Random Ramblings of a Wanderer

Well, hello all...It has been quite a while, hasn´t it? I do apologize for it having been over a month since I last posted an entry. No real excuses other than computer access is sometimes hard to come by and can be quite expensive in places...and probably more so just the fact that I can be kind of lazy when it comes to emails and keeping in touch with people. Anyways, I thought it about time to give you all a quick update on my recent travels. When I last posted an entry I was in Glasgow, Scotland. Since that time, I travelled around the rest of Scotland for about two weeks, ventured south into England and Wales for about two weeks, "chunneled" my way over to Brugge, Belgium where I stayed for three days, headed north up to Amsterdam for another three days, and am currently coming to you from an internet cafe in Hannover, Germany. I will be leaving tomorrow morning to head down south to Bonn, Germany (along the Rhine) where I will stay for three days. After that, I am still trying to find accomodations to stay in Trier, Germany or somewhere nearby for a few nights. From there I will head over to Würzburg for a couple of days before heading to München (Munich to us English speaking folks) for three days and catch the start of Oktöberfest before heading to Praha (Prague), Czech Republic. If all goes as planned, I will then travel from Prague back into Germany (Berlin) for two days before heading up to Denmark for about a week and a half. I will fly from Kobenhavn (Copenhagen)to Athens to meet up with Jeff and Megan while they are in Santorini, Greece. Well, that gives you an idea of where I will be heading, but what about where I have been?

From Glasgow (which I didn´t care for too much...basically just a large metropolitan city) I headed up north near Ft. William. I took a train excursion one day from Ft. William to Mallaig which was quite interesting as it is the route that is used for much of the Harry Potter movie footage when they are on the train to Hogwarts (kind of nerdy I know but it was still a nice day...gorgeous scenery and I found two paintings in a gallery in the small port town of Mallaig that I probably shouldn´t have bought as they were quite a pretty penny but I figured I needed at least one major purchase during my travels. Oh well, it´s only money, right? From Ft. William I headed up to Kyleakin on the Isle of Skye. I meet two guys (an Australian and an Israeli) while I was there and we hired a car one day and took a trip around most of the Isle. I can easily say that this was one of my favorite things I have done so far during my travels. It is an amazing place that has so many things to offer. I then headed over to Inverness and visited the infamous Loch Ness. I have to say I was somewhat disappointed with the Loch itself but enjoyed my time in Inverness as I met quite a few other travellers. I then headed down south to Pitlochry where I went on an amazing all day hike. I continued south to Stirling (William Wallace country) and spent a couple days there before heading to Edinburgh (pronounced Edin-bur-uh) where I stayed for three days. This city is unbelievable...maybe it was just the fact that the entire city was going crazy due to the festivals going on, but I really enjoyed my time here and of all the larger cities I have been to thus far, Edinburgh is my favorite and one that if I ever had the need to or opportunity to I could live in for a year or so.

So...Edinburgh completed my wanderings through Scotland and I next headed down to a small town called Ambleside (on the northern tip of Lake Windermere in the Lake District National Park in England). Other than a less than enjoyable experience at the hostel which involved a 65-year old man who we (me and everyone in the room) later found out was a mentally ill, former alcoholic, who had a blocked colon. Words here can´t describe the night I had with this situation but I will definetly elaborate on it for you all when I return...something I will never forget. As for the area, I went on anohter nice hike around the area and then headed south to Conwy (pronounced Conway), Wales. Unfortunately, the weather was unfavorable but I did manage to get out for a little bit to explore a fantastic castle and the walled city. I then travelled to the southern part of Wales to the capital of Cardiff. A nice time here but nothing too special. I then headed down to the Cornish coast and stayed in Penzance for a couple days. From there I headed to Bath for three days. I really enjoyed my time here as I got to see the Roman baths, Avebury stone circle, Stonehenge, and some more of the surrounding area. I also spent some time with 5 crazy South Africans and a couple Aussies. From Bath I headed over to London where I stayed for two days. I would have liked to have spent more time there but figured I would rather save some of my money for other parts of my trip. As I previously said, I then headed from London to Brugge, Belgium. I loved this city and could easily have spent a week there. It´s not a large city and you can see most of the major sites in a day but there is just something in the air there. I would easily label it as the most romantic city I´ve been to thus far...to bad I had no one special to spend it with, but some day when I do, I would certainly consider returning. Did I say that I really liked this city? Moving on from Brugge (reluctantly) I headed to Amsterdam. I don´t really know what to say about Amsterdam other than just absolute craziness. It is even more expensive than London and a place that I am glad I can say I have been to but don´t know that I would ever have any desire to go back although I would love to see other parts of The Netherlands someday. And so that brings me to my current location of Hannover, Germany...a fairly metropolitan city and from my point of view nothing too exciting...but that´s just me. I look forward to heading down into the Rhine Valley area and Bavaria so hopefully my next few stops will be quite interesting.

Well...as for my entry title, I have begun to take a mental inventory over the last couple weeks of the little things I miss about being back home. Besides the obvious things that I miss, i.e. my family, my cats, and being able to share my experiences with my mom, there are quite a few "little" things I have noticed that I am starting to miss. Maybe these make me a selfish and materialistic American but quite honestly I don´t care. If travelling has taught me one thing for sure, it is that you don´t realize what you take for granted until you no longer have it. So, without further ado, here is my unofficial list of things that I miss:

1. My car and being able to drive somewhere, anywhere, whenever I want to. I truly wonder if after 5 months of not driving if I am going to be a horrible driver when I get back. Oh, how I miss my car...I would give anything just to be able to drive 5 miles with the windows down, the sunroof open, and the stereo blasting.

2. Not having to worry about where I will be staying tomorrow night. Granted, being in a different place every few days has been a wonderful experience, but the constant process of trying to find accomodation is starting to wear me down.

3. Knowing what I am buying/eating. This one wasn´t too much of a problem until I got to Belgium and since then but when you can´t read or speak a language, you begin to take some major chances on purchases. So far I have been mostly lucky, but I know there is going to come a time when I buy something (most likely food) and wonder what it is that I´m eating.

4. Not wearing the same clothes over...and over...and over...and over. I can not begin to describe how tired I am of wearing the same clothes every couple of days and long for the time when I can have a closet full of clothes to choose from.

5. Having my own computer and thus instant internet access. It´s sad to admit it, but prior to me leaving, I basically lived on the internet. It´s where I get my news, my music, my favorite websites, info on just about anything I want. Not having that instant availability at my fingertips has been a struggle at times and I can´t wait until I no longer have to pay outrageous amounts just to use the internet for one or two hours. Oh, how I really miss my laptop and wireless internet.

6. Staying on the subject of electronics...my cell phone. I miss being able to call whoever I wanted to whenever I needed to. I could have gotten a mobile for my travels that would have allowed me to call friends and family as well as to call local places in Europe to make reservations and accomadations. I chose not to, thinking it would do me some good to be without a cell phone for 5 months...big mistake. Pay phones...I hate ém.

7. Being able to cook my own food and eating healthy. I enjoy cooking and not having that luxury has been a struggle for me. I can´t wait until I can go to the grocery store and buy a bunch of stuff to make a huge, healthy dinner the way I want to prepare it. I have cooked a few times since I have been over here but it is difficult because of leftovers and all that mess.

8. Well marked street names. I can´t even begin to remember how many times I have been lost just because there are no freakin´ street signs most of the time and when there are they are small and obscure. I think it is simply a joke that Europeans like to play on stupid Americans because I can´t tell where I am half the time. Is it just an American thing to have every street name marked on every corner and intersection? Where have all the street signs gone?

9. Ice...yes, ice. I miss being able to have ice for my drinks. Why is there no ice in Europe? I think in the two months I have been over here I have had ice in a drink twice. And even then it was like two small pieces. I can´t wait for that first refreshing ice cold drink I have when I get home. Oh, brrrr...how I miss ice.

10. A queen sized bed...or even a double for that matter. I tend to sleep spread-eagle so having a small (some have been extra small...like for children or adults under 5 feet) bed has been quite an experience. I truly look forward to being able to stretch out in a bed and to be able to roll over without worrying that I am going to fall off.

11. Another thing about size...I miss having a shower that is larger than a 2´X 2´ square. I´m not a small person and I need some room to move around in the shower without bumping into walls or the shower head. Oh how I miss a large shower...with, I might add, full pressur and warm water throughout the shower.

12. Not having to convert just about everything so that it makes more sense to me, ie temperature, distance, money. I know that us Americans have it bass akwards from most of the rest of the world when it comes to Celsius v. Farenheit or Kilometers v. Miles but I miss our screwed up scales. Just when I finally do get home I am going to be thinking completely in these metric terms and will have to go through the whole process of adjusting back to America´s messed up way of thinking. Money is just a whole nother issue so....

13. Being able to read on a regular basis and have a full library of my books, journals, blogs, etc. at my disposal. I feel like the longer I go the less I am remembering from previous things I have learned and am going to have to start all over again when I get back. About the only things I read now are train\metro schedules and a few things from the internet. I have read two novels that I bought while in the UK but those were just for enjoyment and had no real educational aspect to them and now I have no chance of buying books in English so I´m up a creek. My brain is slowly becoming mush...

14. College football and sports in general. I have really been thinking about this one the last few days as the season just started and remembering how much my life in the Fall revolved around football and baseball playoffs. Oh how I really, really, miss watching my Duckies beat up on other teams. At least I will make it home for the Bowl Season, so just know that for two weeks straight I will be glued to the TV so that I can absorb as much football as possible because I don´t know if I could make it until the following season.

15. And last but not least...I miss having my own place. Of course this has been the case since before I left as I was taking care of my mom´s place until it sold and then living at my dad´s place. After having lived in my own place for almost five years leading up to that time, I really miss having a place that I can call my own and that I can come home to at the end of the day and just relax. And now, sharing places with 3,4,5, sometimes as many as 20 other individuals has been quite a growing process for me. One that I wouldn´t change but also one that I will be glad when it is over and I can return to having my own place.

So...with all that said, do not get me wrong. I have truly enjoyed my experience thus far and have no regrets and look forward to the next few months of this as well, but know that I will be quite excited when I get to return to my country and all the luxuries it afords me. And if any of you ever notice me taking the things I have just spoken of for granted please slap me and remind me of my time in Europe when I didn´t have them. As for now I will continue to struggle and grow stronger because of my struggles. I know it could truly be much worse and that there are people in this world that would appreciate just to have a shower period or to be able to have a bed to sleep in and for that fact I am very thankful for what I do have and it will be one of my life missions to help those in greater need of things than I could ever imagine. And with that, I bid you all peace and joy. I hope life is well and continues to bless you in all ways. Take care.

Hello All...Well it has been a while since I have posted a new entry so I figure it is time to ramble on. I know I had promised you a controversial post at the end of my last entry, but I have decided to hold off for the time being on that entry and have chosen to rather focus on some recent events from my travels. No need to fear though, I will still address the controversy in a future post so keep a lookout for that to come.

Just to give everyone a reference point on my recent ongoings, since I last posted an entry about two weeks ago I continued travelling up the western coast of Ireland through Galway (where I also took a day trip down to the Cliffs of Moher and The Burren) and Donegal Town and eventually made it into Northern Ireland where I spent the last week up along the northern coast in the small villages/towns of Ballintoy (near the Giant's Causeway) and Waterfoot/Cushendall (near Glenariff State Forest). I then made my way to Belfast where, unfortunately, I only spent one night. I had intended on being in Belfast for two days but spent an extra day in Glenariff so my stay was cut short. When I have the chance I would love to go back to explore more of the city which has such a coloured past. Yesterday (Tuesday, 8/1) I left Belfast and Northern Ireland behind and took a ferry from the city to Stranraer (Scotland) and then took the train to Glasgow where I am currently sitting in an internet cafe typing this (as it is pouring rain outside which I have experienced on a regular basis for the last week). I will head out of Glasgow tomorrow and travel up north to Ft. William where I will spend three days before heading up to the Isle of Skye and eventually further northeast towards Inverness and the infamous Loch Ness. Following that I am not sure yet if I will try and head up north to the Highlands or head south towards Stirling and Edinburgh. Either way I will eventually make it down to Edinburgh (if I can find a place to stay...a huge festival will be going on and most things have been booked for months already). In all, I should be in Scotland for about the next two weeks before heading down into Wales and England.

In giving everyone a little more detail on my travels to Glenariff I will hopefully explain more clearly why I honestly do not believe in coincidences and rather see every event in life (whether it be while traveling or in daily life) as purposeful and with greater embedded intention. Whether you believe these "coincidences" to be directed by a higher power or simply orchestrated as a natural progression to life's crazy journey, it really doesn't matter. The important point is that we must become more aware of these events in our life and recognize them for what they are...a means of teaching us lessons and giving us insight into the mysteriousness of our lives.

In leaving the small village of Ballintoy, I took a bus into another small coastal village called Waterfoot where I knew a road led up to Glenariff Forest Park. Other than that, I knew very little. I had no idea where I was going to be spending the night as there were very few accomodations in the area. My only fleeting idea as I got off the bus was that I would hike up to the park where I knew there was a camping area but didn't even know how to get there or how far it was. I ran into the only small market in the entire town and bought a few things (Pringles, potato bread...I don't know how to explain this stuff, a small jar of Nutella, a couple apples, some McVittie's bisquits...cookies to us Americans, and a couple bottles of water) which I hoped would last me a couple days camping.

I found the road heading out of town and leading towards the park which listed it as 6 km away ("not bad" I thought as I had just hiked almost 20 km the day before...but of course without 60 pounds on my shoulders). But I soon discovered that the entire 6 km was uphill. I had been walking for about 30 minutes when it started raining...not bad, yet. I came across a small B&B that I would just stop at and see if there was any availability since it looked like it was going to be raining for a while. Of course there wasn't and so it was back on the road...a very narrow and winding, uphill road mind you and on the support of a throbing left ankle which I sprained about a week earlier and was continuing to get worse due to hikes of 10 and 20 km from the previous couple days and is still bothering me. After about another 15 minutes on the road and about 10 close encounters with the hoods of speedy BMW's and Peugot's it began to be a downpour...and I still had about 2 to 3 km to go. Cars continued to zip by and none even seemed to think twice about picking me up (I think mainly because the majority of people travelling on the road were also other travellers who had rented cars and usually don't feel too comfortable about picking up strangers or have no room).

Just as I was about to give up all hope, when I was emotionally at perhaps the lowest part of my travels thus far, I just happened to see, through the rain streaming down my soaked face and the fog that enveloped the entire valley, a car's reverse lights coming closer to me. The couple inside asked me if I needed a lift somewhere. "Um, yeah that would be wonderful," I muttered. I would soon find out that the older couple (probably in their early 60's) lived in Waterfoot and were heading over the hill to Ballymena (a small city about 20 km away) for the day since it was raining and there was nothing they could do outside. They asked where I was heading and I told them that I had intended to camp at Glenariff Park. They said they could drive me up to the camping area and let me decide if I wanted to stay there for the night or they would take me another 3 or 4 km up the road to a camping barn (basically a hostel - one room with about 8 or 9 sets of bunkbeds) which was owned and operated by a woman who is an internationally renowned storyteller and somewhat of a local celebrity. They had never been to the camping barn themselves and did not know the owner personally but they knew where it was located. We drove by the camping ground but I decided to have the couple take me on up to camping barn as it did not look like it was going to stop raining anytime soon.

They dropped me off at the camping barn and I thanked them from the bottom of my heart without ever even finding out their names. I did learn, however, that they have a son about my age who is doing the same thing in Australia and New Zealand for about 6 months. They said they felt compelled to stop when they saw me as they thought about their own son being in a similar situation in need of help and hoped that their generosity would be extended by others half way around world for their son if he should ever need it. If nothing else, their generosity will always be remembered and appreciated by myself and I will do everyting in my power to be sure that I extend my own generosity to others along my travels.

So, was this all a coincidence? I personally don't think so...I was meant to stay at this place whether I knew it yet or not. It would turn out that this refuge in the middle of the wilderness would rejuvinate my weary body, mind, and soul. I was greeted with overwhelming kindness, wonderful food, and stimulating conversation from both the owner, Liz, and the young German girl, Simone, who was managing the barn for three months and shadowing Liz as part of an internship for her university. She is also interested in storytelling and has already written and published her first book (with her twin sister) for young children at only 23 years of age. I spent most of the first two days there inside as it was usually pouring rain (luckily I got out on the third day for a stunningly beautiful 15 km hike around a trail through Glenariff), but still think that this place will always hold a special place in my heart for reasons I don't truly understand myself at this point. To add to this "coincidence", a lady (the daughter of a man that Liz knew quite well) and her two children came on the second night and were still there when I left. Of all the places in the world, it would turn out that this lady has been living in Eugene, OR for the last 10 years and had been in Sligo, Ireland (along the western coast) for the last couple weeks at a family reunion. Apparently, her father's side of the family has royal Irish heritage that owned and lived in a castle near Sligo hundreds of years ago and so that is where they decided to base their family reunion. Her husband had had to return to the states early as his mother was in severe failing health due to a battle with cancer and they were uncertain how much longer she had. Needless to say, I find the whole situation a little too crazy to chalk it up to a mere coincidence. It may be difficult for others to understand just why I think I was meant to spend a few days at this oasis but the most important thing for you to understand is that this was a place which allowed me to take a closer look at aspects of my life and which provided me with a place where much of my personal healing would begin. Perhaps someday, when I truly understand it myself, I can elaborate just how significant this place was to me.

I'm sure most of everyone out there will have their own opinion as to how this all came to be and what its meaning is but quite honestly I don't care to know them as I have my own theory and prefer to keep it that way. In my personal thinking, things don't just happen by chance or with complete randomness. The problem is we are taught to ignore the underlying meaning of life's events and most of us only live on the surface of life, never truly recognizing those rare events that happen in our lives which are meant to provide us with lessons and give us in-depth looks at our innermost being. We are in such a hurry scrambling from one place to another, so consumed with meaningless details of what we think is important such as making as much money as we can, having the best cars and other worldly possessions, and making the best impressions for others that we miss the big picture which is staring us in the face. I am just as guilty of this as others and perhaps even more so but this "coincidence" forced me to look beyond the randomness of life and become more concious of those things that may seem meaningless at the time but which truly hold a deeper purpose. I know that I continue to work on being more aware of things which come across as being random and will continue to look for those things in my life which have been placed in front of me so that I may learn from the situation and be more appreciative of just how precious these "coincidences" can be.

Well, I could ramble on for hours but will leave the rest up to you to decide for yourselves. I hope everyone is doing well and I wish each and everyone of you only the best. I will certainly try and make sure that my next post does not take another two weeks but I can't guarantee anything as I will be heading up to areas that are not nearly as crazy and accessible as Glasgow. Until next time, take care and remember to keep an eye out for those events in your lives which may just seem like a mere coincidence but which ultimately may just hold untold secrets to your life. I know it may all seem a little "out there" but I personally will be looking for those random moments throughout my travels which could have limitless meaning and provide a deeper look at life and my inner most being.

Hello All...Time for another dose of my ramblings. Well, as most of you know, I finally made it out of Dublin and have started heading southwest through Kilkenny, Cork, Schull, and Killarney. I am currently in Killarney. I spent the day on a tour around the Ring of Kerry which took a counter-clockwise course around the coastal cliff regions of the Iveragh pennisula. It was absolutely gorgeous and by far some of the most dramatic scenery I have seen since being in Ireland. Tomorrow I will be heading out to the Gap of Dunloe where I will hike about 7 miles from the Gap to the Upper Lake of Killarney and will then take a boat thru the three lakes (Upper, Middle, and Lower) and their connecting rivers. Then I will take a short bus ride up to Tralee where I will spend the night before exploring the Dingle Pennisula on Friday. From there I will head up north to Galway where I intend to spend 3 nights but will spend a couple of days exploring regions outside of the city such as The Burren, Cliffs of Moher, and Connemara National Park near Clifden. Following my time in Galway I will continue further north to Donegal/Letterkenny and should be getting into Derry, Northern Ireland on the evening of the 25th or morning of the 26th.

The reasoning for my title is because the countryside here reminds me so much of western Oregon, especially drives out to the coast. There are obviously some differences but the lushness of the fauna and flora (lots of rhodedendrons and roses), dense forests (firs and oaks), and the climate are very similar. It makes sense seeing as how Oregon and Ireland are at nearly the same latitudes and near the ocean. It has been nice to see the similarities and discover the differences. In fact, although my mind will probably change as I continue to discover other amazing and gorgeous places, I think I discovered a place (a small village in a tiny bay just southeast of Waterville on the southern tip of the Iveragh pennisula) where I could easily return to and live out the rest of my life in peace and relaxation. It is a nice little seaside village and is not overrun by tourists. I saw quite a few houses up on the hillside looking out onto the bay which is absolutely beautiful. And it would be a perfect location since I would only be about two and a half hours from Cork and three to four hours from Galway (two of the larger cities in Ireland). All I need to do is learn how to sail, come into a couple million euros, buy a house (about 350,000 euros) and boat, and I could easily spend the rest of my life relaxing and enjoying Ireland to its fullest...which is better understood as drinking at least one Irish coffee and one Guinness per day accompanied by a bowl of seafood chowder (it's so good here) or some Irish stew. If anyone out there feels inclined to help with the couple million euros part, please let me know and I will give you my bank account details so that you can wire the money to me. And of course you would always be welcome to come and visit me and stay in my Irish paradise for free.

While in Kilkenny I met a few other travellers...French, Germans, Austrians, Australians, and an Italian...(as well as some locals who took us all out for a good night and early morning) that were staying at the same hostel as I was. One of them was a guy (Federico) from Torino, Italy who is also 26 and just finished getting his general practicioner degree (equivalent of an MD) from university in Torino. He was travelling for a few weeks before he has to return and begin his residency. He left Kilkenny before I did but we just happened by chance to run into each other at the bus station in Cork (which is about 150,000 people with about another 500,000 tourists) and we spent the next couple nights going out to the pubs. We may try and meet up again for a night we will both be in Galway this weekend. He was a really nice guy and we had some fun conversations about differences and similarities between our countries and our travel experiences and now I have a guaranteed (of his accord of course) tour guide when I make it to Torino, Italy near the end of November. It was nice to have someone to go out with for a few nights and who was willing to share lots of his advice to me on various places I will be travelling as he has travelled extensively. I also met three women on the tour today from Finland who were a little bit older but were very nice.

Well, I am about to head out and explore the streets of Killarney for a few hours tonight before I head to bed as I have a busy day tomorrow. I hope all are doing well and I wish you peace and health. Look forward to my next post in a few days which I have already thought about what I will write (it is based on some of my experiences and conversations with other travellers so far) and I am sure will cause some stirs with some of you. It should be a good one. Take care.

Hello All. Well, it has now been 5 days into my travels and I was trying to figure out in my head earlier today that I am now approximately 1/35th of the way through the entire journey. Kind of makes it seem like a lot longer than just saying that I still have 5 more months. However, the 5 days have been a whirlwind of experiences and I can not even imagine what is yet to come.

As you may be able to tell from my entry title, I have been thinking a lot about the adventure that travelling alone can be. I have come to the conclusion that travelling alone, while much more exhilirating and free at times, is and will continue to be very difficult. By travelling on my own, I am afforded the freedom to do what I want, when I want. No need to be concerned with what the other person(s) want(s) to do. No one slowing me down or causing me unneeded mind numbing arguments. On the other hand, however, as a traveller on his own, I have no consistent person to share the highs and lows of emotions with which inevitably accompany travel and am not afforded the "safety in numbers ideal" or the luxury of more affordable accomodations. Walking the streets, I am constantly reminded of how much of a rarity I am. Ninety percent of the travellers I see or come in contact with seem to be either in a group or at least with one other person. As much as I have dreamed about the opportunity to travel alone across Europe, "no strings attached...no ball and chain pulling me down," I often think how nice it would be to have someone by my side to enjoy the experiences with...on my own terms of course since I can be so bullheaded at times. Yet despite these mixed emotions and thoughts of the pros vs. cons of solo travel, I do realize that I am only travelling alone in physical form. I am well aware of those of you who are traveling with me in heart and mind and, perhaps more importantly, I am always pleasently reminded that my mom is with me in spirit, making sure that I am safe and staying mentally strong and positive. Of course, be mindful that my thoughts on this topic will surely run the gamut of possibilities and change as I become a more seasoned solo traveller.

On another topic in relation to my days events, I have already broken the promise that I had made to myself. Prior to leaving I had convinced myself that I would steer clear of organized tours as I want, for my own self-being as well as for the respect of other travellers, to be considered a traveller rather than a tourist. I hate the tourist label. My idea was to explore Europe as a traveller, attempting to blend in with the crowd and not become the annoying "tourist" that does all the typical things that I can't stand when they are in my own country and to explore on my own terms. Yet, due to logistic reasons, I felt it difficult to avoid some of the organized tours if I wanted to be able to explore more remote settings outside of the major cities. Travel (bus, train, car hire) is often difficult to organize and plan on your own while staying budgetly concious and thus forced me to go with the typcial tourist option of a guided bus tour. Oh well, what am I to do?

But let me say, it was worth it...and I feel that as long as I keep it to a minimum I can live with myself for it.... The tour I took was out of Dublin into the countryside to explore sites such as Tara Hill (an ancient burial and ritualistic site dating from over 4000 years ago), Trim Castle (where much of Braveheart was filmed even though it is not a Scottish castle), and Newgrange (another ancient site that is nearly 1500 years older than the Great Pyramids). The scenery was amazing and it was nice to get some fresh air after having been in the city for the last few days. Tomorrow I plan on making it out to Glendalough and the Wicklow mountains (south of Dublin), will spend the night back in Dublin before permanently heading southwest down towards Kilkenny, Cork, and eventually Killarney. By next week I should be heading up the northern coast through Galway and eventually into Northern Ireland, where I will spend a few days before taking a ferry over to Scotland. I will let you all know how the adventures shape up but will start having less access to phones and the internet until I get up into Belfast. Stay tuned for more updates on my solo travel and the experiences it produces. Take care all and I will talk to you soon.

Well, I finally made it! To tell you the truth I am kind of at a loss for words...too many things to say and not enough time or space to do it. I arrived into to Dublin at around 8:30 AM this morning and spent the next hour or so going through the passport line, but made it through without any major hitches.

Then came the next adventure. Trying to figure out what bus to take to get to the city center. I can only describe it as if taking a craps shot. I got lucky and mainly just tried to follow the crowd. The ride itself was terrifying...riding in a double decker bus going 40 mph on the wrong side of the road (for us Americans anyway) down three lane streets that are so narrow they should really only be two lanes. Once I was in the city center I had about a 2 mile walk with almost 50 pounds on my back to the place I am staying so I could check in. I decided to stay in a small B&B for these first few days in Dublin...figured it would help me get acclimated to life on the road. It's too long of a story for now but remind me when I am finally home to tell you about my first experience at this place. All I can say is chaos. Anyway, I was so tired from the trip over that I crashed for about 2 hours and finally made it back out to the city center.

Unfortunately, not too many pictures this first day as I have spent most of it just wandering around the city trying to get my bearings. Let's just say I am still looking for them. I feel like I have been dropped into the middle of the desert with no idea where I am. Not that this is a bad thing...just something that I am going to be experiencing quite a bit over the next few months. I think once I am out of the city and in smaller towns throughout the country it will be a little easier to find my way...hopefully.

As for Dublin itself, it is a crazy city. Very diverse group of people...although I think there are more foreigners here than actual Dubliners. Somewhat of a dirty city but gorgeous at the same time. Modern meets old world charm. At times I feel as though I am in New York there are so many people. As for the next few days here I will hopefully be a little more organized and able to not get lost so much. I have seen thousands of other travellers like me with massive packs that weigh as much as the person although most of them are usually speaking other languages.

As for myself, my mind is flip-flopping between thinking "this is amazing" and "what the hell have I gotten myself into?" I think it will be this way at least for a few more weeks until I really get into the swing of things and get accustomed to a life on the road. That's what this is...not a 5 month trip but rather a new way of life that I am only beginning to figure out. It will come in time though.

I already miss everyone but know that you are all keeping me in your thoughts and wishing me the best. I will continue to keep in touch and look forward to telling you of more interesting stories from my travels. Until next time, take care and wish me luck in finding my way back to wherever it was I came from. For now, it is back into the crazy and amazing world of Dublin, Ireland.

Oh, I almost forgot, my first experience with coffee in Europe was amazing. It makes Starbucks seem like Folger's Instant Brew. And I'm not even in a country known for its coffee. I can only imgagine that it gets even better. Next on the list for this evening is a nice pint of Guinness in an authentic Irish pub. I will let you know how it goes. Take care and talk to you all soon.