The Adventure So Far

A devil, suicide jump, and a giant hamster ball: Just a few occurrences of my gap year so far. Ten months into the adventure and I’m finally around to blogging it. Well there’s plenty of time; as I’ve discovered, “gappers” have an awful lot of free time! At first I took advantage of this, chilling after months of exam preparation and constant all nighters, but yesterday I reached an ultimatum: If I’m reluctant to leave the TV because I’m so intrigued to hang on and find out the result of Jeremy Kyle’s lie detector test, then I NEED SOMETHING TO DO! So I’ve decided to start a blog, as a kind of “project”, to give me something to work on when I’m home from work and can’t face another evening at the gym, or can’t be bothered to do any much needed piano practice!

I sound like I must be bored all the time! That’s really not true, and it’s not a bad thing to be slobby and lazy some days, or put your pyjamas on when you get home from an exhausting day at work at, um, half past twelve in the afternoon… Despite some of the kids driving me crazy some days with their insistence on turning their flutes into every weapon imaginable, inability to understand that you have to blow across the mouthpiece – “yes that’s this end with the hole in… no you can’t blow down that end…” – I am extremely lucky in having landed a job that I absolutely love. True, I’d never actually played a trumpet, clarinet, flute or baritone before, and I’m actually still yet to attempt a trombone, but I’m so glad I didn’t end up in some job that I dread every morning, that feels like a waste besides the money, or where I’d actually have to work full time in order to fund my travels. Yeah, thinking about it I really can’t complain working what, 25 hours a week, can I? And little things just make my day: “Miss, I think you should be a professional singer” - bit far ha ha, but made me smile nonetheless.

And to think that this enjoyable “job” (it’s hard to call it work sometimes when I have such fun!) has enabled me to visit Berlin, New Zealand, and hopefully Thailand and Cambodia within a year! Mind you, we are already looking at alternatives to Thailand now, what with all the rioting and protests. We’ve actually narrowed it down to India, China and Vietnam this evening, so that I can hopefully still go to Cambodia as planned; I’ll be absolutely GUTTED if I can’t go to Angkor Wat this summer as I’m so, so excited about it and have been for ages before I even took my gap year, and now that it’s within reach of a few months I hate to think of it being snatched away!

So here I am, 2 months away from flying to Bangkok – or most probably not – one week away from the school concert (yes I am indeed going back to play!), 2 days away from a weekend in the caravan, and 10 glorious months into my gap year… which I reckon calls for a quick “round up” of the year so far...
Anticipated Leeds rejection and exam cock ups.
Jet off to Berlin with Hannah to explore the delights of Nazi Germany, meeting many weird and wonderful people along the way.
Returned to a lovely family holiday in Cornwall, where I received news that I’d actually got a job!
Said goodbye to Hannah before her flight as I nervously awaited Results Day.
Returned home to surprisingly favourable A level results and personally thanked the God of Stalinist Russia Essays before enjoying Cornerstones’ cheesecake with “Pic” and wishing Hannah a safe flight to the land of Kiwi. Eventually celebrated in the land of Chez Vegas, experienced as I may be of such alcoholism… whatever…
Went to Scarborough and “won” an ugly little devil, who soon became the well loved “Belly”, passport owning travel companion to me and Sam.
Pic and I chased by little girls throwing crabs; TERRIFIED!
Worked for a good few months and finally booked MY flight to said land of Kiwi!
WENT to land of Kiwi! Lived in a furniture-less house with my “second family”, dogs and all, for a wonderful month.
SAW a kiwi!
New Year’s Eve: Made a suicide pact with Hannah… A.K.A. skydiving! Pact failed. (Skydiving amazing and on reflection glad pact failed.)
Rolled down hill in giant hamster ball (A.K.A. zorb); only people to scream.
Returned home to sledging and snowmen, work and… um, I mean SNOW DAYS!
Talked about nothing but land of Kiwi.
Decided to go to Thailand and Cambodia!
Talked about nothing but Thailand and Cambodia.
Attended several crazed Iceland reunions involving costumes, crashes, naps, alcohol, beards and a bull…
Attended slightly more “sane” reunions involving pizza, alcohol, hysterics, alcohol, and general overexcitement…
Achieved desired cello result.
Scraped piano grade 8 with one mark to spare!
Booked holiday and flights!
Got completely overexcited about said adventure and “lovely Charlie”, call centre saviour of the day!
Decided against said incredible adventure of a lifetime thanks to travel insurance refusing to insure against bullets and grenades.
Got out world map and started again!