Introduction (and preparation)
Trip Start
Jun 17, 2007
1
26
Trip End
Aug 01, 2007
London,
United Kingdom
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Besides going to live in another country, I'm also giving up my current job and my current flat. So, I'm going through a few life-changing events all in the space of one week. But it all started with the decision to learn Spanish in Spain.
I first had the idea about 2 years ago while walking down a random street in Berlin with my friend Kylie. At that stage, the idea was to spend a month learning Spanish, and then three months practising my Spanish by travelling through South America. The main driver for the idea was that I have travelled to a lot of countries where English isn't the first language, but I still have an initial expectation (as a tourist) that the shopkeepers and waiters can all speak English. It's ok if they can't and I manage fine, but my first question is always 'do you speak English?'. As I'm only fluent in one language, that expectation is more than a little unfair. Hence my proposed solution was to have immersion Spanish lessons as that's the best way to learn (with the upside of being able to have tapas and sangria every day!!)
Anyway, the whole thing was a great idea, but the initial concept had practical limitations (i.e. how to fund it a 4 month trip around the world). For a year or so, it just remained a vague concept. Then, while sitting at Salzburg airport waiting for a delayed flight in 2006, I was talking to my friend Kirsten who said 'Why don't you do it next year?'. I couldn't come up with any reason why not, and finally decided that 2007 would be the year. When I started thinking about it a little more, I dropped (postponed might be a better word to use) the South American adventure to make things fit in with work a little better. But I have managed to tack on a 2 week road trip in Italy after the course with Kirsten and a couple of other friends, so it's not all about the study...
Am in the process of moving out of my flat - so far my storage locker has 4 plastic crates and 4 medium size boxes...but my room still has enough stuff in it to look like a tornado has recently passed through (even more than it normally does!). But it's mostly clothes that are left, so I have to leave that till later in the week...not entirely sure when though...am flying out to Granada next Sunday afternoon and I have social engagements every evening this week....hmmmmmm...oh well, I'm sure it'll all get done eventually.
Hopefully that's enough to get you interested enough to stay tuned...
