I gotta go…

Its time to go! I’m leaving Cork in three weeks. My flights are booked and I told my boss at work yesterday – leaving them somewhat in the shit – so bring on the 29th of July!

While I think they’re quite disappointed that I’m leaving (especially at a time when everyone is going on leave!) my bosses understand that I gotta make the most of my OS experience, so there’s no hard feelings.

My plans have become a lot more solid in the last few weeks. I pretty much now have the next 5-6 months till I’m home planned out. First off, of course, theres 6 weeks through Spain-Portugal-Morocco, then back for a couple of days in Ireland. Then I’m off to Belgium for 5 days, followed by a few days in London, then Oktoberfest in Munich, before arriving back in Ireland on 26th September to pick up my things in Cork and head to Galway. I was in Galway on the weekend, visiting my friend Kim, and I realised I cannot leave Ireland without having first lived there for a couple months. Really is a top town.

I’ve recently made plans for the first 2 weeks of December, I’m gonna head to Norway, Sweden and Finland on a bit of a flying trip, before my last week at the Beehive.

It’s funny how things can change. After spending 3 months on the road last summer travelling through Eastern Europe, followed by another 3-4 months of not working before getting the two jobs in Cork, I’d convinced myself that I didn’t really need to do any travel this summer. That I just wanted to work, and bring some money back home with me to Australia, and get ready for my next big trip (USA/Canada/Latin America for 2-3 years) starting mid next year. Who was I kidding?

I miss sleeping in a room with 11 strangers.

I miss sitting on a bus to some place you heard was good fun, and hoping that you can get somewhere to stay when you arrive at 10pm.

I miss meeting random people in a hostel and feeling like you’ve known them for years for the 2-3 days you hang out before never seeing each other again.

I miss not being able to understand a word that ticket inspector is saying!

I miss the sun (apparently it makes no appearance in an Irish summer?)

Most of all I just miss knowing that everything I see and do and everyone I meet will be for the first time, every day for a couple of months. There’s nothing like it.

It doesn’t help at the moment getting emails from the likes of Katrina, telling me about how she spent 12 hours at the beach yesterday, while I was rugged up in my winter coat trudging home after work.

So I’m gonna be dirt broke when I get home, and I’m gonna have to save even harder for that 4-5 months before heading to the America’s, but for mine its all about having a good time while you’re around, and worry about the money later.

That’s why I gotta go.