Finally, though still sick, I am going on a good adventure today I decided. The weather is much, much nicer. Not quite sunny, but warmer and not raining.
I start my day off by walking to....crap, I forgot the name of the hill. Anyhow, it is a famous hill in the city. On top of it are a bunch of monuments. Edinburgh is famous for being a place of literary birth. Many famous writers in the 1800's came there to write and live. A famous one, convinced the city it needed more parks and got this land dedicated to being a park. The monuments don't really match very well. It's a random collection of different pieces that just stand out and make it all the more interesting.
The best one is the model of the Parthenon. It is just the front and a few pillars to the side. It is a full 1:1 replica though. I am sitting their reading about it and the story made me laugh out loud. During the mid-1800's Scotland was enjoying a great time of economic prosperity. They decided to build this temple since so much of city was built in that neo-classical/gothic Greek style. Strange, I know, but go with it. Well, after about 8 years of construction and being WAY over budget they just stopped. 150 years later they have never gone to finish it. So instead they just have the front pillars and top to the monument finished.
After walking around the hill, I make my way down. My second goal of the day is to climb Arthur's Seat. It is a small mountain dividing the old Edinburgh from the new. On the top of it is the "Seat" where the king was crowned. Really, it is just a stone.
I make my way down the hill in the direction of the mountain. I wander through random residential streets and end up next to protestors in front of the new parliament building. Apparently, this group of people is mad that they pennons might be cut because the government can't afford them. I guess bankrupting a country is more important that getting a very comfortable pension at the age of 55 for some Scotts.
I make my way to the base of Arthur's Seat and start my climb. It takes me about an hour and I am pretty exhausted. The cold I have is doing me no favors. The climb is beautiful and easily worth any discomfort experienced, though. It is pretty warm out today, to the point that I take my coat off. By the time I reach the top the sun has even come out to play for a bit, but the wind is heavy and forces me to put my jacket back one.
The funny thing is, when I get to the top, I look to one side that I see a lot of people coming from. So I guess, you can drive or take a bus up to hill and just climb the last 200 meters or so. I look at the 1000+ meters I climbed and just grumble to my self. Honestly, the climb is worth it. You don't appreciate things if you don't have to work for them.
On the top I decide this is the perfect plank. On the seat (people sit, stand, etc on it). I get a random guy to take my picture and it turns out great. Also, the guy is from San Francisco. He is on vacation for a few weeks in Scotland and England. We chat and start walking down the mountain together.
We decide to go the easy way because he was told there is a good bar on that side. We he confused, I follow him and we end up off the path walking through the woods. Now, part of me thinks, "Oh good, this is the day I die..." But this guy didn't give me the creepy vibe. It was pretty funny when in the middle of the woods we find a small camp, all naturally made. A wooden shelter, campfire pit, etc. Pretty creepy and we move on quickly. We end up in a meadow and then in a residential neighborhood, suburbs really.
We start wandering through them and at this point, without question, we know we are going the wrong way. Finally, we find a main street and ask a guy for the best way back to old town. He give us the bus number we need. We find the stop and hop on. It is a twenty minute or so bus ride.
My new friend and I part ways, exchanging e-mail addresses and I head back to my hostel exhausted and ready to lay down.
The rest of the night is pretty simple. More reading. I meet some people in the common room and talk to them. Even walk a movie with them. Nice people, from all over. A very pleasant night overall. The adventure is not just about what I see or who I meet, but just the experiences I have and today was full of good ones.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Rainy, Cloudy and Cold - The Traditional Scotland Experience
The next morning I wake up to the joy of rain. It is warmer than the day before, but still cold. Now it is just complimented with rain and clouds. Not a hard rain that soaks you, but one that keeps you sufficiently wet and uncomfortable.
I get ready and head to the castle gates to meet my new French friend. We get there, get tickets and start the tour. Sadly, it is raining and that means low visibility, which ruins some of the effect of the view. But still, we tour the museums, buildings and see the official Scottish Crown Jewels. Very cool, but kind of like comparing your artistic 8-year old nieces drawing to a Van Gogh. Impressive, but not a masterpiece.
After the tour we walk around the old town together. Get lunch, check out the old Parliament building and gift shop. Now, that day was a big day for me. Why? Because I am a nerd, that is why. After about 2.5 years wait, the final book in the Eragon series was coming out and there is no way I wasn't buying it. Luckily, my accomplice on today's adventure is a fellow reader of the fantasy genre. Not this series, but there was no judgement in my request to go book shopping.
We find a store and I buy the 1000+ page tome in my backpack. After this we keep walking for awhile and try to make it down to the bay. After some confusion, we figure out how but have run out of time. My friend has to be back at her hostel by 4pm to check on some work stuff. I am tired and feel crappy in the rain and so we part ways never to see each other again. ::Tear:: But thus is the life of an adventurer. (You can see I like to dramatize and romanticize my trip).
I go back to the hostel, the sun as almost set (we are far North) and just pull out my new book. In all honesty, I spend most my night reading it. I am sit, cold and tired. What better than reading a book? It just sucks that it happens to be in such an amazing city, which so much to do. But I am at the peak of my cold and really don't want try to make more new friends in my state of discomfort. Plus, who wants to hang out with the sick guy?
Well, disregarding my previous comment, later that night I make some more friends. I notice an American guy talking to two girls. They make a joke and I laugh, revealing I had just heard it. Afraid I sounded creepy, I apologize and instead they invite me to their conversation. The guy is from California and doing a similar trip to mine. One girl is from Liverpool, England and the other from Athens, Greece. After a bit I find out that they are sisters. 1/2 English, 1/2 Greek. Each raised in both, but decided to live in different countries. It was confusing because one sounded like she had a Greek accent and the other sounded pure British.
They are really nice and friendly and I enjoy the conversation. The guy is nice, but clearly is trying to impress these girls. For a little bit the conversations seems to be a competition for who has a bigger wang between me and this guy, except I didn't realize I was playing. When I caught on and realized he apparently cared about winning I let him go and feel like he won. He was a little socially awkward. Well intentioned, but still awkward.
After a bit the girls say they need to go, leaving the next day (bummer, got along with them). The guy tries to convince them to stay, but they are not having it. He keeps engaging them in conversation and they kept saying good-bye, politely, but progressively more annoyed. The sister that didn't get trapped in the loop keeps talking to me as she waits for her sister to escape. I promise not to abandon her to the wild before than. Finally, I notice a break in the guys rant and decide to throw the sisters a bone. I say, "Man, I am tired, I really need to go to bed, see ya." And the sisters spring on it and start to follow my lead to the dorms. The guy keeps following (same hostel) but now can't get the momentum. Pack, as I break away towards my dorm room, the sister mouths, "thanks!" And who says chivalry is dead? I will have you know the sister I was talking to was cute and interesting, but I sacrificed that conversation time for their well being. Modern day white knight, I am. Also, I was tired.
I get ready and head to the castle gates to meet my new French friend. We get there, get tickets and start the tour. Sadly, it is raining and that means low visibility, which ruins some of the effect of the view. But still, we tour the museums, buildings and see the official Scottish Crown Jewels. Very cool, but kind of like comparing your artistic 8-year old nieces drawing to a Van Gogh. Impressive, but not a masterpiece.
After the tour we walk around the old town together. Get lunch, check out the old Parliament building and gift shop. Now, that day was a big day for me. Why? Because I am a nerd, that is why. After about 2.5 years wait, the final book in the Eragon series was coming out and there is no way I wasn't buying it. Luckily, my accomplice on today's adventure is a fellow reader of the fantasy genre. Not this series, but there was no judgement in my request to go book shopping.
We find a store and I buy the 1000+ page tome in my backpack. After this we keep walking for awhile and try to make it down to the bay. After some confusion, we figure out how but have run out of time. My friend has to be back at her hostel by 4pm to check on some work stuff. I am tired and feel crappy in the rain and so we part ways never to see each other again. ::Tear:: But thus is the life of an adventurer. (You can see I like to dramatize and romanticize my trip).
I go back to the hostel, the sun as almost set (we are far North) and just pull out my new book. In all honesty, I spend most my night reading it. I am sit, cold and tired. What better than reading a book? It just sucks that it happens to be in such an amazing city, which so much to do. But I am at the peak of my cold and really don't want try to make more new friends in my state of discomfort. Plus, who wants to hang out with the sick guy?
Well, disregarding my previous comment, later that night I make some more friends. I notice an American guy talking to two girls. They make a joke and I laugh, revealing I had just heard it. Afraid I sounded creepy, I apologize and instead they invite me to their conversation. The guy is from California and doing a similar trip to mine. One girl is from Liverpool, England and the other from Athens, Greece. After a bit I find out that they are sisters. 1/2 English, 1/2 Greek. Each raised in both, but decided to live in different countries. It was confusing because one sounded like she had a Greek accent and the other sounded pure British.
They are really nice and friendly and I enjoy the conversation. The guy is nice, but clearly is trying to impress these girls. For a little bit the conversations seems to be a competition for who has a bigger wang between me and this guy, except I didn't realize I was playing. When I caught on and realized he apparently cared about winning I let him go and feel like he won. He was a little socially awkward. Well intentioned, but still awkward.
After a bit the girls say they need to go, leaving the next day (bummer, got along with them). The guy tries to convince them to stay, but they are not having it. He keeps engaging them in conversation and they kept saying good-bye, politely, but progressively more annoyed. The sister that didn't get trapped in the loop keeps talking to me as she waits for her sister to escape. I promise not to abandon her to the wild before than. Finally, I notice a break in the guys rant and decide to throw the sisters a bone. I say, "Man, I am tired, I really need to go to bed, see ya." And the sisters spring on it and start to follow my lead to the dorms. The guy keeps following (same hostel) but now can't get the momentum. Pack, as I break away towards my dorm room, the sister mouths, "thanks!" And who says chivalry is dead? I will have you know the sister I was talking to was cute and interesting, but I sacrificed that conversation time for their well being. Modern day white knight, I am. Also, I was tired.
To Scotland and Beyond!
Okay, for now, just mostly to Scotland. I wake up early after a terrible night of sleep and have no doubt left, I am getting sick....again. What is it with my luck and going on my longer trips and getting a cold? First in Sweden, now here. Oh well, I guess.
I catch my train, though after a little confusion figuring out which train. All of the trains for this company, which has its own train lines were about an hour late. This is something easy to adjust to and understand for locals, for me, the system to explain this was about as foreign as the French language to me. Through pure luck I get on the right train though.
The airport is simple enough. I hang out for a few hours waiting for my flight. After a one hour flight I land outside of Edinburgh. I hop on a bus for a good 35-minute ride into the city.
Now, I wasn't prepared for Edinburgh. I had heard good things and was excited, but as I drove into the city my jaw dropped and I was blown away. Spoiler alert: Edinburgh is the most beautiful city I have ever seen.
The entire city is built to make you feel like you are in a giant castle/fortress. The architectural style is a neo-classical meets gothic Greece style and almost every building matches in color as if the entire city was quite literally built in a single day by the same group. To top it all off, there is a castle in the very middle of it....on a giant hill, siting on a cliff. You can't get more badass than that. That is the small mountains surrounding the city on one side and the bay/sea on the other.
Quite conveniently for me the bus drops me off 100 meters from my hostel. I go inside, check-in and decide to use my last few remaining hours of sunlight to walk around the city. Sadly, it is very, very cold. Not rainy, but cold and cloudy. My hostel is right in the city center. I walk through the old town, climbing the hill as I go and end up in front of the castle gates. At this point the sun is close to setting.
I am feeling pretty crappy at this point, so I pull out my iPad, get a drink and just relax at the bar in my hostel. After about an hour I hear they are going to do a trivia game in the bar. I guess it is a weekly thing on Mondays. Sounds good to me, I have no team, but better than just sitting around. Most of the groups tend to know each other. Surprising that the hostel bar is a common place for regulars. I later find out that more regulars come to this bar than travelers. Mixed blessing.
I name my group, "The guy in the black coat sitting by himself in the corner - DONT LOOK." Creative? Lame? Don't care! I had fun with it. As he is reading off team names and points I get quite a few chuckles. The whole point is everyone looks for me, sees me and then he reads the don't look. You might think that stupid, but I think that kind of thing is hilarious. That is a good summary of my sense of humor.
Shortly before the second round a group of four people in their early twenties walk into the bar. One of the girls comes over to me and says in a French accent, "Hey it is good to see you again." I run through my head when I have seen her and then realize she has mistaken me for someone else. I get that a lot. I swear I have the most average appearance in the caucasian world. That or am part of a giant government cloning project. Which honestly, I would be okay with, I just want answers government!
Anyhow, I politely inform her I am the wrong guy. She feels pretty embarrassed, but I explain that happens a lot. She is clearly very nice and not shy. I invite her group I join me for trivia. I explain it has only been one round, it's teams and I am going solo. They decide to get a drink and join. I quickly change our name to "Life is an Adventure - Now with friends!"
They story is, two of these girls are from France. They just met in their hostel (different one). One is studying in Ireland and the other is moving to Edinburgh on a whim to find a job. The other two guys, one from Spain and one from the Netherlands are also studying with the first girl in Ireland.
We play the game, get to know each other etc and do pretty good. We manage to come in third, but mostly just have a good time. The three students are going back to Ireland the next day, but the other French girl is obviously staying. Her and I made plans to meet up to go sight-seeing the next day. She hasn't toured the castle or done much and I prefer to not spend the entire time alone. Perfect combination!
Since the sweet mistress that is sleep decided to allude me the night before, after they depart I decide to get some sleep. Unfortunately for me my room is beyond freezing. I get into bed, under the sheet, cover, fully dressed and wearing my coat and am still too cold to sleep. Both heaters in the room seem to be broken....great. I go to the front desk, he can't fix it until the next day and just tells me to take an extra comforter. Which solves the problem well enough for the night. But the cold scores no points for me against my cold.
I catch my train, though after a little confusion figuring out which train. All of the trains for this company, which has its own train lines were about an hour late. This is something easy to adjust to and understand for locals, for me, the system to explain this was about as foreign as the French language to me. Through pure luck I get on the right train though.
The airport is simple enough. I hang out for a few hours waiting for my flight. After a one hour flight I land outside of Edinburgh. I hop on a bus for a good 35-minute ride into the city.
Now, I wasn't prepared for Edinburgh. I had heard good things and was excited, but as I drove into the city my jaw dropped and I was blown away. Spoiler alert: Edinburgh is the most beautiful city I have ever seen.
The entire city is built to make you feel like you are in a giant castle/fortress. The architectural style is a neo-classical meets gothic Greece style and almost every building matches in color as if the entire city was quite literally built in a single day by the same group. To top it all off, there is a castle in the very middle of it....on a giant hill, siting on a cliff. You can't get more badass than that. That is the small mountains surrounding the city on one side and the bay/sea on the other.
Quite conveniently for me the bus drops me off 100 meters from my hostel. I go inside, check-in and decide to use my last few remaining hours of sunlight to walk around the city. Sadly, it is very, very cold. Not rainy, but cold and cloudy. My hostel is right in the city center. I walk through the old town, climbing the hill as I go and end up in front of the castle gates. At this point the sun is close to setting.
I am feeling pretty crappy at this point, so I pull out my iPad, get a drink and just relax at the bar in my hostel. After about an hour I hear they are going to do a trivia game in the bar. I guess it is a weekly thing on Mondays. Sounds good to me, I have no team, but better than just sitting around. Most of the groups tend to know each other. Surprising that the hostel bar is a common place for regulars. I later find out that more regulars come to this bar than travelers. Mixed blessing.
I name my group, "The guy in the black coat sitting by himself in the corner - DONT LOOK." Creative? Lame? Don't care! I had fun with it. As he is reading off team names and points I get quite a few chuckles. The whole point is everyone looks for me, sees me and then he reads the don't look. You might think that stupid, but I think that kind of thing is hilarious. That is a good summary of my sense of humor.
Shortly before the second round a group of four people in their early twenties walk into the bar. One of the girls comes over to me and says in a French accent, "Hey it is good to see you again." I run through my head when I have seen her and then realize she has mistaken me for someone else. I get that a lot. I swear I have the most average appearance in the caucasian world. That or am part of a giant government cloning project. Which honestly, I would be okay with, I just want answers government!
Anyhow, I politely inform her I am the wrong guy. She feels pretty embarrassed, but I explain that happens a lot. She is clearly very nice and not shy. I invite her group I join me for trivia. I explain it has only been one round, it's teams and I am going solo. They decide to get a drink and join. I quickly change our name to "Life is an Adventure - Now with friends!"
They story is, two of these girls are from France. They just met in their hostel (different one). One is studying in Ireland and the other is moving to Edinburgh on a whim to find a job. The other two guys, one from Spain and one from the Netherlands are also studying with the first girl in Ireland.
We play the game, get to know each other etc and do pretty good. We manage to come in third, but mostly just have a good time. The three students are going back to Ireland the next day, but the other French girl is obviously staying. Her and I made plans to meet up to go sight-seeing the next day. She hasn't toured the castle or done much and I prefer to not spend the entire time alone. Perfect combination!
Since the sweet mistress that is sleep decided to allude me the night before, after they depart I decide to get some sleep. Unfortunately for me my room is beyond freezing. I get into bed, under the sheet, cover, fully dressed and wearing my coat and am still too cold to sleep. Both heaters in the room seem to be broken....great. I go to the front desk, he can't fix it until the next day and just tells me to take an extra comforter. Which solves the problem well enough for the night. But the cold scores no points for me against my cold.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Leaving Bury and back to London
It is a Sunday and I am leaving Bury after a good weekend hanging out with an old friend. I leave pretty early in the morning. Well, early for me, 10am or so. It is cold out, colder than it has been since I got to England.
The English train system is screwy. First of all, it is damn expensive. Secondly, it is stupid. So a ticket from Bury to London was about 28 pounds. I had one change in Cambridge. So I looked at just booking a ticket to Cambridge from Bury and then Cambridge to London. 18 pounds. Cheaper to buy the two separate tickets....sounds good to me. So I bought a ticket to Cambridge and decided I will see the city that afternoon before heading back to London
I go to the train station and after some confusion find out the trains are not running. This is worrysome. After some mumbled English from an old man working there I found out they are running buses on the same routes. Takes more time, but I won't complain, I have nowhere to be.
After 1.5 hours I get to Cambridge. Only, I get to the train station, which is not very central. After some questions and reading signs I guess that I can hop on a bus and get to the city center. Luckily, I was right.
Now, Cambridge is a pretty small city, but it is very beautiful. It has a very ancient look to it. Exactly how you would imagine in so many ways. It has the University (Cambridge) all over, kind of like the entire city is its campus. You have the shops and homes lining narrow streets. Think Diagon Alley from Harry Potter and you are close to what Cambridge is like.
I walked around the city for a few hours, enjoy the sights, walked around the University areas I could access and felt I got my fill of the city and it was time to move on. Though, I left wishing I could go to school there. I loved KU, still do really, but I would have liked that more traditional University feel. Smaller, older, more traditions, etc.
After getting back to the train station I head to London. The train is packed full. Never fun, but oh well. I get to London and it is late and cold. I have started to feel a tickle in my throat, which worries me, but doesn't alarm me too much. I get checked into my hostel (right next to my other one). As the night goes on the tickle gets worse.
As I have to get up at 7am to catch a train to the airport I try to go to bed early. This does not prove easy. Around 2am some jerks come into the room, turn all the lights on and talk at a regular tone. Finally, someone tells them to shut up. They quite down, but keep the lights on while they get their stuff together. After about 20 minutes they hit the lights and go to bed as well. This was just good foreshadowing to my bad sleep. That tickle turned into a huge scratchy throat. I felt like I had a mild fever all night. Just restless, hot, etc.
Oh joy!
The English train system is screwy. First of all, it is damn expensive. Secondly, it is stupid. So a ticket from Bury to London was about 28 pounds. I had one change in Cambridge. So I looked at just booking a ticket to Cambridge from Bury and then Cambridge to London. 18 pounds. Cheaper to buy the two separate tickets....sounds good to me. So I bought a ticket to Cambridge and decided I will see the city that afternoon before heading back to London
I go to the train station and after some confusion find out the trains are not running. This is worrysome. After some mumbled English from an old man working there I found out they are running buses on the same routes. Takes more time, but I won't complain, I have nowhere to be.
After 1.5 hours I get to Cambridge. Only, I get to the train station, which is not very central. After some questions and reading signs I guess that I can hop on a bus and get to the city center. Luckily, I was right.
Now, Cambridge is a pretty small city, but it is very beautiful. It has a very ancient look to it. Exactly how you would imagine in so many ways. It has the University (Cambridge) all over, kind of like the entire city is its campus. You have the shops and homes lining narrow streets. Think Diagon Alley from Harry Potter and you are close to what Cambridge is like.
I walked around the city for a few hours, enjoy the sights, walked around the University areas I could access and felt I got my fill of the city and it was time to move on. Though, I left wishing I could go to school there. I loved KU, still do really, but I would have liked that more traditional University feel. Smaller, older, more traditions, etc.
After getting back to the train station I head to London. The train is packed full. Never fun, but oh well. I get to London and it is late and cold. I have started to feel a tickle in my throat, which worries me, but doesn't alarm me too much. I get checked into my hostel (right next to my other one). As the night goes on the tickle gets worse.
As I have to get up at 7am to catch a train to the airport I try to go to bed early. This does not prove easy. Around 2am some jerks come into the room, turn all the lights on and talk at a regular tone. Finally, someone tells them to shut up. They quite down, but keep the lights on while they get their stuff together. After about 20 minutes they hit the lights and go to bed as well. This was just good foreshadowing to my bad sleep. That tickle turned into a huge scratchy throat. I felt like I had a mild fever all night. Just restless, hot, etc.
Oh joy!
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
A Relaxing Weekend in England
The weekend in Bury St. Edmund was really great. It was relaxing. I was hanging out with an old friend in a quite town in England. Sometimes I think, "Tom, you are in a foreign country, see everything! Don't waste time!." But a part of me realized over time that when you are traveling for months on end, you want to stop feeling like a tourist and feel more at home sometimes. This weekend was great for that. I could have gone out and done more, visited more towns, etc, but instead Chris and I just hung out and it was great. We even joked about how it felt like old times....but we are in England.
During the day we walked around the city, Chris showing me the historical parts of the city. Mainly the ruins of an ancient church that you can walk around in. After that he needed to stop by his military base to pick a few things up. I joined him on his journey. It is about 30 minutes from where he lives. The base is shared between US Airforce and the Royal Airforce.
It was fun to go on base and see how things operated. We went to a local food joint and I got a real, American cheeseburger. Dang that sucker was good.
After that we went back to his place, hung out, had a few beers, dinner, etc. Then we decided to hit the pubs that night. We hopped from one to another enjoying some English beer along the way.
The highlight of the night was my social experiment involving women. So, I am not an unattractive guy, but I am pretty average. Height, looks, build etc. I am happy with it, but I am not the type of guy that girls see at a bar and think, "I want that guy to come hit on me." I am the type where you have a good conversation and two or three times of hanging out you see my attractiveness (or never want to see me again, goes either way).
I decided to try something different tonight in my approach. Chris and I meet a few English girls, all teachers near by, around our age. We are chatting, they are fairly disinterested, but enjoying the conversation. Problem was, more of them than of us (6-2 ratio). You may think that good, but it makes it harder to break them away.
Now when people ask me what I do I usually explain I left my job to back pack Europe. I worked in advertising and marketing for a software company before. This time around I phrased it differently. I said, "Oh I am just back packing around Europe for 3 months. Back home I had a software company that I helped turn profit and it was finally time to relax after too many 80 hour work weeks." From here the two girls I was talking to became extremely interested in everything I had to say. Why? Because they assumed I owned a company and was rich, which allowed me to travel.
The change in demeanor was incredible. They stopped talking to each other and only focused on me. I even tried to sabotage my self and it failed. I talked about "advantages of being a nerd," and they responded with, "Oh nerds are awesome, so cool!?" I said things like, "but software is really boring so.." and they would respond with, "No, I think it's all so interesting." It just blew my mind the completely different reaction it all had. I was both amused and saddened. Do I really need money to make people that much more interested in me?
After awhile a guy Chris and I were talking to came up and joined in. I used that as an excuse to talk to him and then Chris and I bailed on the group and went home.
I learned something that night. I need to get rich, fast! No, no, just kidding. I learned that if I am ever rich, when I meet girls (if still single) I am not going to tell them I am rich. I don't like how the attitude towards me changed. I knew that it was true, but had never personally experienced it my self before.
There is a famous saying on the Internet, almost the motto of the nerd.
"Disregard women, acquire currency." The first will always follow the second.
During the day we walked around the city, Chris showing me the historical parts of the city. Mainly the ruins of an ancient church that you can walk around in. After that he needed to stop by his military base to pick a few things up. I joined him on his journey. It is about 30 minutes from where he lives. The base is shared between US Airforce and the Royal Airforce.
It was fun to go on base and see how things operated. We went to a local food joint and I got a real, American cheeseburger. Dang that sucker was good.
After that we went back to his place, hung out, had a few beers, dinner, etc. Then we decided to hit the pubs that night. We hopped from one to another enjoying some English beer along the way.
The highlight of the night was my social experiment involving women. So, I am not an unattractive guy, but I am pretty average. Height, looks, build etc. I am happy with it, but I am not the type of guy that girls see at a bar and think, "I want that guy to come hit on me." I am the type where you have a good conversation and two or three times of hanging out you see my attractiveness (or never want to see me again, goes either way).
I decided to try something different tonight in my approach. Chris and I meet a few English girls, all teachers near by, around our age. We are chatting, they are fairly disinterested, but enjoying the conversation. Problem was, more of them than of us (6-2 ratio). You may think that good, but it makes it harder to break them away.
Now when people ask me what I do I usually explain I left my job to back pack Europe. I worked in advertising and marketing for a software company before. This time around I phrased it differently. I said, "Oh I am just back packing around Europe for 3 months. Back home I had a software company that I helped turn profit and it was finally time to relax after too many 80 hour work weeks." From here the two girls I was talking to became extremely interested in everything I had to say. Why? Because they assumed I owned a company and was rich, which allowed me to travel.
The change in demeanor was incredible. They stopped talking to each other and only focused on me. I even tried to sabotage my self and it failed. I talked about "advantages of being a nerd," and they responded with, "Oh nerds are awesome, so cool!?" I said things like, "but software is really boring so.." and they would respond with, "No, I think it's all so interesting." It just blew my mind the completely different reaction it all had. I was both amused and saddened. Do I really need money to make people that much more interested in me?
After awhile a guy Chris and I were talking to came up and joined in. I used that as an excuse to talk to him and then Chris and I bailed on the group and went home.
I learned something that night. I need to get rich, fast! No, no, just kidding. I learned that if I am ever rich, when I meet girls (if still single) I am not going to tell them I am rich. I don't like how the attitude towards me changed. I knew that it was true, but had never personally experienced it my self before.
There is a famous saying on the Internet, almost the motto of the nerd.
"Disregard women, acquire currency." The first will always follow the second.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Update/Recap on My Journey
By popular demand - meaning Brett's suggestion - here is a recap of my trip so far and my tentative plan for the last 1.5 months.
I will list out the cities and countries in order of my travels and time spent there....roughly the time spent there, excuse errors, I am not looking at a calendar for it.
Trip 1
Rome, Italy (4 days)
Florence, Italy (2 days)
San Giminano, Italy (1 day)
Sienna, Italy (1 day)
Florence, Italy (2 days)
Bologna, Italy (1 day)
Trip 2
Budapest, Hungary (7 days)
Vienna, Austria (3 days)
Trip 3
Stockholm, Sweden (5 days)
Copenhagen, Denmark (4 days)
Hamburg, Germany (3 days)
Breda, Netherlands (3 days)
Rotterdam, Netherlands (1 day)
Amsterdam, Netherlands (3 days)
Brussels, Belgium (2 days)
Trip 4
Budapest, Hungary (6 days)
Nyiregyhaza, Hungary (2 days)
Budapest, Hungary (4 days)
Trip 5
London, England (4 days) +Stonehenge
Lavenham, England (1/2 day)
Bury St. Edmund, England (2 days)
Cambridge, England (1/2 day)
London, England (1 day)
Edinburgh, Scotland (4 days)
Scottish Highlands (1/2 day)
Glasgow, Scotland (1 day)
Dublin, Ireland (4 days)
Western Ireland (1 day)
Paris, France (4 days)
Trip 6
Budapest, Hungary (5 days)
Trip 7
Munich, Germany (2 days)
Ravensburg, Germany (3 days) + Neuschwanstein Castle
Tubingen, Germany (1 day)
Trip 8
Budapest, Hungary (here now).
I am in Budapest until the 16th of December, when I go to Istanbul, Turkey for 7 days. During my time here in Budapest, I will travel around Hungary a little. I will hopefully go visit Bratislava, Slovakia and Prague if I can.
Then I will travel to Frankfurt, Germany to spend Christmas with the Shaw family. Then back to Budapest on the 28th of December. I will wait here for friends and family for Matt and Edit's wedding. I will act as a tour guide. Then we have the wedding on January 7th. Then to Zurich, Switzerland on January 10th and back to Kansas Jan. 12th.
It is a weird feeling. Part of me feels like I just started my journey, while the other part feels like I have never lived outside Europe. I have grown and changed as a person here. I have struggled to figure out who I am and who I want to be and how to get there. I have confronted so many of my inner demons. Some battles lost and others won.
Matt Shaw asked me this question when I got here, "Do you feel like Europe is normal and the United States is a fantasy land that you can't really picture fully yet?" At first I told him no and I didn't get it. Then one day I realized I felt so comfortable in Europe, I felt at home. Even though I was seeing new and amazing things every day, it didn't seem weird or foreign, it felt real. Then I tried to imagine Kansas and the United States and it felt unreal. Kind of like thinking about a cartoon. You can remember it, but only certain details, as if the little things have no definition at all....it was just a fantasy land. Now I understood what Matt meant.
Either way, the Tom that left Kansas is not the Tom that is coming back, but I am who I want to be. I feel like I have not only found my path and embraced it, but taken control of it and am ready to drive it forward. In short, I am happy again, but this time the happiness won't leave me because it is not based on anyone other than myself.
I will list out the cities and countries in order of my travels and time spent there....roughly the time spent there, excuse errors, I am not looking at a calendar for it.
Trip 1
Rome, Italy (4 days)
Florence, Italy (2 days)
San Giminano, Italy (1 day)
Sienna, Italy (1 day)
Florence, Italy (2 days)
Bologna, Italy (1 day)
Trip 2
Budapest, Hungary (7 days)
Vienna, Austria (3 days)
Trip 3
Stockholm, Sweden (5 days)
Copenhagen, Denmark (4 days)
Hamburg, Germany (3 days)
Breda, Netherlands (3 days)
Rotterdam, Netherlands (1 day)
Amsterdam, Netherlands (3 days)
Brussels, Belgium (2 days)
Trip 4
Budapest, Hungary (6 days)
Nyiregyhaza, Hungary (2 days)
Budapest, Hungary (4 days)
Trip 5
London, England (4 days) +Stonehenge
Lavenham, England (1/2 day)
Bury St. Edmund, England (2 days)
Cambridge, England (1/2 day)
London, England (1 day)
Edinburgh, Scotland (4 days)
Scottish Highlands (1/2 day)
Glasgow, Scotland (1 day)
Dublin, Ireland (4 days)
Western Ireland (1 day)
Paris, France (4 days)
Trip 6
Budapest, Hungary (5 days)
Trip 7
Munich, Germany (2 days)
Ravensburg, Germany (3 days) + Neuschwanstein Castle
Tubingen, Germany (1 day)
Trip 8
Budapest, Hungary (here now).
I am in Budapest until the 16th of December, when I go to Istanbul, Turkey for 7 days. During my time here in Budapest, I will travel around Hungary a little. I will hopefully go visit Bratislava, Slovakia and Prague if I can.
Then I will travel to Frankfurt, Germany to spend Christmas with the Shaw family. Then back to Budapest on the 28th of December. I will wait here for friends and family for Matt and Edit's wedding. I will act as a tour guide. Then we have the wedding on January 7th. Then to Zurich, Switzerland on January 10th and back to Kansas Jan. 12th.
It is a weird feeling. Part of me feels like I just started my journey, while the other part feels like I have never lived outside Europe. I have grown and changed as a person here. I have struggled to figure out who I am and who I want to be and how to get there. I have confronted so many of my inner demons. Some battles lost and others won.
Matt Shaw asked me this question when I got here, "Do you feel like Europe is normal and the United States is a fantasy land that you can't really picture fully yet?" At first I told him no and I didn't get it. Then one day I realized I felt so comfortable in Europe, I felt at home. Even though I was seeing new and amazing things every day, it didn't seem weird or foreign, it felt real. Then I tried to imagine Kansas and the United States and it felt unreal. Kind of like thinking about a cartoon. You can remember it, but only certain details, as if the little things have no definition at all....it was just a fantasy land. Now I understood what Matt meant.
Either way, the Tom that left Kansas is not the Tom that is coming back, but I am who I want to be. I feel like I have not only found my path and embraced it, but taken control of it and am ready to drive it forward. In short, I am happy again, but this time the happiness won't leave me because it is not based on anyone other than myself.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Going Home...Well My Ancestral Home Anyway and Visiting an Old Friend
Today is going to be an exciting day. There are two things I am greatly looking forward to. One is to visit my good friend from high school, Chris Stewart, who is in the Air Force and stationed in England. I will be staying with him for a few days, hanging out and catching up. The second is yet another thing of my life long dreams list; visiting Lavenham, England the ancestral home of my Mom's side of the family (Spring).
I start the morning off with a traditional English breakfast and then head to the train station (about 100 meters from my hostel). I first am taking a train to a city called (Fill in). From there I can take a bus that will drop me off in Lavenham. Lavenham is a very small village, now mostly popular as a "traditional English village" and a popular tourist spot. Locals are moving out in the droves because they can't afford to live there anymore as it is just a tourist zone, compared to having any real industry of its own.
After a 1.5 hour train ride and 50 minute bus ride through the English country side I arrive in Lavenham. Let me give you some background on my family history here and why I have wanted to visit so badly.
In the 1500's there was a man named Thomas Spring. He lived in Lavenham, England and by controlling most of the textile industry for all of England became one of richest men in the entire country. At one point he was even said to have been richer than the King himself. He made the Spring family name into a name. He was a baron and later as Lords were established, his descendants would become Lords until the direct English line died off in the 1780's. Lavenham is also famous for its beautiful and historic church, which Thomas Spring funded a great deal of. In fact the entire church is lined with the Spring family crest, the crest is in the stain glass windows and Thomas Spring himself is buried inside the church.
Thomas Spring had 3 children. One, his eldest, became his direct line, later becoming lords. The second's family ended up coming to the United States and that is where I descend from and the third was a daughter who married into another noble family. That noble family is now known as the Windors, aka the current Royal family of England. So yes, technically my family is related to the current Royal family of England. Don't believe me, I can prove it. It is close enough relation that on the family tree I can directly trace up the Windsor line to Thomas Spring as well my own. Confused? Prince William's great-great x8 Grandma is my great-great x8 aunt to simplify. Don't believe me, ask any of my family members or don't believe me.
Lucky for me the bus dropped me off by right next to the church. Given, you can walk across the entire village in about 10 minutes, so it wouldn't have matter too much, but I thought it was a great start. I am just amazed by the place. I have looked at pictures, drawings and paintings of it my entire life (we have a lot of them) and am finally seeing it for my self. I walk up and immediately can see our family crest all around the edges just like my Mom told me it would be. I walk around the church admiring the beautiful landscape and finally make my way inside.
Inside is filled with amazing stain glass windows. My breath was taken away by the level of detail, the amount of colors and shear beauty of them. These are some of the most beautiful stain glass windows I have ever seen to be honest. It was great finding our family crest in stain glass, now I see where my grandparents got the idea for their copy at home. I walk to Thomas Spring's grave and read the information about him. I spend around an hour at the church, just lingering and taking it all in. I don't know when the next time I will be here, if ever again, will be.
After the church I walk around the village and a cold front is quickly over taking the beautiful day. I head to the bus stop and wait for my ride. Lucky for me the bus that runs though Lavenham just happens to be the bus that goes to Bury St. Edmond, which is where Chris lives. It is another 40 minutes to the city.
Chris had described where he lived. In an apartment over some shops in the main shopping district. It is a brand new shop. He is over the H&M, across from Voda Phone. The bus drops me off at this shopping district and I look right in front of me and there is H & M and Voda Phone. Couldn't get easier than that. Chris is still at work, so I wander the area for an hour or so until he gets home.
It was great seeing Chris. Now, Chris is around 6'6 or 6'7, so you can't miss him. I haven't seen him in a more than a year. We head inside his awesome apartment/bachelor pad and start to unwind. We just sit there chatting, catching up and drinking a beer. After awhile of hanging out we decide to get some food. He orders a pizza and we head down the street to pick it up. There are two doors, one to his apartment (key) and one to the apartment area (electronic key)
As we leave his apartment he says, "want to hear a funny story?" Of course my answer is yes, who doesn't? Evil people, that is who.
He starts to tell me about one day a friend was over and couldn't find her way out of his complex (not a smart friend). He left his apartment to go help her find her way out. He is only wearing basketball shorts at this point. (Sorry Chris, just too good of a story not to share).
He lets her out and is talking to her outside the electronic door. She leaves and he turns to go back in only to realize he left his keys in his apartment. The guards can let him past the first door, but he still doesn't have his keys to get into his door.
At this point in the story he stops dead in his tracks, gets this worried look on his face and starts to check his pockets, slowly as first and then very quickly in a frantic motion. He goes, "well fuck." I get it right away and start laughing so hard I almost cry. He forgot his keys and locked us out. right in the middle of the story about locking him self out (the only time he has done it) he did it again for the second time. Too good to be true.
We go and get the pizza and head to the security guards area to get let in. Luckily this time he left his apartment door unlocked, so we just need to get through the electronic door. Also, luckily Chris is wearing cloths.
Want to hear the rest of the Chris's story? (again, sorry Chris).
So Chris, in only basketball shorts, goes to the security guard area. They call a locksmith and he says its going to be at least 4 hours until he can get there. The security guard tells him to makes himself comfortable in the lounge. Now here is the thing, the security guard area is also in the office space area that businesses rent.
So on a work day Chris is just sitting there in his shorts, no shirt reading a newspaper and drinking a coffee as men and women in suits walk past looking at him in confusion. Good thing for Chris he has a great sense of humor. He just looks at them, nods or raises his coffee mug like nothing is wrong. "Oh hey Jim, hear about United? Great game." Unluckily for Chris, after about 4 hours the locksmith says he can't make it. He find another one and after about 6-7 total hours of hanging out in this lounge he gets back into his apartment.
Chris and I decide to take the rest of the evening calming. It is Friday, he is tired, I am tired. We play some video games, chat, watch some TV and relax. You may think, "what, that sounds lame, you just met up in a foreign country." Well, let me tell you. Sometimes after months of travel you just want to feel normal. Hang out with a bud and do normal things, not crazy abnormal adventure things.
I start the morning off with a traditional English breakfast and then head to the train station (about 100 meters from my hostel). I first am taking a train to a city called (Fill in). From there I can take a bus that will drop me off in Lavenham. Lavenham is a very small village, now mostly popular as a "traditional English village" and a popular tourist spot. Locals are moving out in the droves because they can't afford to live there anymore as it is just a tourist zone, compared to having any real industry of its own.
After a 1.5 hour train ride and 50 minute bus ride through the English country side I arrive in Lavenham. Let me give you some background on my family history here and why I have wanted to visit so badly.
In the 1500's there was a man named Thomas Spring. He lived in Lavenham, England and by controlling most of the textile industry for all of England became one of richest men in the entire country. At one point he was even said to have been richer than the King himself. He made the Spring family name into a name. He was a baron and later as Lords were established, his descendants would become Lords until the direct English line died off in the 1780's. Lavenham is also famous for its beautiful and historic church, which Thomas Spring funded a great deal of. In fact the entire church is lined with the Spring family crest, the crest is in the stain glass windows and Thomas Spring himself is buried inside the church.
Thomas Spring had 3 children. One, his eldest, became his direct line, later becoming lords. The second's family ended up coming to the United States and that is where I descend from and the third was a daughter who married into another noble family. That noble family is now known as the Windors, aka the current Royal family of England. So yes, technically my family is related to the current Royal family of England. Don't believe me, I can prove it. It is close enough relation that on the family tree I can directly trace up the Windsor line to Thomas Spring as well my own. Confused? Prince William's great-great x8 Grandma is my great-great x8 aunt to simplify. Don't believe me, ask any of my family members or don't believe me.
Lucky for me the bus dropped me off by right next to the church. Given, you can walk across the entire village in about 10 minutes, so it wouldn't have matter too much, but I thought it was a great start. I am just amazed by the place. I have looked at pictures, drawings and paintings of it my entire life (we have a lot of them) and am finally seeing it for my self. I walk up and immediately can see our family crest all around the edges just like my Mom told me it would be. I walk around the church admiring the beautiful landscape and finally make my way inside.
Inside is filled with amazing stain glass windows. My breath was taken away by the level of detail, the amount of colors and shear beauty of them. These are some of the most beautiful stain glass windows I have ever seen to be honest. It was great finding our family crest in stain glass, now I see where my grandparents got the idea for their copy at home. I walk to Thomas Spring's grave and read the information about him. I spend around an hour at the church, just lingering and taking it all in. I don't know when the next time I will be here, if ever again, will be.
After the church I walk around the village and a cold front is quickly over taking the beautiful day. I head to the bus stop and wait for my ride. Lucky for me the bus that runs though Lavenham just happens to be the bus that goes to Bury St. Edmond, which is where Chris lives. It is another 40 minutes to the city.
Chris had described where he lived. In an apartment over some shops in the main shopping district. It is a brand new shop. He is over the H&M, across from Voda Phone. The bus drops me off at this shopping district and I look right in front of me and there is H & M and Voda Phone. Couldn't get easier than that. Chris is still at work, so I wander the area for an hour or so until he gets home.
It was great seeing Chris. Now, Chris is around 6'6 or 6'7, so you can't miss him. I haven't seen him in a more than a year. We head inside his awesome apartment/bachelor pad and start to unwind. We just sit there chatting, catching up and drinking a beer. After awhile of hanging out we decide to get some food. He orders a pizza and we head down the street to pick it up. There are two doors, one to his apartment (key) and one to the apartment area (electronic key)
As we leave his apartment he says, "want to hear a funny story?" Of course my answer is yes, who doesn't? Evil people, that is who.
He starts to tell me about one day a friend was over and couldn't find her way out of his complex (not a smart friend). He left his apartment to go help her find her way out. He is only wearing basketball shorts at this point. (Sorry Chris, just too good of a story not to share).
He lets her out and is talking to her outside the electronic door. She leaves and he turns to go back in only to realize he left his keys in his apartment. The guards can let him past the first door, but he still doesn't have his keys to get into his door.
At this point in the story he stops dead in his tracks, gets this worried look on his face and starts to check his pockets, slowly as first and then very quickly in a frantic motion. He goes, "well fuck." I get it right away and start laughing so hard I almost cry. He forgot his keys and locked us out. right in the middle of the story about locking him self out (the only time he has done it) he did it again for the second time. Too good to be true.
We go and get the pizza and head to the security guards area to get let in. Luckily this time he left his apartment door unlocked, so we just need to get through the electronic door. Also, luckily Chris is wearing cloths.
Want to hear the rest of the Chris's story? (again, sorry Chris).
So Chris, in only basketball shorts, goes to the security guard area. They call a locksmith and he says its going to be at least 4 hours until he can get there. The security guard tells him to makes himself comfortable in the lounge. Now here is the thing, the security guard area is also in the office space area that businesses rent.
So on a work day Chris is just sitting there in his shorts, no shirt reading a newspaper and drinking a coffee as men and women in suits walk past looking at him in confusion. Good thing for Chris he has a great sense of humor. He just looks at them, nods or raises his coffee mug like nothing is wrong. "Oh hey Jim, hear about United? Great game." Unluckily for Chris, after about 4 hours the locksmith says he can't make it. He find another one and after about 6-7 total hours of hanging out in this lounge he gets back into his apartment.
Chris and I decide to take the rest of the evening calming. It is Friday, he is tired, I am tired. We play some video games, chat, watch some TV and relax. You may think, "what, that sounds lame, you just met up in a foreign country." Well, let me tell you. Sometimes after months of travel you just want to feel normal. Hang out with a bud and do normal things, not crazy abnormal adventure things.
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