alice

I had one of those feelings today. Up til now, I’ve not really believed this was all real, in a way. I mean, obviously I’m dead excited and really looking forward to it. And I’ve been planning and organising like crazy so everything’s sorted. But I still didn’t believe it. Not really. I mean. In three days time I’ll be in Germany. And I won’t come home for two more months.

Doesn’t sound real. I don’t feel sad to be leaving. That sounds awful. Obviously I’m gonna miss home and my family a lot, but I’m not as sad as I expected me to be. I feel kind of distant.

So yeah, but now!

Well, I went to the student travel agency in Leeds to get a Student Travel Card so I can get nice discounts on stuff abroad. It was quite busy so I sat on a waiting chair and looked at all the brochures they had out. It was all ‘backpack through Australia’, ‘TAKING A GAP YEAR?!?!?!?!’, ‘Things to remember when you’re abroad’.

I watched these people around me, the ones talking to the staff, sorting out their own travels, their own plans. People walking about the office, discussing where they’d go, what they’d do. All the staff were really young and helpful. And encouraging. A young guy came up to me as I was off daydreaming, and he said ‘Hi, so where are you going?’

And of course I answered and didn’t just sit there like a lemon not saying anything. But inside I was thinking. It was like, this is normal. He understands what it’s like to be planning and organising and GOING ON a trip abroad. And not a holiday. A student travel thingy. Backpacking. Sightseeing. I can’t explain it.  And suddenly it dawned on me that for the next two months I’m gonna be living out of my backpack as I move from place to place, doing nothing and everything.

And I walked back into town, somehow distant. I felt like I was standing on the edge of a volcano which is bubbling and getting hot. It’s gonna explode soon and it will change my life. And it’s scary and dangerous but you know it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity and you don’t wanna miss it. You can’t help being curious, peering over the edge to see all that lava.

Except instead of lava it’s a train ticket around Europe.

I didn’t actually get the Travel Card cos stupid me forgot a passport photograph. DOH. I’ll go back tomorrow.

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 3rd, 2008 at 8:31 pm and is filed under travelling. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.