I've created a monster!

I was sitting in the bar area of a hostel in Vienna some time last year, having a good old chitchat with the usual assortment of travellers and tourists. The riffraff were listening intently to my (exaggerated) tales of high adventure, in my adorable Australian accent. I was talking to an attractive Czech lass, was even shouted a couple of beers and generally having a grand old time being the only Antipodean in the bar...but then the Contiki Tour showed up.

I don´t want to sound elite, but Contiki Tours, busabout, any of these companies catering to Westerners who want to get royally pissed in as many European cities as possible, as fast as possible can really impose on my hideously vain attempts at impressing strangers in random bars. Unfortunately, this group of 20 drunken heathens turned out to be Australian. Within moments, I was suddenly, seemingly, just another one of these obnoxious parent-funded gap year revellers wanting to experience Europe in he least cultural way. To each their own I guess.

I am not really a 'normal' person when it comes to social interaction. Call me boring, antisocial, call me what you will, but I have never had the desire to wander streets looking for pubs and clubs at ungodly hours, depriving myself of sleep, nutrients and general enjoyment for the ability to brag and compare with people the next morning who got the least sleep and who managed to have the highest blood-alcohol concentration. The Vienna anecdote reinforces my views. Unfortunately, my friends do not share my curse and have been convincing me of late to join in their revelry. It has been fun enough, I guess, but this way of life can seriously destroy your bank account in the same way it destroys your liver, brain cells and decision making processes.

Here are a couple of reasons not to involve yourself in this new-fangled youthful clubbing lifestyle:

Not in gear

I have just over a month before I begin the trip, July 10th to be precise, and yet my planning, purchasing and general tying up of loose end processes are less efficient than solar-powered torch. It hasn´t sunk in that I will be homeless for the next year or two quite yet, but when my job is finished, my lease is up and my belongings sold, I´m sure it will hit me in the face like Thor´s hammer.

I have everything I need really, there are a few wishlist items I want but don´t really need - ie: Suunto Watch, lightweight tent, waterproof jacket; but the cost of each of items is on par with being able to live on the road for weeks.

I choose the second option.