Background to the First Two Week Road Trip Around Europe.

So the travelling bug had me, and like a prize fish my mind had reeled into the possibility of travelling destinations, from Norway to Spain.

I had recently split up with my then girlfriend, I had not been out of the UK for nearing a decade, my life and work was the same every day, as it had been for four years.

At this point my dulled mind could only focus on one thing, escape.

Escaping the tangles of a failing relationship, though we ended up getting back together before we left, escaping a never changing, never exciting life and job became my goal. Above all I wanted to escape from a life where I could say nothing about myself. If anyone had asked me "tell me something interesting about yourself" I would have been lost, my acceptance of the office world had left me with little spare money, i hadnt gone anywhere or done anything remarkable since I was 16.

And so I asked my flatmate if he fancied a trip to Poland for a week. Spur of the moment, couldn't care less, I just needed to get away from my own life.

The next day when he said why dont we just go around Europe I knew it was time for some fun. My boss kindly let me take the second week off, I quickly got my travel insurance sorted, bags packed and off we went.

I will tell of my travels in seperate posts, but on our journey we covered a huge amount of western european countries, got lost more times than was good, trashed a BMW bought for £350 on ebay (But which handled the 4500 mile journey magnificently) and met some truely fantastic and/or unique people.

When I returned from two weeks of walking random streets in amazing cities, travellling through mountains and swimming in a clear blue sea I felt happier than I have ever done in my life. The true freedom travelling brings was something that could not have been replaced by anything else within my life. When I was back in my own house I had what can only be called a feeling of regret. For another year I would be kept in the old cycle of life, no more new places, new people or new foods. I was left with a longing to get back on the road, to head for the nearest port and go off into the world once more.

The bed was bloody comfy though.