On July 25, 2011 I wrote in my journal the following:
Europe can't come quick enough. I've been spending every evening and day off work reading about it. The day's I don't spend at my zip-lining-guide-best-summer-job-ever job are wonderfully terrible. The pleasure that comes with reading about upcoming travels is surprisingly mind-stimulating. The way history should be learned in my opinion. However, listening to my sister's yelling at each other over which Facebook friends they should or should not have is not-surprisingly mind-deteriorating. Then there is the nagging conscience yelling at me to earn money.
Despite all the yelling, I'm sure the day will come when I'll wish there were more days such as these to prepare.
End.
I've decided to keep a blog record on my upcoming European trip. I will be studying in Gaming, Austria for about three and half months where I will have long weekends for travel. The school I'll be attending can be better described through this blog site, fusgaming.blogspot.com/.
Lucky me, right?
Hopefully, when I'm old and reminiscing through this blog, I'll say to myself, "Yes, the loans you're still paying off are worth every penny for the pleasure and education you are giving that younger version of yourself."
If you don't say that, my future self, then I apologize for robbing you.
Anyway, I'll begin the trip by going 10 days early. I'll be spending these ten days in Ireland, hitchhiking, couchsurfing (a fantastic website), and train riding to the places I've been reading about. Also, I'll turn 21 there on a Friday night, to the sounds of traditional irish music and slurred speech while trying to catch a plane that very day.
For the remainder of my study time I will be able to enjoy Europe with my Eurail Pass. I have a trip to Rome already included in my itinerary, but the rest of the time is not planned out. And I should like to keep it that way, enjoying surprises as they come.
I'll finish off the trip with an extra week in The Netherlands. My girlfriend is actually from there, so naturally half a dozen of my friends and I will be spending our time there, rent free and on dish duty.
While it will seem like a fairy tale holiday, studies will still need to be managed. This means that, while I will try my best, this blog will most likely not be updated regularly. So readers (yes all three of you), be patient.
End.
