Musings on a tuesday afternoon

Back in the familiar city of Edinburgh. Enjoying the sunshine here, and as you know, they don't get much of it here so i'm enjoying the last days of summer here before i set foot in chilly scandinavia! I've always liked Edinburgh and visited several times as a student. It's been 5 years since i've set foot here. Flashback to Aug 2001 - i was a fresh, young enthusiastic just-out-of-school student and came here with my family after my uni graduation ceromony (Has it really been that long?!).

Now... i'm oldER, and hopefully wiser and.. i don't qualify for any more student discounts (@%$^&~) !On the bright side, having also just turned a year older recently (ouch), it also means i'm one step nearer to receiving pensioner rebates. One can only hope i still have the same health and vigour visit museums and mountains when i am 60.

I'm taking the opportunity to relax, recharge and get organised in Edinburgh before i start my round of scandinavian travels.

For the next 3 weeks, i'll be visiting bits of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Estonia. I am now relishing the thought of being on the road alone again. Of the 3 weeks i had spent in Spain, nearly 2.5 weeks were in the company of friends. Thankfully, our time spent together went well and we still remain friends. You know how some people go on vacation as friends but come back as enemies! Don't get me wrong, it has been great catching up and having a laugh with them but perhaps i have gotten too used to being on my own and having my "space".

As a solo traveller, i am being free to choose where i want to go and things i want to do without having to come to a mutual consensus. I take more initiative to meet and interact with locals, which i think is an integral part of getting to know a country better! I have also met some fellow travellers along the way who i now count amongst my good friends. And if i felt anti-social, all the better that no-one would have to suffer me.

When you are travelling as a pair or in a group, it is easy to stick to one another and not have to make new friends because you don't have to.

Anyhow, just a year ago, i would not have contemplated travelling alone because the prospects of dealing with solitude would be more than i can handle. How would i cope being alone ALL the time?! Would i end up talking to imaginary friends i.e. voices in my head?! Would i be a lost, pathetic-looking, nerve-wrecked tourist buckling under the weight of her giant rucksack while sussing out directions to her hostel?! Danger would lurk in every street corner, preying on my fears and insecurities of getting lost, or mugged or worse! Would my family have to suffer the consequences of my (mis)adventures? Paranoid thoughts along those lines surfaced on a regular basis before i made my decision to quit my job to go travelling solo.

In the end, it was a case of bravado and convincing myself nobody was going to stop me from living life the way i want to. No regrets, Yet.

Overall, it has been such a liberating experience stepping out of my comfort zone and overcoming (some, if not all) my fears. I didn't think i would enjoy constant solitude for such extended periods of time to the point i would actually miss it! Ha! Whats next? Bungee jumping and sky-diving!

Before i congratulate myself too soon, i should probably add that i can still get nervous about being alone.

There were occasions where i felt in need of a real conversation with my friends and not the box-standard FAQ of "Where are you from, how long have you been here, where are you going next" chat with fellow hostel-mates. I don't think they would listen to my whingeing or put up with my nonsense like my friends would! There have also been instances where i felt it would have been safer to be travelling in a group and i missed out because i was on my own but fortunately, these have been few and far between.

Been doing some thinking about what i want to do after my round-the-world tour. Initially, i thought taking 7 months off to do some travelling seems like a great solution to, you know, "get it out of my system". I'm halfway through now and it seems like i can't get enough of my big adventure :-) so i think it might be unlikely i will get rid of my wanderlust in the short term. However, i am sure when i get home, my bank statement will be a timely kick in the arse for me to go out there and find work.

So, here are my options for January 2007

1) Get a job, start saving up money, and be content with watching Discovery Travel channel in the meantime

2) Go back to school in Sept 2007, but get a job while applying for a graduate course.

You get the drift. There is simply no escape with having to get a job.

[to be continued]