Day Six

So in order to keep from going completely nuts, I've had to change my approach.
Backpacking the whole of Europe in one go is a huge deal. In reality it should take a year or so to do it properly, and with someone. Since it is so large an undertaking, that might have been part of the issue. There was no definitive end date, no ticket home, no bracket to work within.
There was no structure to my plan. And anybody who knows me will tell you that I am a Very Structured Person.
I've decided that instead of trying to swallow the whole sandwich Scooby-Doo style, I'm going to take bites. Chew, savor, enjoy, then swallow. Since I'm already here in Manchester, I decided to tour the U.K. and Ireland for a month. I found a plane ticket to Phoenix under $500 on November 21st so that's when I'm going home.
The advantages of the trip being only a month are many.
   1) Less of a cheap budget. I don't have to be stingy with my choices as much. It's not going to kill me if I catch a cab instead of walk. I can stay in a more convenient part of town and in a nicer place. I can take that extra ride up to one of the national parks or spend the $15 to get into an old library/museum.
 Now that's not to say I'm going to blow all my savings in a month. No. Let's say that I'm going to travel on a "moderate" budget instead of a "cheap" budget. I won't spend $100 on a single meal. I'm not going to book a room that's $500 a night. (Unless it's a castle. I might spend five hundred on a castle.)
  2) Flexible Rigidity. I've got a time table, a start and end point. I have five countries to go through, and four weeks. I can look up flight schedules and say "Okay on Monday I'm going to fly to Belfast because that flight is only $60" and then "Two weeks from now there is a $20 flight from Dublin to Cardiff, that's when I'm going to Cardiff." I now have touch points inside my four weeks. Milestones. Goals. Attainable and seeable references.
  3) Choosing the U.K. and Ireland (aside from already being here) means that there won't be as huge of a culture shock. We (theoretically) speak the same language, and I've watched enough television, seen enough movies, read enough books, done enough research, to be familiar with these places. I don't have to deal with learning French one week and Norwegian the next.
The list goes on, and my point is I think this is a better alternative than trying to do everything in one go. As an added bonus, I'm going to come back with money, so my savings won't look so sad. That means that I'll have money for another month trip next year.

I've also changed my personal approach. First off, different shoes.

No offense to the Docs, but they are large and heavy and clunky. I felt like I was going to tumble down the bus steps and stomp too loud on the rickety cottage staircase. That's not my style. My style is light, efficient, durable, comfortable. Back at home I had a feeling that I'd need my Chucks, so I packed them. Before you get all mad and say that the converse won't do me any good, my Docs scraped against my heels (I think my heels stick outward for some reason because it happens often) and bloodied them up. Also, I went hiking a whole summer in these shoes. I backpacked canyons and canoed across lakes and hiked Yellowstone in them. If my Chucks can do that, they can walk the city streets of Glasgow or Dublin.
  Don't worry, I still have my Docs with me, just in case.
Next, a change in scenery. No longer that very expensive hotel on the airport grounds where I was shelling out over $200 a night. I moved to a hotel with a shuttle to the bus station. A little more affordable, still nice.

 Well, except for the velvety mustard yellow couch. I feel like I've been thrown to the 60's. Maybe early 70's. Still it's not bad and more homey than my last room.
Pro tip: In England (or maybe it's just fancy hotels? I dunno) you turn on the lights and appliances by sticking your keycard in a little slot by the door. That way it's on your way out when you leave, and all power is cut off to the room when you aren't there. Pretty genius. It took me a minute of worry before I realized what was what.

And, with a view like this, I'm not complaining.

Actually my first thought when I looked out the window was "Wow this is a really good escape route"
  It's not that far to the roof below, certainly doable with a sheet rope. I climb out the window, slide down the rope, run along the roof to the back side where there are maintenance ladders and then I'm gone. Or I slide down the other side, land on the porch roof, then onto the waiting buses beneath and then I'm driving away.
I mean, not like I plan to do any of those things. Just...hypothetically.
 Next is to clean and organize my stuff. I've been a little frantic the past few days and have just shoved everything into a bag and just go.

Now that I know what I'm going to expect, have a pretty good idea of what I'll be doing and for how long, I need to go through everything and sort out the necessary from the unnecessary. I want to be lighter, faster, more efficient. I want to be able to walk two miles without needing to stop every few minutes to catch my breath. I want to be able to walk up and down a staircase with my bag. More mobility. Literally less baggage. And besides, this will help me keep the weight limit down for the airlines and have room for souvenirs.
Anybody want anything?
After that will be some more trip planning. I still want to stay a week ahead in my bookings, because that provides a sense of security while still being a little flexible.

Before you get all over me for not using a smartphone app, let me explain. I have to use paper to get the thoughts out. I need to have a planner of some sort. Something I can scribble an idea in when I'm talking to somebody about their favorite restaurant. And I'm not going to have every minute planned. Just a general idea of what I'm going to do that day.
It helps keep the panic down.
 And finally, a good meal and a good night's sleep. I leave for Glasgow tomorrow morning.
Round 2, here we go.

Til next time,
Nita