate with the USA. But in my part of Missouri at least, it’s all about good old-fashioned hospitality and charm.

I’ve done my fair share of travelling, most of it by myself. When I lived in the UK I learnt quickly not to try and converse with strangers on public transport unless I wanted to be raped and/or mugged – here however it seems to be the norm. A couple of weeks ago I flew to Milwaukee to meet up with some friends, not only did the air hostess serenade us as we took off (a Tina Turner classic “Proud Mary”. True story) but I got chatting to the couple next to me, who in their heyday had visited New Zealand. The husband coincidentally was Mizzou alumni – so I left my flight with a list of places to visit and things to do in Columbia while I’m at school.

I think there are a couple of reasons for this attitude towards strangers. For the most part, I think it’s just the way people are raised here. Men open doors, pay for dinner, people say sir and ma’am (I’ve even found that slipping into my own vocabulary) sometimes while I’m out I really do feel like I’ve gone back in time to a place where people are considerate – and judging by some of the fashion I’ve seen, maybe I have.

A lot of it I’m sure may be to do with confidence. American’s have this aura that practically screams “I AM AMERICAN! I AM NOT ASHAMED!”… They know what they like and want, they strive to be the best and they’re not reluctant to be proud of each other and themselves. Most people call is arrogance; I chose to call it self-belief.

Though a lot of these niceties – especially within the service industry have nothing to do with grace, good breeding or pride. They’re just people out to suck every penny they can out of you. American’s are huge on tipping – it’s one of those cultural things I’ve had to become aware of really quickly – it’s incredibly rude not to tip a server, even if they’re obnoxious or bad at their job – there is always that expectation of at least a 15% tip with your meal. However, what results from this unwritten law is overly attentive, smiley, bright-eyed, sometimes annoying, money sucking individuals.

For now though I’m going to ignore the small majority of annoyingly nice people and enjoy the conversations that come about when strangers have the confidence to talk to each other. Not only does it make the lonely parts of my journey so much more enjoyable, I’m learning way more about this country than I ever could from Lonely Planet.

what you think you want

People who have curly hair want straight hair. Those who are short wish they could be a little bit taller. Fair people wish they could tan with out looking like a beetroot. It always works like that – you always want something you don’t have.

In the weeks leading up to my departure from New Zealand I was yearning for some sunshine. I remember one day in particular. I was walking from campus down Wellesley St and the rain was absolutely hammering down – the water had soaked through my boots, my feet and socks were drenched and I smelt like a wet dog. During my walk down Wellesley there was only one thought running through my mind that whole time.

Two more weeks. You only have two more weeks.

Now I’m in Columbia, Missouri and it seems I’ve gone from one extreme to another. Sure – there’s no fog, no cold and no dark nights. But that has all been replaced by blistering heat and humidity so high it would ruin any GHD perfected hair do.

Midwestern weather is crazy, unpredictable and extreme. In the 5 days I’ve been here I’ve had winds so strong I’ve nearly been blown over, hail stones the size of 50c pieces, rain so heavy and thick I haven’t been able to see 2ft in front of me, and of course the heat.

Oh, the heat.

I don’t think I can explain how hot it is here – with temperatures at between 35-40 degrees on any given day it certainly has been a shock to the system and I’ve still got at least two months of this.

Then there are the thunderstorms – another thing the Midwest is known for, along with their tornados. While I am yet to feature in any upcoming reality TV shows on extreme weather, I did experience my first Midwestern summer squall.

I was completely oblivious to the approaching bad weather. I had gone out for ice cream with a friend, when we left, there was nothing to suggest we were about to be attacked by Columbia’s bipolar climate – the skies were blue, the sun was out and the air was still. By the time we walked out of the ice cream parlour, the sky was full of ominous black clouds and the winds were so strong I had to fight my way to the car. About two minutes after that the rain came, pummelling us. Two minutes after that came the storm.

By the time I arrived home, I was drenched head to toe and I smelt like wet dog – just like I had been walking down Wellesley. I had quite literally come full circle from where I’d been a few weeks ago. It seems wherever I go, no matter how hard I try; I’m not going to escape what I think I’m leaving behind.

Control

“A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it” – John Steinbeck

That John Steinbeck is a smart guy, in less than 20 words he has managed to perfectly explain the last month of my life.

Let me digress for a moment; I need to tell you what I should be doing whilst I write this column: I should be sipping on a Margarita looking out on to Venice Beach. I should be buying tacky souvenirs and celeb stalking. I should be turning a lovely golden shade of brown. I should be able to wear a swimsuit without catching pneumonia. I should be (window) shopping on Rodeo Drive. However, I am not.

Why?

Because I thought I could control my journey.

This semester, I am farewelling our clean, green shores and heading off to the United States for a semester abroad at the University of Missouri’s school of Journalism. I like to think that generally, I’m a pretty laidback person. This process has proved otherwise. As it turns out, when I travel I have the most ridiculous tendency to want to control everything down to the finest detail.

Want an example? Frances was so convinced of her own skills of persuasion that she thought she’d be able to change rules enforced by the United States Government. Because I like planning so much, I decided to get my tickets early against the advice of travel agents who suggested I get my visa first. However the temptation of sparkly sales proved to be too much. My normally expensive return tickets to LA were cheap and cheerful so I thought what the heck, not much can stop me, right?

Wrong.

Turns out the American Government have every right to stop me. The Visa I needed had restrictions on when you could enter and leave the country. To be precise, my visa stipulated that I mustn’t enter the USA any more than 30 days before my programme started and the tickets I had booked (during said sales) had me arriving 36 days before my programme started.

However, in my little fantasy world I didn’t think that would be a problem. I mean, I knew I was arriving a little early but it was less than a week… I was sure if I just talked to them, they’d be reasonable, right?

Wrong.

Believe you me, I tried to talk to them. I tried to reason. I battered my eyelashes, flashed a cheeky grin, flipped my hair and did everything I could to epitomise grace, charm and wit.

They weren’t having any of it.

Seven days and $975 in additional fees later, I am sitting in gate 16 at Auckland Airport, ready as I can be for my flight to LA… or as ready as I want to be anyway.

I always knew this experience would be life changing, I was aware that by making this move I would be testing everything I think I know about the world from the 21 short years I have existed on this planet. I guess I just didn’t realise I’d be learning things before I even boarded my plane.

So, for now – I’m letting go. I’m rolling with it, taking things as they come and hoping and praying I can keep my feet on the ground.

I need more time!

"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want."

~Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes

Stress is like that pervy uncle you have; he’s the person you feel kind of obliged to talk to at family reunions. You avoid him at all costs but if you are confronted by him you screw a smile on, nod politely and get the job done before getting the hell out of there.

And in the end, screwing the smile and getting on with it has its benefits. Come Christmas you’re reaping the rewards when Uncle Joe sends you a big fat cheque in his Christmas card.

At this point of the year, this is the attitude I’m trying to embrace.

In 3 weeks, I’m moving back home. Ten days after that I am hopping on a big silver bird and heading off to the University of Missouri to study Journalism.

While I am thrilled to be starting an adventure that even I’m surprised I pulled off, with the excitement comes a huge amount of stress.

At the moment I’m juggling my normal life: a life with my friends, time with the boyfriend, school and exams (crap!) and work commitments along with all the things that is brought about by student exchange. Meetings with heads of my department, student loan forms, international advisors to liaise with, consulate interviews to attend. Holiday visas, DS-109 forms, class choices, accommodation, SEVIS fees, RPL, flights, insurance, packing… you get the idea.

In a nutshell, right now I feel like not enough butter spread on too much bread. I’m giving a little to a lot of people when all I really want is to give a lot to the people who really care for me.

I’m hoping, after these next few weeks I’ll start reaping the rewards from what to-date has been 9 months of working and planning. And who knows, maybe at the end of it I’ll get that big fat cheque.

the map

is underway. maybe i can get all states coloured by the end of next year?

procrastination = new best friend

Don't make me study.

Please don't make me study.

What should I be doing right now?

Studying.

What have I been doing?

Facebooking, skyping and writing this.

Obviously.

Exams in less than a week?

Pfffft.

You know for someone who desperately needs to maintain a decent grade average, i'm not doing much to achieve that right now! But you know what? I'm soooo over it. The sun is shining, the birds are tweeting and I can practically smell summer and freedom approaching.

I'm saying freedom in the loosest way possible, because when I say freedom I actually mean working my butt off towards my next goal. I've spent all weekend flashing my smile (and on occasion my cleavage) to potential employers. Why? Well as I said before, new year, new goal.

As much as I love NZ, I really can't stand the thought of being here for two straight years. And lets just say, stuff has happened this year that's really made me question my personal values. I'm not entirely happy with myself, and I need to shake things up a bit.

At this point we arrive at the new goal.

Study Abroad.

Yep, at the moment i'm in the process of applying to study Journalism and University of Missouri for a semester next year. And you know what? I CAN'T WAIT. It's just what I need, a new environment, somewhere where I can completely reinvent myself. No one will know me, I can be whoever I want with no expectations.

I'm lucky enough to have many good friends all over the US, and have had countless offers of transportation and accomodation throughout the country which will make everything a lot cheaper and a much more enjoyable experience!

So, this summer, the goal.

9 months to save $10,000... at least.

Good luck?

I'm gonna need it.

let me feel wind in my hair and sand between my toes

travel photogs.

since i haven't done this in a while.

The challenge = 30 countries. 30 years.

I stole this idea from my friend Mel, who I met on a Contiki in New York.

As previously mentioned, I like planning. I also like goals, but have never really had a long term goal. I remember my brother always saying that by the time he was 30 he wanted to own a new BMW –which I guess would act as a visual sign of the level of success he wanted to attain by that age.

Personally, I’m not really into cars. And since I don’t know exactly what path I’m going to follow career wise, I don’t really want to make any career related goals. That’s when I came across Mel’s goal… it’s so perfect I’m going to have to steal it for myself.

30 COUNTRIES BEFORE I TURN 30

A pretty big ask, In a nutshell I have 10 years and 2 months to visit 18 countries more countries! The countdown begins….

THINGS I’VE ALREADY DONE:
Fed Kangaroos in Australia
Hugged the worlds biggest Kauri tree in New Zealand
Learnt about sugar cane plantations in Fiji
Chewed gum in Singapore
Had a proper Greek salad in Greece
Got lost in Pompeii, Italy
Said hello to the Mona Lisa in France
Sat in King Henry’s chair in England
Had a Baileys in Ireland
Lived practically next door to Edinburgh castle in Scotland
Been an underage drinker in the USA
Driven on the wrong side of the road in Canada

AND ON THE TO-DO LIST……
Drink Vodka in Russia
Eat a proper curry in India
Learn to play soccer in Brazil
Cruise in a vintage Ford in Cuba
See the pyramids of Giza in Egypt
Spend an ANZAC day at Gallipoli, Turkey
Eat a Toblerone in Switzerland
Visit the site of the crucifixion, Israel
Trawl the markets of Hungary
Go sailing in Sweden
Visit Anne Franks House in Amsterdam
Sleep in Count Draculas house, Albania
Ride the bullet train in Japan
Visit the worlds largest brewery in Belgium
Watch Marlene Dietrich films in Germany
Walk the Great Wall of China
Learn to Argentine Tango in Argentina
Go on a safari in South Africa

So there it is. The challenge. Good luck me.

Fran's guide to... LONDON on the cheap!

Lets get something clear first. London is NOT a cheap city. Even if you're earning pounds like I was on my last visit it's still 5 times more expensive than the rest of the country. One pint in London will probably buy you 3 up north.

HOWEVER, if you know where to go and what to do you can stretch your pounds (a little bit)

VITAL STATS FOR LONDON, ENGLAND
Population: 7,556,900 (as of July 07)

Area: 659 sq miles

Mayor: Boris Johnson

Time Zone: GMT

Accomodation:
Staying in London is pretty expensive, i'm lucky enough to have a couple of contacts there so I can pretty much always get free accomodation. Obviously, that isn't the case for everyone -but I would say, if you know of ANYONE that lives there -a distant cousin, friend of a friend... see if you can stay with them, even if only for part of your stay, you could save a decent amount of money. If you are dossing and the person you're staying with is in a shared flat/house it is etiquette to offer to put in at least a fiver per day -which is nothing in the scheme of things.

COUCHSURFING: Now, i've never done this whole couch surfing thing before... it just sounds a bit dodge to me but I did meet a guy up in Edinburgh who'd spent 2 months couchsurfing his way around the UK... so it's definately possible, and of course a great way to meet the locals and some new friends, especially if you're travelling solo! Find out more here: http://www.couchsurfing.com/
GUMTREE: While searching for a flat on gumtree, I came across heaps of people offering rooms in their flat/house for rent on a temporary basis. If you're travelling solo -this will probably be wayyy to expensive, however if you're travelling with a couple of people it would probably work out quite cheap. As well as holiday rentals, they also have couch surfing and home swap sections. http://www.gumtree.com/london (tip: as well as looking at holiday rentals, also try short term houses to let under the offered category)HOSTELS: And last but not least, the trusty old hostel. There are MILLIONS of hostels in London, all varying in price and dodgyness. If you're a solo traveller hostels are a fantastic place to meet people -i've met so many cool, fun people at the various hostels i've stayed at. Now, I would say the average for a single-sex six bed dorm would be about 19 pounds, but if you feel comfertable in a mixed dorm or don't mind sleeping in the huge 24 bed dorms then you could probably find one for under a tenner per night. Just remember, on friday and saturday and during special events (ie st patricks day) prices will soar!

Transport:

There are several main transport options for your stay in London.

The Tube (london underground)

The mainline train

Buses

Black cabs
and... walking!

The tube is by far the quickest way of getting around, but it is no way to get to know London which has so many important historical landmarks and some really stunning architecture! The tube also gets VERY busy, especially the Piccadilly, Central and Circle lines, so try to avoid them during rush hour!

The best way to see london is to either walk, or take a bus. If you've got quite a distance to travel, but no major time restrictions i'd take the bus -it's about 90p on an Oyster card and if you go to the top level at the front you get some great views of the city without having to pay 15 quid for one of the tourist busses! If you're right in the city, just walk! Touristy areas have MILLIONS of signs pointing to all the main attractions and it's practically impossible to get lost. Plus it burns calories, bonus!

And... I know this is all about staying in London on the cheap, but I really would travel in a black cab at least once, it's just SO iconic! I'm sorry but you can't go to London and NOT travel in a black cab... it's like going to Italy and not having Pizza!

If you're staying in London for more than 3 or 4 days i'd seriously consider getting an Oyster card to use on the tube and bus, they cost 5 pound, and you just top up at any tube station or oyster card stockist. You'll save a lot of money in the long run and it saves you buying tickets all the time!

Food:

I'm going to keep this short and sweet. Food is expensive. Always will be. An unfortunately, while most of us can live without the gorgeous 150 quid topshop dress, we can't live without food. Like every other city, in every other country the most economical thing to do is to buy food from the supermarket and cook it yourself. For healthy food on the run, Food chain EAT does some really good healthy salads/sandwhiches/soups and cakes at reasonable prices. Other than that pub meals are usually pretty decent or you could go get some take away... McDonalds anyone?! (On a slightly whingy note PLEASE don't go to McDonalds/KFC/BK etc etc during a trip to London! There are so many other places to eat!!)

Attractions:

There are so many places to go in London, however, many cost an arm and a leg. So this section is dedicated to some pretty awesome FREE attractions.

MUSEUMS: News flash! Museums are free!! You heard me, FREE.

There are millions of museums in London covering nearly every subject possible, some privately owned museums may have a charge of some sort but all national ones are free to the public. My two favourites are the Natural History Museum and Tate Modern. I'm not going to talk about the Natural History Museum because i'm going to bask in the glory that is the Tate Modern. I LOVE THIS PLACE. It is incredible. You must go there, even if you're not a fan of modern art this building is worth a visit.

HYDE PARK: This park is gorgeous, especially nice during the summer. And right across the road from my beloved NZ War Memorial.

BUCKINGHAM PALACE: I think it speaks for itself really.... I mean the Queen lives there for crying out loud.

COVENT GARDEN: This is such a cool area, nice little stores and cafes, cool outdoor stores selling all sorts of interesting things. Some pretty spectacular buskers and a great vibe. Can get busy as HELL during the summer though. And it's right near Chinatown which is always worth a look.

BIG BEN/WESTMINSTER: Now, Westminster costs 12 pounds to look inside BUT if you go to a church service it's free! Even if you're not religious it's a great experience and hey... how many people can say they've been to church at Westminster Abbey??!

Shopping:

OXFORD ST: aka Tourist haven! If you're claustriphobic then avoid it like the plague! It's big, bolshy and completely and utterly mental. However, it is also home to a few flagship stores like Selfridges, Topshop and of course, stingy-person heaven, Primark!

WESTFIELD, SHEPARDS BUSH: Europes biggest shopping mall, worth a look just to check out the size. If you get there early (like 9/9:30) you'll avoid the crowds and it may even be quite pleasant :)

PORTOBELLO ROAD MARKET: This place is fantastic, The food part of the market is open all week. But the antiques/clothing section is only open during the weekends. Now, when I went I heard that the clothing section started closing at midday and that everything was buzzing by 8:30am. SO That's what I did, I was there by 8:30 and it was dead! Food stalls all set up and some antiques but everything else didn't really properly start rolling until about 9:30. So take your time! The antique section is fantastic, great costume jewellery. Some is quite pricey but you can find some good bargains, like any market though you have to be prepared to trawl!

CAMDEN MARKET: Another very popular market, I wasn't as taken by it. Most of the stalls had very similar stuff. But it's still worth a look.

The Plan

There is something you should know about me.

I like to plan.

Wall charts, colour coding, lists written in alphabetical order AND in order of preference. Ven diagrams, timetables by the hour, those little clouds with the title in the middle and things going off the side -you name it, i'll do it.

Usually, blogs i've had in the past have just been random musings... a funny joke i'd been told on the bus, a little anecdote involving my cat, the latest trip to A&E, that kind of stuff.
This time though, I really feel like I need a plan... this blog needs a purpose.

Step in, The Wayfarer. Yes, I will probably still share some little anecdotes concerning my cats, I will definately comment on current events that interest me, but I would primarily like to use this as a sort of travel related blog. I've done a fair bit of travelling, and those that know me will know how passionate I am about discovering other cultures. Those who know me will also know I LOVE shopping, but HATE spending money with a passion (I think it's the scottish in me) and will do nearly anything to get out of parting with my money.

So, I thought, why don't I combine the two things i'm best at (travelling and being stingy) into one 'how to' sort of guide!

So. There you have it. THE PLAN.

Coming up, the city I love to loathe (but will always love)... LONDON.

My gap year: A Retrospective

There comes a point in every young persons life where you have to make some decisions about what you're actually going to do with your life. 

Uni? Tech? Work? Travel? Nothing???

The red pill, or the blue pill. The first major crossroads in my life. Who knew such a seemingly straightforward decision could have so many consequences??

I am a planner. I like to know exactly what I'm doing. So when the time came to plan my future I already knew exactly what I was going to do, I was going to go to England. Work in a boarding school and live it up in the school holidays, from Berlin to Budapest I was going to see it all, do it all, and love every minute of it. 

I guess the first slight flaw in my plan was when I didn't get a gap placement. That completely threw me into chaos, and should have alerted me of things to come. However, I wasn't deterred. I mean, how hard is it to get a well-paid job (flexible for traveling of course) in london, right? I mean, I have no experience, but i'm enthusiastic, and that's all that counts.... right??!

Apparently not.

I worked crappy minimum wage jobs, was yelled at by drunk men, made sandwiches for pervy builders, and worked 75 hours a week cleaning other peoples shit and fishing used condoms out of toilets. And I still could barely afford to pay my rent let alone fund travels to far off exotic places. So while my friends were sunning themselves in Morocco and discovering the pyramids of Giza I was stuck in grey old England, dreaming of sunny weather and excitement.

I guess my GAP year was a bit different.  But would I change anything??? No way in hell. It changed me in so many positive ways and all my experiences outweighed the minimal crap I had to go through. Of course there had been times where I've wished that i'd been able to do the 'conventional' gap year i'd planned but doing it this way really made me a better person. I've learnt not to stress the small stuff, I can't control everything and don't want to. Plus, sometimes the most rewarding experiences can come from cock-ups. It also made me you can't rely on others to create your own success -having an aptitude for something doesn't equal automatic success which has given me loads more drive to make something of myself. I want to have a life full of passion and I want to live to work, not work to live.

So now i'm off to Uni, three years of hard slog. I would much rather be traveling but I know I need grab this opportunity while it's still around. I'll be nearly 23 when Uni is done with, plenty of time to travel and immerse myself in other people's cultures.

All i'm focusing on now is getting over the post travel slump!!