So im back now. no worse for the wear i suppose. I miss all of the amazing people i met along the way and cannot wait to be able to meet up with them somewhere in the world sometime soon.
Being back is still a bit surreal to me. I am sitting in the Pub on campus just using the internet here at high speed, and as people walk by its still a little weird to hear their american accents. not changing, no different from one person to the next. Im sad but a little grateful that my irish twang has left me as much as it did. i still picked up a lot of irish and australian inflections and words like heaps and ages. and some foreign sayings like 'ca va?'.
It has been great being back the two weeks i have been back though. Seeing all my friends again and being able to drive to places and actually knowing where things are and how they work. My travels have given me a greater appreciating for everything that is here. That is not to say that it is the best place in the world, merely different, there are so many different things that i have experienced and so many more things i want to.
Right now i am living in the apartment/shop that is near my parents house in Sprague, just applied to Best Buy for a job as a Geek Squad and hope that i get some sort of tech job anyway. Still one college class away from becoming a actual grad, a class i plan to take online in January.
In the long term i do not know yet what i want to do. Peace Corps still looks appealing though in my travels i found out that there are other volunteer organizations that i would like to do a bit more research on.
One thing that i can say is that i am very content with the world. I feel as though i am heading somewhere good in the world, that i am now better able to make a difference and have gained useful tools in this quest.
im ready to keep exploring.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Friday, November 7, 2008
Moustache Party
So, once again, i am in Belguim.
Last week i was thinking of coming home early due to the loss of my camera and all the rest of my bits. that feeling faded once i saw virginia and Alexis, Florine, Engerand, Julie, Pierre, Benjamin and Nicholas. Truly great people.
For dinners here as with most other meals everyone is a giant family and we all crowd around the table, about 8 of us or so at most meals and we eat and talk and laugh. Much similar to thanksgiving, but everyday. It is such a comfort to be around people like this.
A few nights ago Alexis and I rode bikes to Benjamins apartment for poker and beer. When i got their Ben and Pierre were playing guitars like true heroes, dancing and singing and picking up a flute or a clarinet from time to time and just improvising some mad tunes. it was like a private concert just for Alexis and I. we stayed up till 4 playing cards and music.
Tonight there is a party at the same apartment, the themes are Moustaches, the 30's, and/or leather boots. You must have at least one of this things upon entering..... i dont want to shave but dont have the other two. I tried shaving once a couple years ago with Jared in Dressler. I looked like a pedophile and shaved it off immediately. I hope to find some leather boots or 30's style clothing but just realized i dont know what Belgians wore in the 30's. may or may not be the same as us.
Anyway, its tough writing this without my glasses so i will end it here.
thank you all back at home for the wonderful memories i have been treasuring here. They give me something to look forward to when i get back, as well as something to make me feel loved abroad. They motivate me to go out and continue to venture around and meet new people.
Right now, Virginia is preparing a meal while others play classical guitars better than i could ever hope to play. I wish you could all experience the whole thing, the ambience of it all in this amazing house.
cheers, and i will see you all in just a few more days!
Last week i was thinking of coming home early due to the loss of my camera and all the rest of my bits. that feeling faded once i saw virginia and Alexis, Florine, Engerand, Julie, Pierre, Benjamin and Nicholas. Truly great people.
For dinners here as with most other meals everyone is a giant family and we all crowd around the table, about 8 of us or so at most meals and we eat and talk and laugh. Much similar to thanksgiving, but everyday. It is such a comfort to be around people like this.
A few nights ago Alexis and I rode bikes to Benjamins apartment for poker and beer. When i got their Ben and Pierre were playing guitars like true heroes, dancing and singing and picking up a flute or a clarinet from time to time and just improvising some mad tunes. it was like a private concert just for Alexis and I. we stayed up till 4 playing cards and music.
Tonight there is a party at the same apartment, the themes are Moustaches, the 30's, and/or leather boots. You must have at least one of this things upon entering..... i dont want to shave but dont have the other two. I tried shaving once a couple years ago with Jared in Dressler. I looked like a pedophile and shaved it off immediately. I hope to find some leather boots or 30's style clothing but just realized i dont know what Belgians wore in the 30's. may or may not be the same as us.
Anyway, its tough writing this without my glasses so i will end it here.
thank you all back at home for the wonderful memories i have been treasuring here. They give me something to look forward to when i get back, as well as something to make me feel loved abroad. They motivate me to go out and continue to venture around and meet new people.
Right now, Virginia is preparing a meal while others play classical guitars better than i could ever hope to play. I wish you could all experience the whole thing, the ambience of it all in this amazing house.
cheers, and i will see you all in just a few more days!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Much better
definitely feel much better now. Back in Brussels.
Got off the plane into the huge airport and felt like a stud knowing where to go. Feeling like i knew the place from where i landed 2 months ago today. Thats right, today is the 2 month mark since i left. and as you know faithful readers what a journey its been.
Given the recent camera depauchle, just being back in Brussels with Virginia and Alexis has raised my spirits immensely, even if i cant take the pictures to prove it anymore. i have made contact with both the people who have the majority of the pictures i took and its sounding like i will be able to get them back within the next month or so.
Just thought i would give you all a little update to let you know that this is still the coolest thing ive even done with my life...
other than reaching level 40 in Halo.
cheers
Got off the plane into the huge airport and felt like a stud knowing where to go. Feeling like i knew the place from where i landed 2 months ago today. Thats right, today is the 2 month mark since i left. and as you know faithful readers what a journey its been.
Given the recent camera depauchle, just being back in Brussels with Virginia and Alexis has raised my spirits immensely, even if i cant take the pictures to prove it anymore. i have made contact with both the people who have the majority of the pictures i took and its sounding like i will be able to get them back within the next month or so.
Just thought i would give you all a little update to let you know that this is still the coolest thing ive even done with my life...
other than reaching level 40 in Halo.
cheers
Monday, November 3, 2008
Robbed
So i got my backpack with my 2 cameras, my ipod with all my pictures, my glasses, and a few other things stolen from me. In Barcelona there is a street called Las Ramblas, famous for its night time treachory, this however is also the main road, neccesary to get from one place to another, so i knew to never take anything of value on it at night.. After all, im not an idiot and a stolen camera is not worth the red light districts pictures you can get from it.
So i didnt have it with me at night. I left it with a friends in their hostel room down the way and in the morning i went to go collect it from their room, where it was safe and going to walk around and take some morning pictures. The time was about 8 in the morning. While i was walking back i went to get a sandwhich down an side street of Las Ramblas and while i was waiting for it to be made i set my bag down, as i do often since ive been having serious back pain. I had my foot on the strap and before i knew it, it was gone. I didnt notice for sure when they took it from me and i thought i saw someone running down the street but didnt know if they had it or not or if i just wasnt looking in the right direction.
I filed a report with the police and dont know what will become of that. most likely i will never see any of it again. I am going to post a 500 or so euro reward for the items in it. as the pictures are priceless.
In florence i met a nice girl who let me back up my photos on her camera in the extreme case that it did get stolen or lost. and i am very grateful. i have already come in contact with her and will hopefully work something out to get those pictures back but i am still missing the first half of my trips pictures, where my lad in cork has them backed up on his computer as well. so there is still hope.
all of this happened two days ago. and since then i have not been able to do anything. i have been completely wrecked, any of you who know me know i am a very frugal person, i do not spend money flippantly and have been staying in the most budget of places while i have been here in europe, eating out almost never and mainly eating at grocery stores. I have lost a lot of weight to prove it. So the past two days ive been not living the hostel at all, just sitting trying to figure out my next step.
My journey is almost at its end. I am going to go home on the 11th, and am just trying to get to Brussels now to be with my friends and to perhaps see if i could leave early if neccesary.
I am still hopeful though, even despite this ultimately bad occurence. i called my parents this morning, 4 in the morning i believe your time. they calmed me down heaps, as did a friend i met here who let me use his computer to call them. He met me my first night and we became friends, he is from Colorado and has been travelling 4 months now, he then saw me yesterday after the camera was stolen and he could see how different i was and how i had definitely changed. He said the first day i was a happy go lucky guy much like himself who loved travelling as much as he did. After the camera was stolen however he said i was not myself in the slightest and rightfully so.
Since then he has stayed with me and comforted me telling me what my parents said, that it could always be much worse, and both he and i have heard other traveller´s stories where it has been much worse. He and i just got back from dinner, i realized i hadnt eaten for 36 hours, we went out for pizza, he paid. He kept my sanity and for that i thank him. Of course i am still upset about the whole matter but what has happened has happened (Florence Petranto reminded me of this as well). And i should carry on. This is the worst thing that has happened on my trip and for that i am thankful.
I am a weary traveller though, and perhaps this weary contributed to my unfortune, but as i was just telling my new friend, i am not bitter. I still love travelling and my journey is not over yet, and i do not regret my trip in the slightest.
I still want to travel more, and am glad i did this one by myself.
I am excited for my future as well as my present, and cannot believe what good fortune i have had, and how i have a brilliant past to shine on my dark hours.
The people i have met. The places ive stood. Pale in comparison to anything a theif could take away from me. My new friend is not the only one to comfort me. A spanish speaking staff member gave me hugs when i was breaking down as did other travellers.
I did not write a blog sooner because i could hardly find the energy to think about it at all. I feel like there is more that i could have done to prevent this, but at the same time, almost nothing.
I am not ready to go back home and get a job to be able to gain the funds for another camera, and am ready to comtemplate my next move... career, travel, peace corps?
the world is like a large book, those that dont travel only read one page.
caio,
your weary,
more enlightened traveller
So i didnt have it with me at night. I left it with a friends in their hostel room down the way and in the morning i went to go collect it from their room, where it was safe and going to walk around and take some morning pictures. The time was about 8 in the morning. While i was walking back i went to get a sandwhich down an side street of Las Ramblas and while i was waiting for it to be made i set my bag down, as i do often since ive been having serious back pain. I had my foot on the strap and before i knew it, it was gone. I didnt notice for sure when they took it from me and i thought i saw someone running down the street but didnt know if they had it or not or if i just wasnt looking in the right direction.
I filed a report with the police and dont know what will become of that. most likely i will never see any of it again. I am going to post a 500 or so euro reward for the items in it. as the pictures are priceless.
In florence i met a nice girl who let me back up my photos on her camera in the extreme case that it did get stolen or lost. and i am very grateful. i have already come in contact with her and will hopefully work something out to get those pictures back but i am still missing the first half of my trips pictures, where my lad in cork has them backed up on his computer as well. so there is still hope.
all of this happened two days ago. and since then i have not been able to do anything. i have been completely wrecked, any of you who know me know i am a very frugal person, i do not spend money flippantly and have been staying in the most budget of places while i have been here in europe, eating out almost never and mainly eating at grocery stores. I have lost a lot of weight to prove it. So the past two days ive been not living the hostel at all, just sitting trying to figure out my next step.
My journey is almost at its end. I am going to go home on the 11th, and am just trying to get to Brussels now to be with my friends and to perhaps see if i could leave early if neccesary.
I am still hopeful though, even despite this ultimately bad occurence. i called my parents this morning, 4 in the morning i believe your time. they calmed me down heaps, as did a friend i met here who let me use his computer to call them. He met me my first night and we became friends, he is from Colorado and has been travelling 4 months now, he then saw me yesterday after the camera was stolen and he could see how different i was and how i had definitely changed. He said the first day i was a happy go lucky guy much like himself who loved travelling as much as he did. After the camera was stolen however he said i was not myself in the slightest and rightfully so.
Since then he has stayed with me and comforted me telling me what my parents said, that it could always be much worse, and both he and i have heard other traveller´s stories where it has been much worse. He and i just got back from dinner, i realized i hadnt eaten for 36 hours, we went out for pizza, he paid. He kept my sanity and for that i thank him. Of course i am still upset about the whole matter but what has happened has happened (Florence Petranto reminded me of this as well). And i should carry on. This is the worst thing that has happened on my trip and for that i am thankful.
I am a weary traveller though, and perhaps this weary contributed to my unfortune, but as i was just telling my new friend, i am not bitter. I still love travelling and my journey is not over yet, and i do not regret my trip in the slightest.
I still want to travel more, and am glad i did this one by myself.
I am excited for my future as well as my present, and cannot believe what good fortune i have had, and how i have a brilliant past to shine on my dark hours.
The people i have met. The places ive stood. Pale in comparison to anything a theif could take away from me. My new friend is not the only one to comfort me. A spanish speaking staff member gave me hugs when i was breaking down as did other travellers.
I did not write a blog sooner because i could hardly find the energy to think about it at all. I feel like there is more that i could have done to prevent this, but at the same time, almost nothing.
I am not ready to go back home and get a job to be able to gain the funds for another camera, and am ready to comtemplate my next move... career, travel, peace corps?
the world is like a large book, those that dont travel only read one page.
caio,
your weary,
more enlightened traveller
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