November, 2008.
The lead-up month to the trip. The four weeks’ notice had been given into the meat company and as a result the go-getter became a trainer and trained up four new drivers, then was taken off the road to work the remaining time in the factory. It was torture being restricted to working just in the factory. The drivers at the meat factory have three bosses. The owner. The factory manager. The driving liaison/ boss. In the last week of work for the youngster; the owner gave him some advice by saying that he knew others who had gone to South America and the bad happened to them, the factory manager showed him an adult rated movie of a Latin couple having sex, with it being revealed that the women had a male gender part as well. The factory managers’ words were “watch out for the women over in South America… you might want to do the Crocodile Dundee test to find out before you try”, on the last day he told the youngster “when you come back, you can still have your job if you want it”. The driving manager offered the best of luck, like the other meat workers.
The travel documents were picked up from the travel agency a month prior to the travel start date. The toughest thing to get was the tourist visa for Brazil. It took two attempts to get it finalised, and only got his passport with the visa attached two weeks before the 6^th of December. Wouldn’t you have guessed it, with his luck, two days before he was to arrive in the United States of America an electronic visa was to start. His travel agent had realised five minutes after he had left the store in one of Melbourne’s biggest shopping centers’ and sent an email with a form to print out and sign then return back to the travel agency.

Buenos Aires, Argentina would be where the World Trip would start, then onward travelling South America by land. Brazil, Bolivia, Peru and Chile for a month and a half before flying up to the U.S.A. for one month as a stop off before settling down in the United Kingdom to finish off his visa. From then it would be another seven months till he could escape the country where hell came about 2 years before. That seven month period would be treated like the two year visa life, travelling mainland Europe as much as he could. Then in August, 2009 travelling the continent once again as a whole by train for a month, finishing up in Munich, Germany for Oktoberfest. With the last leg of the World Trip used to break down the long haul flight from Europe to Germany, by spending time in Thailand, before returning to Melbourne, Australia on the 10^th of October, 2009.

Everything ready. It was time for this jet-setting youngster to join other like-minded travellers…

Melbourne, Australia.
October 28, 1986

A baby. Healthy measurements. Although the doctors have proclaimed to the parents that their child will not be able to walk, talk or hear. Ten medical conditions have been linked to how many the baby boy has.

The mother and father begin learning sign language, when the boy first talks. The voice is far from great and is barely audible, however due to the slow voice speed, it can be understood.

1990
The little kid is four years old. It’s a long weekend in Melbourne. The family have gone to a relatives’ farm in rural country, north of Melbourne. The kid and his younger cousin, by one year, have just been riding a horse. For both, it was their first experience at horse riding. After it was time to herd the sheep into the cattle truck for sale at the stockyards. As a sheep lay helpless and bleeding, with the other sheep running over its legs to pass, time went slow for the kid. He somehow knew what was coming, while frozen screaming ”mum” and the next minute a dog was locked around his head. The little kid was getting attacked. On the ground with alive pain, his cousin kicks the dog off and all the grownups present act accordingly.
Te attack left the kid with 44 stitches around his head and the start of wearing eye glasses.

As the years went on, the mentality of the boy grew. Perhaps it was due to the consistent visits to the hospital… to see a doctor. He had to be seen by a different doctor at least every five days. On the plus side, his medical conditions disappeared one by one. Although, a couple still remain today, along with the perpetuations from suffering for so long. A good example is that he wasn’t able to keep a best friend and it has resulted in him being an outcast type of person.
Born without a brother or sister, he was an only child. Through his ‘teen years’ he learned life’s’ facts the tough way… with humiliating embarrassment, after everyone else around had learnt them first, laughed at him when he asked ”what?” and then gave him a very brief explanation.
Still ‘getting out’ of his medical dramas, meant that his social life was not able to mutualise until his last years of high school. Now first thoughts would be something like ‘oh no social life, he must get great remarks and grades at school’. It would make perfect sense… if it were true. Truth be told, when he wasn’t sick or have to go to a doctor, he spent all day eating and watching the television. First half of high school, playing video games and watching wrestling (he was addicted and has a box full of self-recorded video tapes full of wrestling. The commercials cut out, so more could be recorded on a tape). As for the second half of high school, playing as well as watching sport (never played for a club, only on his own or with the school’s football team). Once he managed to escape the mental grip wrestling had on him, there was a shared loss of commitment to sport in general. With that said though, there are still some sporting ambitions that he still wants to achieve. Such as; playing Australian Rules Football for a local football club.
Having moved house three times and not experiencing living without his parents yet, has made it a custom for him to always be doing something active. Just like when a hairdresser takes on more hairstyles to be fixed while they’re working their magic on a regular client who has made the effort of making an appointment in advance. After the second house move, the parents got him a dog. A female English Cocker Spaniel. She was one year old when they picked her up from the lost dogs’ home, ten or eleven years when she died.
The start of high school was a little embarrassing, although our go-getter-kid had no such thoughts at that time. With at least two days a week were used to go home early for a doctor’s appointment (a fellow classmate, Brendan Edwards, once made the comment of “he takes every third day off school to recover” to a teacher. As well as the obvious of being sick, his biggest high school absence came in the form of an overseas holiday. His father had won the holiday (two people to see three sporting events. Horse racing in Paris, France. Car Racing in Atlanta, U.S.A. Golf in Washington DC, U.S.A. The trip also included a two day stop in New York City, U.S.A.). The holiday was won through joining subscription television while the pay-tv company were running the competition. For our go-getting-kid the trip was something… something he didn’t want (he would’ve preferred the time spent in school… so he could be around what friends he did have). Although it can be said that by the end of the trip our go-getting-kid was fascinated by travel. His favoured city of the trip was New York City in the United States of America.
Only a couple of other events happened during the later stages of high school. Although, this teen’s remaining grandparents passed away (both his grandfathers. Their causes of death (heart problems) and way of death (whilst asleep) were the same), our teen’s sprit was not traumatised too much in a moving sort of way. Evan though he cried and it was, unknowingly, the first time he had learnt that there was no one (friends wise) that he could use a shoulder to cry on. With that said, it does not mean much for the later (and more interesting) part of this story. Sorry to disappoint.
The two major events that happened during our teen’s high school days were internal and external… but nothing of a physical or mental nature.

2003
Tine for the family to become updated and get connected to the internet. For the lost soul, the net was first about what he knew of it… dating. He ‘joined’ (gave his details, wrote something short about himself and didn’t pay any money with no intention to either). It was so, so fascinating to him. Here he was being introduced to several countries (many European), a couple he had not heard of before (like Latvia and Denmark), all at the same time. Although there was a problem, depending on where you look at the situation from. The lost soul was only meeting females. Not a big problem. Then again, he was not aware of any stories where there were ‘fake people’ who used the internet as a disguise so they could perform non-normal thinking actions when the time came. Our teen was never exposed to any such exposé. Although there was one time where he had mistaken someone for a girl he had been messaging for a while and started ‘talking’ feelings of love. Only to realise that it had been a gay French man at the other side, that he had stopped contacting cause he felt uncomfortable messaging. How embarrassed he was.
He had ‘met’ two people out of the dating sites, both from the one dating site actually, as friends. Wouldn’t have had to guess though, they were both females. A Danish girl named Nadia. The other Swedish named Frieda. Both a year younger than he, like the majority of his friends. With Nadia he was introduced to the small European country of Denmark as well as a travellers’ social website called WAYN (Where Are You Now).

2005
Was the biggest high school year for our go-getter teen. Final high school year. Official announcement (by one of the doctors who had been looking after the teen since he was a baby) that the lonesome kid was now NORMAL, with his remaining medical conditions only being able to produce a minor affect on the mentally strong boy. Both are great and significant, but neither are that second event, which happened. The second event is a more dull and simple, but has a significant role to play for the start of The Story… and no we haven’t began reading the main story yet.
The second significant high school event that our go-getter went through was achieving his drivers licence. He was so happy and it was evident in the licence picture taken. When it was taken, without any knowing of the actual photo being taken, the thoughts running through his mind were of one person. A girl. A follow school and classmate. Jessica. His heart had made its pulses beat for her. They weren’t involved. The closest they were though was that they shared the same group of friends. The two of them weren’t made for one another (who is??)/ Most of all, neither had spoken one word to the other. However, with the achievement of his drivers licence he was going to finally tell her he had feelings for her, despite them never talking to each other before… he never did tell her. If he had have, Jessica would’ve been surprised that something out of nowhere, like this, was just said and then resulted to the two options running through her head. Ask him ”So, what are you going to do about it now” rather that or she would’ve got a couple of their friends came back to him and told him not to hang out with them anymore. In the end Jessica found the truth out through the group of friends. She had already made a commitment to someone she loved and didn’t want anything to continue with our lonesome teen.
High school finished, our teen graduated with the lowest marks at his school and more than likely most of the surrounding schools in the area. Never-the-less he graduated high school, then was accepted into a University. Yep, University. For the further education courses that he listed down for his preferred to undertake after high school. The teen put down two transport course choices, three electronic courses and one to do with massage. He got accepted to one of the transport courses and the massage one as well.
The massage course was a lot closer to home, so he chose the transport course instead. It certainly did involve transport, with four hours spent on trains and busses each uni day. The course was relatively new, in its second year and had barely met the educational standards (due to the number of students). It would have usually been a three year course but was subjected to be taken in ten months, due to a lack of funding.
As those ten months became fewer and fewer. A massive burden of a strain was ever growing bigger on our youngster. A dripper-patter was the speed that the uni course was going when it came only two months left. For the youngster, everything happened all of a sudden in one week. He was turning 20. It was going to be the first time he would meet a person that he had met from the internet. Starting a job, which he had applied through the uni course. Then the burden would ruin all the excitement. He had a car now. He brought the car with a car loan he took out from the bank. He got ripped off. The loan was for $5000. Car was sold for $5000. Fair enough sounding, right? But wait for it… The car was only worth $2500 and as for the loan, it was a minimum of $7000 with the extra fees added. He ended up paying more than $7000, because at the peak of the burden, the bank charged extra due to their being minus money in the youngsters’ bank account. He ended up paying it off with a year left until the loan was officially paid off. Afterwards, the youngster told himself to ‘take a loan out only as a last resort cause you don’t want to go through that anguish again’… he stuck with his word, never even considering taking another loan out in the worst of times.
The first ‘internet person’ he met was a Swedish female named Amanda. A year younger, met on WAYN and the morning after his 20th party in the city. He hadn’t had any sleep when they met and was jumping about, making Amanda surprised and embarrassed at the same time. When there were two other blokes checking her out, our youngster wanted to go up to them (in an angry mood) and have a ‘word’ with them, but decided on Amanda’s better judgement.
The job only lasted two days. The youngster couldn’t ring up to say he would be late. It made him feel as though the course was for no reason, apart from saying he endured the four hours on public transport every day for the past ten months.

2007
It would be a milestone year. Kangaroo. Dance. Travel. Party. Sex. Robbery. Dog. That, for a start, to sum it up.
Once he started giving up on applying for transport jobs (as a follow up to his course, to prove it wasn’t for no reason), the youngster delivered pizzas to make a living and to finally pay something big in full. While delivering pizzas, he almost hit a kangaroo that didn’t know which way to hop out of the way.
At the same time he took up another job, washing cars. This wasn’t glamorous to say the least. Being treated like rubbish our go-getter told himself to hang in there. Not for the money (that is to say, when he got paid) and especially not for the people. He did for something to do.
Still not busy enough, working seven days and six nights a week. The go-getter took up Latin-Ballroom dancing. He was good at the dancing, not really knowing that it was in his blood (his father had won several awards for dancing… many years ago).
He was flat out busy, however, for the go-getter it didn’t seem much. Oh, how time creeps up on you. After a month of working seven days and five nights a week with the two free nights dancing, our go-getting youngster felt it all at once. Over-consuming, had to give something away. He was more than happy to say good-bye to the car washing gig. With the extra time he had professional dance lessons… after many of the women, he danced with complaining about his no co-ordination skills (the same as every male has).
It was getting close to June. A month that had been organised to finally meet the people from the internet who had introduced themselves to him… he was to meet them in their home countries.

The week leading up to the departure date for Europe was an eventful one. The plane was to leave on a Sunday. Uni Graduation would take place on Monday, to kick off the hectic week.
As the former university students walked out of where they were sitting for the ceremony to exit the room. Our youngster was, unknowingly, holding up everyone behind him. Frozen with an open mouth (properly drooling with saliva)… as he watched the good-looking girls move about, he came to his senses (possibly when a not-so-good-looking girl came into view).How embarrass ring it must have been.
Saturday came, the dancing day. Three weeks prior, learning a new dance (not one that would be performed this Saturday) he injured his left knee. Turned out he was stepping the wrong way causing discomfort for the knee. With the pain being successfully put to the back of the mind and nerves that would be shakier than the flight taken the next day. The go-getter got going. Danced twice to achieve bronze in the competition.
Big day, long flight beginning that of something new. Melbourne airport bound for Copenhagen, Denmark with a change of planes in Bangkok, Thailand. The nerves weren’t on show, they had already done their shaking duties the day before. No scared emotion, the only emotion was with watery eyes when it came time to hug the mother. The father took some time to get enough courage to ask a stranger to take a photo of the five present. Our go-getter, the father and mother, as well as a family friend and her son, Ben. The coward act behind this single event made our wanna-be traveller almost miss the flight.
At last he was independent, in some sort of sense (a young male can never be trusted to be described as ‘independent’. Sooner or later, males get the females help… then become lazy). Although sad, exciting amazement was the mixed emotion. For what he had left behind, he knew of, to expand his horizons with surroundings unknown to him.
The two plane rides that took him from Australia to Denmark, didn’t mind. Free food (only four meals, but it seemed not enough for his slim-athletic build), free entertainment (movies, TV, music) and gorgeous women walking around. He couldn’t have asked for it to be any better… well perhaps he could’ve, let your thoughts run and they’ll stumble across what more there could’ve been to top it off. However, on the second flight, the biggest bad experience which has happened to our youngster in the air, occurred soon after takeoff. Smiling as always, not to hide any nerves, because he was finally on the last flight to Europe… and it could’ve been his last.
The jumbo-jet plane lifted off from Bangkok airport. As it lifted, with the plane leaving the ground ten seconds before, it felt to our young traveller that the engines stopped and for two seconds (at the most) the plane was dropping. Looking around he couldn’t determine if anyone else had felt the same sensation (Australians are good at reading a person’s facial expression, and therefore can change the mood that is being interpreted according with the expression shown). Everyone within eye distance seemed just like they did three seconds ago.
The flight was about to land at Copenhagen airport and the view of Sweden’s green fields and the stretch of water that separated Denmark and Sweden were like no surroundings he had witnessed before. The plane landed, bags collected and out to where people greet others from a flight. Quite a frenzy, the young traveller couldn’t believe it. Going forward he decided to go around in front of the people again. Didn’t have to though. She was tall, tanned, long brown hair with curls and had a stunning red dress on. Looking up at the TV screen indicating the expected times of flights, he rolled the baggage trolley up beside her.
“Hi”. It was her. His Danish friend who he was to stay a week in Copenhagen with. Her name, Anja. A year younger than he. His visit co-incited with her university exams (or “examinationts”, as Anja said with her Danish accent attached), so she wasn’t able to hang out with him much. When she did though, he appreciated the time much so. He got lost finding Anjas’ apartment on the first day after exploring the city a little. Anja had marked on a map she had provided, a place further down the road as her apartment without realising it. Our young traveller explored some more and somehow miraculously found his way back.

He had organised to meet up with five people which he had ‘met’ on the internet. Four were Danish, one Finnish. All five were female (do I really have to tell you that little bit?? You could easily had have guessed).
A week later and not too far from Copenhagen was Roskilde. The city where he met Katarina, the same age (for once). She showed him his party side and introduced him to his first ever music concert. Roskilde Festival 2007. The worst year the festival… ever. Eight days and nights with six of the days continuously raining. Making the massive campsite for 75, 000 music goers a mud puddle spectacular. The lead singers couldn’t sing so well, due to catching colds and the non-stop rain during their gigs.
About a month and a week later was Nadia, a year younger in Horsens. It was a stay of only four days. With the limited time they had, Nadia made sure it was an enjoyable and fun time to be had. The visit co-incited with a party she was having to celebrate her and her class graduating school. In a way, our traveller thought of it as a celebration of his university time.
The fifth day was a Monday and it was time to meet the youngest, as in terms of they ‘met’ the most recently. Danish. A year younger. A female, of course. In a word, she was a goddess. The visit was quite something. Without going into detail, the Danish Goddess bought out the wild and courageous side in our Australian traveller. The stay lasted two weeks, it ended on a sour note… or so the traveller thought. Secrets were a thing which both had ended up keeping from the other.
From the top of Denmark, Silkebourg (the tenth largest Danish city), to the remote city of Vassa on the west coast of Finland. It was a three day journey, shared amongst rail and ferry (ship really) travelling through Sweden to get there.
The lucky last was a Finnish girl, again a year younger, named Pia. Grew up and lived 300 Kilometres north of the closest city, Vassa. It was a long drive to the very small remote town, that our traveller’s mind started generating thoughts around the lines of ‘they’re driving me to the middle of nowhere… where anything could happen to you’. They eventually arrived at the very remotely located town. As for the stay, it wasn’t anything bad like the thought had implied. The visit was a creepy feeling one. Around ten months later, the communication between the two seized to continue.
The Initial idea behind his EuroTrip was revolved around a two year working visa which he applied for to work in the United Kingdom. That was the big start up engine to kick start the trip planning. Now our traveller may hold a somewhat good knowledge of general knowledge, but he prefers to simplify things… mainly because he isn’t quick witted, actually he’s not quick at all. With that said, he had only planned his EuroTrip on the basis of ‘live in the UK for the full two years of the visa, using it as an escape goat to travel Europe… cause it’s so close’. Plans don’t always go accordingly to how we would all like them to. The trip only lasted four months…
The end unfolded quickly. Got fired from the job he had, everything except his passport and bank card was stolen a few days later. Giving up, our youngster took the soonest flight he could back to Australia. Arriving two weeks before his 21st birthday.

Time for the home-stretch of this and the lead-up to The Story.
It took the young go-getter six months to get a job after returning from Europe. The job he ended up getting, was one of several that had been applied for on the day after he acquired his light truck licence with accomplished success.
His new job involved delivering meat by both truck and van to restaurants and exclusive clubs. Working times were always from six in the morning with a finish of three in the afternoon. It was a twelve noon finish on Saturday’s, except our youngster didn’t work many Saturdays. His Monday to Friday ten hour shift (when driving only and not packing meat, it was a four in the afternoon finish) job role was; as soon as he got to work (usually around ten minutes late) was to get the truck and drive an hour to two hours, depending on traffic, to the other side of the city, either drop-off or pick up meat (most of the time it was both, which meant the travel time took longer. It resulted in a chain reaction for the rest of that morning). Then drive through the peak hour traffic with the rising sun blinding the road ahead. Once back at the meat factory, load a van assigned to him (for GPS (Global Positioning Service) purposes) then drive off. His assigned delivery run was one of two runs which took the most time to do, on a count of the distance needed to travel. Needless to say, that as soon as he hopped out of the truck, he was always in a hurry.
He worked for ten months and had earned enough to go travelling, but not before the big decision maker made the decision for him… a truck accident.
June 2008.
It was a tough weekend and a tirering one at that. Monday morning with the cold dark atmosphere shouldering the misty roads. Wishing he was still rugged up in bed within the thick warmth of several blankets and a doona, work was where he had to be. The truck was loaded and ready to be taken on the hour long drive. Youngster took off without a hitch. Around ten minutes after leaving the meat factory car park, he did the usual turn into the last road before the easy drive along the freeway. Three sets of traffic lights on a three lane road going towards the freeway with an uphill climb halfway. Finished the turn into the left lane, past the first set of traffic lights steadily approaching the hill. Looking ahead, there was a slow moving truck about 150 metres in front and another in the middle lane that, by the judgment call made from the youngster, would be up alongside the other truck in the left by the time both were on the hill. With the judgment call of where the other much longer trucks would be by what time, an assessment was made to allow enough time to pass on the furthest right lane and make it back to the left in time to turn off onto the freeway. Indicator on with a slight turning of the steering wheel. The truck made it over. The accelerator was pressed more against the floor. All the predicted observations of the judgment call were in place and the truck was passing the two trucks. Concentration was there and could be seen in the youngsters driving position and then the pass was complete. Passing the front line of the two trucks and bang. The youngsters’ truck had veered to the right and into the safety barrier. His feet came off the pedals, elbow brushing along the door and the right knee becoming a tennis ball in a match between the door and steering wheel. Two seconds of shock and the hands were able to get their grip back on the wheel and take control of the truck. The second set of traffic lights were at the top of the hill and only 15 meters from the banged in safety barrier, where the accident happened, the youngster turned right into the dead end street to take a look for assessment of the damage. Only the headlight was damaged along with the right side indicator malfunctioning. The biggest injury was just shock, from not knowing what happened and how. First conclusion that came straight to his mind was that it was his fault. Fatigue. The self-consciousness mind kicked in, as a re-assuring thought, telling him that the truck in the middle lane nudged him accidently. He managed to build enough courage up and finish the job. It ended up being a normal day with only a mishap. A couple of months went by and the idea of going overseas again was gaining momentum with each bad day the go-getter experienced. Then in a full alive and awake mood on one low-visibility morning, the filled up truck wasn’t responding to well. Around 20 minutes after leaving the meat factory, the freeway curves to right. There was traffic, but enough that there was a flow of traffic instead of the usual ‘car park’ affect. Or so it seemed to the young truck driver. Not well experienced in driving a truck. Unaccustomed to stop/go traffic. It was inevitable and predictable how he would be learning the common sense rules of being a truck driver. The hard way. The traffic suddenly stopped in the left lane. Travelling at near 70kilometers per a hour and with a distance of about 200meters, the brake was pressed. No slowing was felt. Slammed to the floor now. 150m. The truck had a load of four pallets. Adding an extra weight of around 100kg’s per a pallet. The car in front was a new black ute, luckily it was carrying a solid trailer. Pressing firmly on the horn, nothing could be prevented. The truck hit the trailer at around 20-30K/ph, jammed against the concrete freeway barrier and the trailer. Damage was far greater than that of the accident a few months prior. The mirrors were in pieces on the road, the only injury suffered was a cut on the truckies finger when picking the pieces up. The metal holdings of the track bent and unhinged. Both indicators broken and malfunctioning. No damage was apparent on the trailer. The impact was so strong that all of the four pallets in the back had tumbled over, when he got to the drop off point, the go-getter had to re-stack the pallets. A lot of shock running through the body, but adrenaline was firering him on to finish the job at hand and make the return journey.
Two weeks is what it took. Thoughts non-stop running through the mind. He was going to go back overseas, but not till around March. Once he had figured what he would be doing and how, he made the plans…

Thanks.
James.

Goal: To have an experience of a lifetime like nothing I’ve done before. To have a good time, enjoy myself and have fun. Be on a holiday, not as a tourist but just as someone who isn’t one. Travel Scandinavia (Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland) for the first three months of My EuroTrip with a European train pass called a ScanRail pass valid for 10 trips in 2 months, then working to pay my car loan off and the money that I had borrowed from my parents to ensure I’d get into the UK. Had a 2 year working visa, which ensured me an unlimited European pass for the two years following the date when my pass would be validated. Had several mates living and visiting Europe, and had already made plans to stay with the majority of the ones who lived in Scandinavia for the initial 3 months of my EuroTrip. That was the plan, and my trip was based on experiencing the different cultures and lifestyles that were and are seen through-out in every day life, but was a different custom to this Aussie.

… the busy week for me had just ended. now it was time for sleep, but wait I can’t just yet. Oh, Why?? Why, won’t you tell us. .

The last night in Australia for me until 2 years and a bit, I was packing my backpack. I couldn’t figure out what to and not to take and how to pack it, which meant that I was still packing into the morning before I left for Europe. I was able to break my clothing down to 3 of everything (but have found out since that I packed a bit more than what was needed) and finished packing. With the backpack in the family station wagon, I was off to the airport with my parents. It was to be the last drive that I would have in Australia. Stopped off at Scott’s on the way, was the 1st of 2 of my mates that I would say ‘bye’ to, before I took off.

Airports: Arrived at the airport, on the way though, there was a discussion about the changing of mobile phones (I had 2 mobiles, wanted one of my dad’s many mobiles. One of my mobile’s I’m still paying off). I wanted one of my dad’s mobile only for the reason that one of them had a video camera on it and I wanted to record some footage of Nadia’s party. Mum and Dad dropped me off, then took off to get a mate and one of my mum’s friends. I went into Melbourne Airport, with a big hanging back with a bigger backpack on. Ha, had to go to the toilet, it was a bit of a problem but managed alright. Then went to take a seat behind the luggage check-outs. I wanted to get the numbers in my mobiles down on paper, so I took advantage of the waiting situation and did so. I don’t know if the numbers worked when I sent text messages. Once I finished jotting down the numbers, I went too see if I could get rid of my backpack by checking it in, the check-out was open. Standing in the massive lines, the 4 people who were to see me off came (my mum, her friend, my dad and my one of my mates). Fixed my luggage up so that it wasn’t too baggy, and I could easily take my little backpack onto the plane. Ben, my mate, went under the strapped railing to keep me company. It was a bloody good feeling, it felt as though I had a mate who was willing and actually was coming over with me. We just talked, mainly about what I had planned to do over there, I told Ben “I’ve been invited to about 4 parties” which I wasn’t 100% sure on if it was the right number but it ended up being way less than the number that I was invited to. The two of us also talked about what he had planned for the year, he didn’t know too far into the future like I did but the basis was laid down. We reached the front of the lines, and considering that there weren’t too many people behind me when I joined the line, there was a fair few there now. Got called up, Ben moved to the side and luckily for me the check-out I was to go to was one of the ones right in front of me. The nerves kicked in a bit when I was checking my backpack in, the scale said that my backpack and sleeping bag, which was attached, weighed just a bit over 17 Kg’s, then there’s the weight of my little backpack (properly around 4 or 5 Kg) which I was going to carry onto the plane with me. Went to the food court to meet up with everyone, went somewhere with Ben, on the way back I checked the currency rates but didn’t change money, got Red label Smirnoff Vodka 1 litre for $14, a tube of Vegemite and 2 packets of Tim-Tams (caramel and normal/chocolate) (the Danes who tried the Vegemite, didn’t like it. ha ha. Katarina said it tasted like Soy Sauce). The two of us went back to everyone. I was offered something to eat, I wish I had’ve goten a Hungry Jacks burger or something cause a few days of being in Europe I was getting starved for some aussie food (no matter how bad it is for you compared with the food in Europe). We looked at the screens to see the flight updates, my flight was reading boarding, so we got up and moved to (I swear it says this as you walk in) ‘the point of no return’. What?? What happens if you turn back or can’t board the plane, you get shot or have to keep on walking?? Ha honestly. Nearly missed my Thai Airways flight to Bangkok, thanks to my dad not wanting to go up and ask anyone to take a photo of any of us. In the end, Ben was the one who asked. After that, I did the last thing that I had decided I wanted to do before leaving the country. Being an only child, I decided to hug my mum a good hug. My dad was left high and dry without a hug, ha ha. Went through the customs point to get my passport checked, then went through the metal detectors, ha ha, took the things out of pockets as usual. The thing still went off, ended up having to take my belt off (which apparently has metal on it), my pants kept slipping down. ha ha. Just a short walk to get my duty free things that I had purchased before, Smirnoff Red Label Vodka and Vegemite and 2 packets of Tim-Tams (after having requests from the Euros asking for some aussie taste) (umm, you can’t take food through the security points. You have to buy it before hand and then pick it up after security). Just past the metal detectors and went to the 1st duty free store to collect the Vodka, trying to look for someone to ask where I get it from I vaguely heard an announcement saying that my flight was on its last boarding of passengers and any remaining ones should hurry up now (well not like that, but the jist of it was the same). Finally found the ‘pick your things up here’ desk, the three ladies behind it were talking, I couldn’t give a stuff so I hurried them up grabbed the bag of Vodka (it was put in a sealed up bag cause I was passing through Bangkok) then hurried through to the other duty free shop to collect the Vegemite and Tim-Tams. Ha, now I had to run, well try to anyway, call over the speaker ‘this is the last call for flight TG 950 to Bangkok’. Had a bit of trouble finding the gate. I ended up getting on the plane. Nice flight and an alright take off (I’m no expert though), it was good due to the fact that you had a tele in front of you and you got to choose the movies you wanted to watch. I watched; DaJa Vu (whatever it’s called with Denziel Washington in it), In The Pursuit Of Happiness (for some reason had no choice but to watch it with Japanese subtitles) and another one that I can’t remember at the moment. I was going to watch Shooter (with Mark Walberg in it) but decided to watch it on the next flight, thought the next flight would have the same demand-your movie-type of thing, it didn’t.

Arrived in Bangkok, had to ask where to go, forgot the flight number, even though it was on my ticket, . The airport was bloody big, from where I got off the plane to where I asked where to go it was about 500m-1km of a walk, then from where I had asked where to go it was about another K, and then another 500 meters to the plane from the security point. Ha, this time I remembered to take my belt off before hand, but the metal detector still went off, but straight away the security took me to the side, put me on a box or something. With my pants slipping down, had to raise my hands, then I grabbed my pocket my camera was their. But they are quite strict there (you can’t smoke in the airport so they have little rooms for the smokers to smoke in, a bit funny for us non-smokers to see. Also before we got off the plane there was an announcement saying something about how you can’t do something (I think it was something simple) because it was against the law). Got through security, and put my belt back on then went down to where the plane was, had to wait 3 hours, but with the amount of flying that had to be done (23 and a half hours over the whole journey from Melbourne to Copenhagen, about 10 and a half to Bangkok, then 12 and a half from Bangkok), I wish it was more of a wait just so the jetlag business wouldn’t be so brutal and I had enough time for some relaxation and to calm my nerves down..

The take off was a bit scary, the plane jolted twice then cut out (didn’t work) for a second just after take off whilst still being close to the airport. As soon as the take off was over, I went to sleep, it was just before they served something to eat, wish I stayed up to eat it. Don’t know how long I was asleep for but, to my amazement everyone else was asleep with all the windows shut. After a while, a movie played (Breech), a meal was served and an announcement was said that we’ll be landing in about 2 hours time.

Flying over Sweden, bloody nice to see it. Looked picturesque with fields of green and water of navy blue. I didn’t realise how close Copenhagen airport was to the sea, so when the plane was coming down close to the sea my nerves were a bit high, but not as high as they were for my dance competition 24 or 48 hours before. Landed safely. On my way out got confronted by security, apparently I looked lost (I bet most of you are saying ‘when aren’t you looking lost??’ ha ha). I wasn’t a serious concern for them. Then went on to the passport control, long line, 2 passport check outs open, it took a while. Once that was done, got my backpack after a while of waiting, no luggage was coming out of the collection point.

Went out to the meeting point. ha, saw all these little Danish flags, was expecting the person meeting me to have something good to stand out from the rest, was looking about as I was moving. Couldn’t see her. Then when the sides of people ended, I had a choice of 3 ways to go, left, straight or right. I went left, and kept curving around, then I saw a tall figure, a bit bloody sexy as well in a short red dress, it was the girl who was to pick me up from the airport. Pulled my luggage cart up beside her, was thinking of doing something stupid to get her to contact me instead of me doing the (not very) hard work. In the end, something happened and yeah before I knew it we were on the bus to her apartment. On the bus we talked about what she had planned for me, which wasn’t much cause at that time it was in the middle of her uni exams, but we had already agreed that we wouldn’t let that get in our way of having a good time. I showed her the boomerang she requested as a gift and she told me about seeing that my plane had been delayed and that her roommate was filling in for her at the moment cause she had to miss the start of her class in order to pick me up from the airport. Making her miss class made me feel quite bad, but at the same time I was happy to get her away from schoolwork for a couple of hours. Oh yeah, by the way, she did do something to stick out, she made a sign saying ‘James- Australia’.

Arrived at Anja’s (pronounced Anya) apartment dropped my backpack off, I wasn’t feeling really tired so I went out and took a little exploration of the area of Copenhagen that I was in. She had arranged everything so that I could get some good rest, but I knew if I took a sleep I wouldn’t have been able to get over the jetlag as well. I went out with the map that I had been given with where I was staying clearly marked on it. It wasn’t too far to anything, but I really didn’t want to get lost on my arrival day of my EuroTrip. So I looked at the map and more or less chose to take a look around the block. Got lost trying to find my way back, but hey when you’re an aussie in another country, you don’t give in and give up. Ha, plus I couldn’t give up anyway, my mobile was still in ‘Australian mode’. Meaning to say that my mobile couldn’t work to ring. The reason why I got lost on the way back was cause where I was staying was marked in the wrong place on the map. Don’t remember how, but I eventually found my way back to the apartment. When I got in, Anja introduced me to her roommate Rikke. I had real trouble pronouncing her name, which I felt so ashamed of doing cause she let me into her life as well as Anja. I finally asked Rikke, if there was another name that I could call her because of my pronunciation complications. She said Eddie will be fine, a name that she was nicknamed well before Anja knew her.

Both Anja and Eddie were both in the middle of quite a hectic exam schedule and at the end of the week they had an exam. As for how the week in Copenhagen while staying with the two girls, it’s a bit hazy. Although, one thing was made clear, that on the days that they were studying (which was more or less all the days) that I had to be out of the apartment and be back at around 6 or 7pm. So hey, let’s go…

Saw The Little Mermaid Statue in Copenhagen harbour, saw the Round Tower (a king made the tower round with no steps so he could take a cart up, and didn’t have to walk up it. I didn’t go in), Christiania (the hippy land or Amsterdam of Denmark, went for a river cruise ride (a tourist one, like the ones that go along the Yarra), Tivoli (a fun park or amusement park) then went back during the night for live music (the ‘one who should’ve won the last Pop Idol show’ was performing) after that we went to guess what?? The Australian Bar. I kid you not. But not much Australian about it… apart from the pool tables, you can get ‘an Australian beer’ and the road signs like ‘last dunny for next 200 Km (I got a bit homesick when I saw the road signs), saw the changing of the royal guards but didn’t see Princess Mary or even bother to go see where she lives (north of Copenhagen) plus it cost money (for those who don’t know me, quite simply, I was a cheap bastard, prior to My EuroTrip, but Europe certainly has changed my perspective in that area), the usual museums and tourist things of that nature and a whole heap of churches and lakes. Anja and Rikke, along with some of their mates came along to Christiania, Tivoli and The Australian Bar, which was all done on the same day and night.

Then it was time to leave Anja’s apartment, as soon as I left I heard a laugh. The type of laugh that says in it ‘what a loser’, I felt sad and lonely… to say the least. Or maybe it was some sort of sign of relief to say “we did it, we survived the week that we thought we couldn’t do. Girl Power, yay”… I doubt it though. Oh well onto my next place and person to visit and experience… Roskilde (the last bit said like the ‘Kilda’ in St Kilda) and Katarina (can’t describe how it’s pronounced, ha ha. But it’s like Kat-A-Rena, ).

Planned to meet up with Katarina at the station, got text messages saying that she’ll be late. We had met for the first time during one of the nights I was staying with Anja, it was a hurl wind to meet up. She told me to meet her at a station, but there is another station in Copenhagen that sounds the same, and being an aussie with pronunciation problems. It’s needless to tell you that there were communication confusion. She found me, she told me to go to a certain point and ring her. Then she said she was right behind me, I turned around and we hugged. Katarina was proberly the most excited person for me to visit and stay with her, for what reason… well that’s her secret. On that night she took me by train to a house party, and she got a preview of what type of ‘partier’ I was. lol. Anyway, walking along side Roskilde train Station, then the phone calls came and we were trying to find each other. Being a female she used her head, being a male I used… hmm, well I wasn’t thinking much with my head…. of course I mean, Kat was standing in the one place, I was walking about and around somewhere I had never been before. What did you guys think I meant?? ha ha ha. Got in Kat’s dad’s car, and went for a drive. Parked near her old school, then did some shopping while at the same time Katarina was able to show me Roskilde. After some time, Kat had what was needed, then we were off to her house. Arrived in her town Ejby (not said like ‘edge-be’, but pronounced as ‘eye-boo’), Kat took me for a quick spin around her home town, which was pretty thoughtful, compared to my stay in Copenhagen (then again neither Anja or Rikke had a car and Copenhagen is a big city, it was really tough to tell where the city ended). Went to her house, some hours went by, then 2 figures appeared. First was Kat’s mum, followed by her dad. I was told that they didn’t speak much English, so that’s what I thought… I was wrong. Kat’s parents did speak quite good with English, but they were my first know-how of foreign people not thinking that they are good at English when they’re better than they think (believe me, over my travels, although Denmark stuck out greatly, I came across a lot of people like this). Kat worked at a child care place, and was gone for the majority of the day. Ejby is a quite a small country town, and being so there are only 2 shops.

Pretty much what happened while staying with Katarina and in what order is a blur, so it’ll have to be settled with little brief sentences. This isn’t because it was such a bore of a time, but it was an excellent experience and Kat did show me a whole lot of fun and was the only one to show it as though she was just in her every day life…

-the meals cooked were nice as, bloody tasty as (but as I’ve found out all Danish food, and for that matter all Scandinavian food, is tasty as. No matter how badly made or cheap the food is).

- Bo’s party, was pretty good. a bloke stayed to keep me company talked and enjoyed talking in English, he hadn’t spoken it since a year and a half before. I got quite drunk, couldn’t feel it until Kat was ‘helping’ me walk back and in Kat’s words ‘you only made a fool of yourself’. Also, the host, Bo, a soccer player and had been to Melbourne before, kept calling me David, I didn’t really mind… plus I was drunk, so I didn’t really notice it. Kat told me that most of the people at Bo’s party would be at the festival as well.

- There is a whole heap more, but don’t want to put them down, cause they meant more to me than this pathetic excuse, being this journal, for attention.

3 weeks, after Katarina and me met, it was time for the Roskilde Festival (one of the biggest music festivals in Europe). 8 days of camping, music and partying. The big acts were; Bjørk, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, The Who (oh yeah, alright), The Beastie Boys, The Killers, Queens Of The Stone Age, My Chemical Romance, DJ Tiesto, Artic Monkeys, Basement Jaxx…. plus plenty of Scandinavian and European acts. It was something that was going to be a big highlight for my EuroTrip and life, after all it was the first ever music festival or concert that I had been to. The night before it all opened and was officially on, Katarina, Katarina’s brother Daniel, Daniel’s girlfriend and myself packed up and caught a taxi to the festival grounds’ East side gates. We left from my first experience of a Danish graduation party, thrown by a girl’s family. I can’t remember names, but it was one of the more pleasant times of the start of my trip. Where there was always someone around willing to speak English to me and keep me company and quite exciting for me, a lot of new people that I hadn’t seen before so it allowed me to get to know them and talk more. Everyone talked to me, from a middle aged man who had been to Australia and wanted to tell me about his family’s holiday there and the differences between the two countries to the chef (was like an apprentice 3rd year chef) and a whole load of other people. Whom the majority just wanted to get my reaction when they told an Aussie about their Princess Mary being an Aussie. It was a party that started in the daylight and went right through into the night. The night came afoot, and the tables were moved so there was room to dance. Well being a celebration mainly for a shelia, the girls eventually made me get up to dance. I would’ve really liked to have danced more, but couldn’t cause my knee was playing up and being just a small party with a small dance floor it wasn’t worth the agony. When I wasn’t in the mood to chat with Kat or when she wasn’t about I talked with her mates who were pretty cool and inviting towards me. I must admit though, that I really enjoyed Bo’s party a lot more. The big problem I had with the festival was that the majority of the other campers were from countries whose first language wasn’t English, but it started to become invisible by the 4th or 5th day. The Danes in my camp, Camp Krone, were pretty shy to talk English with the Aussie. It wasn’t until about the 3rd night that the rest started to loosen up and became friendly towards the one who can’t speak Danish. Also, the majority of the camp were smokers, nothing I could do about that. I was still pretty hesititant with being around and about smokers, when the festival was on, but it was easy enough to escape. Being one of the top three concerts in Europe, you would think that the music would be at the top class, but no it wasn’t and was far from it because of the rain. On my list of the highlights of the Roskilde Festival, 1. The parties at night (camp Krone had the best and one of the loudest sound systems on the grounds). 2. Meeting new people and experiencing the fun that was to be had. 3. The music (the rain challenged all the acts when they were up on the Orange Stage (aka the main stage/big name stage). along with the headlining band (The Red Hot Chilli Peppers) concert only lasting an hour and a half with the band playing all their best songs within the first 45mins. 4. Ha, trying to learn Danish. 5. The experience of having only two cold water showers and walking back to camp clean through the sloppy mud (The weather was absolutely appalling. The guys at Camp Krone told me around the last days of the festival that it was reported that this year’s one was the worst hit rained one that it has ever had. Everywhere was full of thick mud and large puddles, luckily where our camp site was we weren’t in a really bad hit area. I went for a walk around the absolutely massive festival site and ha, there was one area where it was like a flood, tents floating and broken with no access to them cause the puddles of water was blockading the paths. ha). Lastly, the freedom. To do what you wanted when you wanted even when it meant missing out with the group. The festival for me in a nutshell; the first four or five nights partied and got drunk (Ha, trying to walk through the mud while it’s raining with big puddles to sidestep and being drunk at the same time, all whilst a new mate’s helping you get somewhere to take a piss. Ha ha). I stopped drinking as much as I did when I did cause the rain was too much for me and I was getting quite sick quite fast with a cold. I got to see 1 band, The Who, in the mosh-pit and they were the number 1 pic from me out of the acts I saw. Followed by The Killers, Queens Of The Stone Age, My Chemical Romance. There were proberly 2 big names that sucked big time, and 1 of them was all the hype of the festival. The Red Hot Chilli Peepers and The Beastie Boys (which I nearly got in a brawl, with a fight breaking out just on the side of me). On the last day of the festival, I got injured with my eye getting a red rash around it and cause of it had to go to the doctors tent. In turn I had to leave the tent I was using behind. Camp Krone was absolutely awesome, I wasn’t a ‘big player’ of the camp but I felt comfortable around the guys.

Now that the festival was over, it is now time to just relax and ‘come back to reality’. Another week with Katarina and her welcoming family, then I’m off to my next town and person to see and meet. The first couple of days back in Ejby, we just rested our tired (and stinky) bodies, as well as bumping into some of the other guys who were at our camp (Ejby is a small town after all). The last full day of my stay with Kat, we did 2 things. 1 boring, yet important and the other a bit more interesting. Got my ticket to my next town (cause still as of yet my long awaited and promised rail pass was still not in my possession and the troubles were getting complicated. Here’s the back up story with the rail pass; it’s called a ScanRail pass and it allows me to travel anywhere within Denmark, Sweden Norway and Finland for 10 days within 2 months, I payed for it a month before I left home, and it was the main hustle of the start of My EuroTrip). After getting the ticket Kat took me a couple of shops away to get a bite to eat (I got a meal which included a drink bottle. Yes I know ‘wow, how interesting? a drink bottle. But it is a good item to have when travelling cheaply), Kat described the shop we were at as a place to go for a late meal after or before her and her mates went out for a night on the town. After we finished our meals we were on our way to a Viking museum (yes I know, what’s a Viking?? I was the same, before Kat took me to the Viking museum in Roskilde (wow, if that’s not free advertising, well what is?? ha ha. ). On the way, Kat spotted something. ‘A dead body? A shinny object in the corner of her eye? A donkey?? just wait a tic and you’ll know in the next sentence, .) As we were walking over to whatever it was. It appeared more closer with it being of mainly the colour green with red blocks on it. Kat told me that it was a model of what Roskilde looked like way back in 1600. I made the usual Jamesy comment such as; ‘were Vikings around that time?’ and ‘whoa, it’s older than Australia’ (the second one I found myself saying a lot of the time while I was in Denmark, a pretty stupid thing to keep repeating… but then again I’m not too popular for my choice of words. Then we went over the road to the Viking museum, as Kat showed me around, she was so helpful as to help me get a better understanding of one of Denmark’s’ heritage know-hows, a Viking. Showing me the ships, then heading away from them I asked something that was floating around my head for a while, since seeing them. ‘Oi Kat, want to do the Titanic thing on one of the Viking ships?’ (or at least that was the general idea behind the thought and question, I proberly asked something like ‘Oi Kat, can we get a photo of both of us on the Viking ship?’) She replied ‘yeah, sure’, to my surprisement, there was a certain ‘up-lift’ in her tone. We found someone who worked there to take the photo, they took it. Then we left he Viking museum. We walked around the outside part of the museum where you see workers building Viking ships, as well as seeing them just tied up to the pier. Walked around the rest of the harbour and pier, had an ice-cream each while looking over the cloudy bay. Then went back to Ejby. The next day left, said my goodbyes to Kat’s family and headed for Roskilde station with Kat (who was going to Copenhagen (about a 30 minute train ride) while I was heading the other way (for a city that was a 3-4 hour train ride). We managed to take a last photo before I hopped onto my train, and exchanged some friendly words to leave each others company on a good and nice note.

After my stay in Roskilde, next on the list was Horsens with the equal number 1 reason on why my EuroTrip was a happening, Nadia. But during the last days of my stay with Kat in Ejby, Nadia told me that her family didn’t trust me (reasons being more or less convict related, even though I haven’t had a conviction held against me), so I was in a bit of a bloody panic during the train ride to Horsens. My intentional stay for Horsens was to be there for Nadia’s party and also so Nadia could show me her town, but it all came crashing down to a halt when I arrived in Horsens, I had no idea what to do. First thing I did when I got off the train was to try and find the main waiting part, hoping that there would be lockers to store my backpack and sleeping bag along with my little bag of Aussie goodies. I didn’t take much of a look for any sign of if the station had lockers, once I had reached the waiting part. Mainly due to the weight on my back was tough to manage with my body having to twist and turn around to take a look for the lockers. I went outside the main doors, got out a ‘tourist book’ about Horsens that I got from the tourist information place in Roskilde near the Viking museum, which luckily for me had a few maps at the back of it. It was already about 4:30pm not long till the shops in the town would close, I had to hurry, but I can’t hurry a whole lot cause of the amount of extra weight that I’m carrying. But I had to hurry somehow, but how?? (the suspense part, ). I would have to walk as quick as I could and take rests on benches so it would be easier to get back up, which I did after taking a look for the main street in the ‘Horsens tourist book’ along with the tourist information place and library. All found, first off was the tourist information place to ask where I could put my things, like where were some lockers? Turns out that there were lockers at the train station, seems as though I’d have to go back and have a thorough look around. I also got a pocket sized map to the city, which in the end helped me out a whole lot. Next, instead of going to the station for my bags to be stored, I went to the library for the net to find out if any emails from Nadia or someone (I didn’t even know) I had only asked days before through a ‘you-stay-at-my place, I-stay at yours’ website. Damn, no luck. So what happened next?? The natural thing of course, the thoughts of ‘what on earth am I going to do now?’. Then suddenly once I had finished up on the net, I got a text message from…. Nadia. The first one that she had sent me, after me trying for several weeks for her to contact me via our mobile phones. She had just said something like enjoying Horsens so far? and how are you going? As we were texting each other, I went for a walk about tour. First stop, to put my bags in a locker. Kept my little backpack out with supplies for the night, in case I would have to sleep somewhere not-to-cosy. Next stop, the only Hostel in town which was a hike away from the town centre, luckily I didn’t have my big backpack on to walk the distance. By the time I got to the hostel, the reception was shut up until the next morning. I had missed it by an hour. Well, I said to myself that this is what my trip is for, new experiences. Thinking of where to sleep and the best time to get there and everything. Walked around, and decided to take a walk around the edge of the town’s main shops and the like, then head to Nadia’s old school and then head to the train station for the night (I had decided that the train station was the best place. Only real place of interest I knew around (the area I mean) along with my bags were in the station’s lockers. Along the way, between the hostel and her old school, I told Nadia about missing out on the hostel for the night, then the panic, confusion and excitement started. Nadia said that her mum (not her words) said to offer me to sleep at their place in their caravan. I kept trying to get to the big and main facts that I needed to know before I gave a definite yes or no, my games (simply put; the way I ask questions or say things just to get to 1 point seem to be like a game to others) was pissing Nadia off. It ended with me just seeing Nadia’s old school as it looks at night with me resting on a curb with a sore foot, finally (for her, I suppose) with me just giving a definite answer ‘yes, ok I’ll stay with you tonight’. Truth be told that I was really reluctant only because my ego got in the way with my idea of not wanting to meet Nadia like we did. A few blocks away and about 10 minutes later, I was at an intersection (if you ever go to Horsens, Denmark and want to know where Nadia and me met, it was an intersection near the McDonalds. Ha ha). Waiting for the lights to say that I could walk, a bloke said out of his car ”James?” I said ” yes” I was approaching the car, the passenger door opened a blonde haired figure stepped out… it was Nadia. Ha, I’m still bloody sorry for what I did next without meaning to, as we went to hug each other I knocked her mobile out of her hand to make it fall and hit the ground, I said I was sorry. We then got in her dad’s car, and drove to her place (which turns out was on the other side of where I was at her old school). When we arrived we went into her house met the family (that was there). They offered me something to eat, of course I accepted with one of my EuroTrip mottos ‘I’ll Eat Anything’, I ate two or three things, I think they were expecting me to only have one thing to eat cause they said ‘there’s more if you want it’ I felt a bit guilty, so I declined the offer. I told them about my eyes playing up because of the Roskilde Festival and they offered something, cause Nadia’s mum is a nurse. The next day they got some eye cream for me from the chemist, I’ve still got it (I still was using it 2 or 3 months after getting it. There was hardly any left). The family were nice, offered me some eats and drinks along with sleeping in their caravan for the night. The next day was hectic, and I really didn’t want to take a mate through what happened with me. But for poor Nadia, she was in the cross-fire. Being my interpreter she helped me to book a room at the only hostel in Horsens. Nadia was talking to the lady at the hostel who was at reception in their native tongue, I had no bloody idea what the hell was being said (I can speak some Danish, but I can’t understand it when others are speaking it). Nadia then asked how much I had and that I had to pay now. Time to pay up, I was a few hundred Kroner (the Danish currency) short. Time to use my bank card, The lady behind the counter tried it once (and from Nadia’s interpretation) the lady didn’t want to try again for some reason. Nadia fired a few words at the lady. My bags were able to be kept at reception until we got back. Then it was off to find a bank to try and sort out whatever the problem was. Nadia knew the area, why wouldn’t she?? It is her home town. . On the way to the nearest bank, which was just down the road about a K or so, Nadia and I were speaking. Nadia, reminded me of what has stopped her from playing her fravioute sport, European Football (aka soccer). Which made me think and start to feel sorry for making her walk. As the day progressed so did the anxiety of trying to find out what had happened with me and my bank card. By the end of the day frustration was starting to show with me, but Nadia just kept her calm looking self. What ended up happening was that, Nadia had to go into her bank, we decided that I’d better ring my bank and see if they could fix the problem. So, while Nadia was in her bank, I was ringing my bank (back in Australia). We were hesitant on ringing them cause of the cost to ring them. I explained what was happening to the lady on the other end of the call, she asked if I could hold on while she checked it out. In my anxiety kind of state which made me not to think for a second before hand I said ‘yes I can’. In the middle of saying that to her the thought of ‘how much money do I have left for the call? came to mind’, oh well too late now, just had to wait. So I did. A few seconds went by, then Nadia came out of her bank. Still waiting I explained what was the happening now. A few more seconds went by after that and then I just had to say it. I looked over to Nadia and said in a joking but serious manor ‘then the call cuts out’. Can you guess what happens next?? If you can’t it’s pretty bloody obvious. Give up?? Ok, good then. a few more tiering seconds went by, then it happened. The call got cut off with a answering-machine type voice of a lady speaking in words I couldn’t understand (the sim-card I was using was a Danish one, so everything to do with it is mostly in Danish). In a frantic panic, thinking that the answering-machine voice would stop I gave the mobile to Nadia and said while doing so that I don’t know what she’s saying. Nadia interpretated the message for me, saying that I had ran out of money. I said some things to Nadia afterwards about the lady on the other end) the lady working for my bank) and Nadia finished the topic up well with ‘I wonder what she thought, here’s someone in trouble and they hanged up. What must she be thinking?’ With no money to spend for another attempt at ringing my bank again, we tried one last time of withdrawing money from a Danish Bank Teller . Taa-Daa, Woo-Hay. Money came out. Being relieved about the situation being over (for the time being) I did a little dance, and there were smiles all around. With no idea why on earth the problem occurred, the question of ‘what happened to make me not be able to get any money from my bank account on that day?’ still lingers. I’ve tried to find out by asking my parents to ask the bank on my behalf, but no luck (my dad didn’t even move to find out. I think by-memory. Turns out that the cause was that I could only withdraw a certain amount and the time difference). After the big dilemma was over, somehow, we went back to Nadia’s house to set up for the party that was to be held on the following night. I did want to help, but wasn’t asked to. When we got to her house, Nadia, one of her older brothers and myself watched the movie ‘True Lies’. Nadia chose it out of 2 choices (can’t remember the other movie) cause her brother told her that Brad Pitt was in it. He remembered shortly after that there wasn’t too much of Brad Pitt after all and he plays a drug addict. But Nadia stuck with her choice, but halfway through the movie, she was dragged away to help her parents to set up for the party. Yes, yes. I know, I know. I should’ve got off my arse and helped out. But I’m a type of monkey-see, monkey-do type of person, meaning that Nadia’s brother didn’t get up so I didn’t either. Plus, I would’ve hated the language barrier that was present between me and the parents. Towards the end of the movie, with about like 20-15 or so odd minutes to go (see how I did that?? I didn’t give the ending away or what happens) Nadia came back up to watch the rest of the movie, and of course asked what every girl does with an action movie asks ‘what did I miss?’. We, mainly Nadia’s Brother, replied ‘umm, Brad Pitt. He and her got married, then left and now they’re here’. The movie ended and it was about 6:15pm, time to go and book at the hostel…. the only one in Horsens. Nadia said ‘come along’ and her dad drove us threw the town to the hostel which was on the other side of town and not near anything really, apart from the soccer (I call it European Football) stadium. Which was being shut down while it was being worked on to become larger. Horsens was to be the place where I stayed in a hostel for the very first time ever. We got out of the car and Nadia and myself went inside and around the corner to the reception desk. No one could be seen. it hadn’t shut already, had it? Nadia rang the bell provided, then she turned into a vampire…. umm no, but it was starting to feel like the sounding of a horror tale. Anyway, the lady finally appeared after about 5 minutes of waiting. Then Nadia started speaking in English saying something like ‘We’re back’. Then eventually they 2 females went to talking in their native tongue. Then all of a sudden, the Hostel lady looked at me and spoke in English. My notice of her was delayed so Nadia had to say ‘James’ with a poke at me to get my attention. Then me and the Hostel lady exchanged words about the Hostel room arrangements. I clearly stated that I wanted to stay for 2 nights, even though Nadia and her family would’ve preferred if I stayed in the hostel for the 3 nights that I would be staying in Horsens for. Where would I stay for the 3rd night? That was the question that was now in my head, but I had to quick think of an answer so I would get the full understanding of what The Hostel Lady was telling me, and in turn not having to ask Nadia later on. I came up with a solution pretty fast (but you’ll have to wait till it is revealed, ha ha), just in enough time to get The Hostel Lady to ask me if I wanted ‘the buffet breakfast. I managed to ‘come back to life’ in time to mention that I only wanted the breakfast for one of the two mornings that I would be staying there. Time to pay up, and this time knowing that there wasn’t any need for panic. I got out the notes of Danish Kroner and handed them over in exchange for the key to room 21 (well I think that’s the right number). We left the desk with my 3 bags. There were two levels with the Hostel, and room 21 was on the lower level. Oh Great. With my bags not having much weight leaving them since landing from Melbourne. It was a bit tough to get down the stairs, not only were they split in half (so the half is going the other way to the other half. ) but it was awfully dark through-out the lower level even in the hallway right through to the room. Put the key in, opened the door. Had to keep it open while we entered into the room. Dropped the bags down. Had a look around the room. Nadia commented on the view, ‘oh wow, nice view’ as she looked out the window. In my opinion, it wasn’t the best view, but any view’s a good view. With not much to be done, it was time for Nadia to leave me all alone. Ohhh. Before she left, we shared a photo. At the last minute, I took my glasses off cause my eyes were bloody in pain almost making tears appear and Nadia said let’s take it looking up to the camera. I was just bloody happy to be with the person that had encouraged me to finalise everything to travel all the way to Europe and start exploring. Snap and the most inspirational photo for me through out my EuroTrip was taken. I got my Key and walked Nadia back to her waiting Dad. Before they left I finalised things with Nadia about the party being on the following night and just couldn’t help myself but to keep thanking both Nadia and her dad, Richard. As I was heading back into the hostel, and Nadia and Richard were leaving, I kept turning back to wave goodbye, and the truth be told, I wasn’t sure if I’d see them again for some odd reason. When I got back into my hostel room, I realised that there wasn’t anything to do. Bloody bored, I just kept thinking of plans. Should I get Nadia and her classmates a present for the party? How much money can I afford to spend? But the big question that kept on my mind was that of, why didn’t my bank card work? Have they (the bank) blocked my account? If they have, what for? What did I do wrong? I would not be getting an answer anytime soon. With nothing to do, I went for a walk (something that was becoming a re-occurring thing to do for me. With 7-9 straight hour walks in Copenhagen). I took a walk to the group of shops Nadia first took me to try and see if my card would work. I kept telling myself, that I wanted some food as snacks and diner, so I could just rest in my hostel room. I also, unknowingly was looking at prices of nice goodies (like boxes of chocolates and cakes) for a present to take to the graduation party. I ended up getting a can of spaghetti, a small cheap cake roll, a soft drink, a block of chocolate and a pack of cooking pasta. I mainly got the cheapest things that I could find with the 3 supermarkets that were around the area and not to mention a rough idea of how much a present would cost. Walking back, the flies and mozzies were a bit annoying but nothing this traveller couldn’t handle. Got back in the room, and like always when I get food, I ate something as soon as I could. I don’t think it was a matter of hunger, just my Ego getting the best of me, as usual. I sat at the table that was in my 3 bed hostel room and ate the cake and soft drink. I managed to control myself to remind me to save some for later on. So, I was in the same position as I was before-hand… had nothing to do and didn’t know the happenings that took place in the city. As time went by, thoughts of putting my best clothes on and heading into the city kept swivelling around my head. Then the message conversations began with Nadia, about the plans we both had (individually) for the rest of the time until tomorrow night when the party started. I told her I was thinking of heading into the town centre later on, and she recommended a couple of places. Night was drawing close, I was in the town centre with my good clothes and the like on just walking around. It was about 9pm and not much as in crowds were in sight of the pubs and bars of Horsens. I knew it was a small city, but I thought there would’ve been bigger crowds. Disappointed, and the first bit of homesickness (because, back home in Melbourne, I knew that the bars, pubs and clubs would’ve been filled with good crowds), I went back to the Hostel. Still nothing to do, not tired enough to fall asleep yet, pitch black outside and they’re only being two televisions in the entire hostel… I decided to go to the televisions to see what the other guests (who were from other parts of Denmark as well as Sweden and Germany) were watching. Movies. English speaking movies. Yes, alright. It was a choice between a romantic movie or one of the lord of the ring movies. Not really a fan of the Lord Of The Rings franchise and just wanting to be entertained and kept amused, I went to the tele on the lower lever and watched The Lord Of the Rings movie that was on. I kept looking over to the other guests like a perverting stalker (whatever that is, ) only cause… well being an Australian and living on a big island all my life with hardly no exposure to any other cultures or countries, well I wanted to see a sense of how Europeans re-act to movies like the one we were watching. I was so bloody bored and frustrated, because of the bank card issue that happened earlier in the day and (being the caring bloke that I was back then) had concern on my mind for Nadia and how she must be feeling with her knee playing up earlier in the day. I didn’t send a message to end my worries, just went to my room for a bit. Ha, of course I had a bit of cake then decided to go upstairs to watch the other tele. The romantic movie was over and no other guests were in the large living room type of a room. I put the tele on and started watching Top Gun, until I started to feel quite tired. In my room, before I went to sleep, made sure that the doors and window was locked. Ha, then for some reason I opened the window. Charged my mobile with the alarm set for 6am and ipod while I slept. ‘Doo-Doo-Dee-Di, Doo-Dee-Di-Di’, my alarm went off with it’s not-so-good tune, but was the best sounding tune on the mobile. I woke up. Had a wash. Then realised that the window curtain was swaying about. ‘Oh Bugger’ I had left the window open all night. First thing I did was close the window in case someone was to climb in and do or say something (it wasn’t that big of a window that someone could’ve climbed in, but I was in a bit of a panic. Evan a ‘hello’ was enough for me at that time). Checking to see that everything was there, I only did a quick scan, cause well quite simply put…. if you haven’t met me, I think with my stomach. I was eager to see what the buffet breaky was gonna be like. I got to the doors with about a minute till it was on, there were already a couple of groups of people there with another coming along. Nothing was exchanged, as in conversations. Cause well, I was pretty sure that they were either holidaying Danes, Germans or Swedes and didn’t know much English. The doors opened, and in my view the breaky didn’t look too much like a buffet. Not to say that there wasn’t a variety on offer, it’s just to say that it wasn’t that big of a variety on offer. Toast, Cereal, Fruit, Milk… etc. I ate my buffet breaky by one of the corner windows. I’m a person who’s gotta try everything they see (isn’t that right my lady mates?? ha ha). Hmm, a pink coloured milk. Surely not, surely? Ohh, the Pink milk is Pink but it looks as though its off. Better not pure a load in. Oh well here it goes, didn’t taste too much like off milk, more muncher and less smelling. The so self-called Pink Milk (in other words, what I called Pink milk) turned out to be yogurt. Oh well, it’s what my EuroTrip is all about. Experiencing new things in new places with different cultures. I went there from the time it opened and stayed until, well quite basically they told me to leave. Ha ha. Being a bit full, but with absolutely nothing to do, it was back to my quick thinking method that had become a custom to me starting my EuroTrip. Hmm, what are the plans today? There’s only one. Nadia’s graduation party. Ok, What needs to be done? get what I’m wearing ready and laid out, get a present, go to the party. Whoa, it seems as though there would be quite a load of time to fill in, but best to do the easy things first. I got everything I needed, my wallet with Krone, mobile and the room key. But before I left, can you guess what I did?? You didn’t think it would be possible with a full stomach?? Given up?? . I finished the cake and the soft drink that I had and then I left after putting the rubbish in the bin. Locked the door, went out of the hostel and down to the shops. I decided to take a different way to that of Nadia taking me there before. Hmm, fair to say I got a bit lost. On track, trying to find the supermarket I had in mind. Ahh, there it was. Rema 1000. Looking around the supermarket for the gift I wanted to get, that I could’ve sworn I saw it yesterday, I didn’t see it in the same place today. Bugger. Being a bloke, I didn’t ask any of the staff where it was and persisted on looking. I entered the store 3 minutes till closing time and left with my intended gift for Nadia and her classmates about a minute after they were meant to close. I knew the way back now, and sure enough didn’t get lost this time. Placed the gift on the table in the room, now that there was room cause the cake and soft drink had gone. I laid out my clothes out on one of the beds and while I was at my backpack. Decided that I’ll open the customs bag that had my 1 Litre Smirnoff Vodka inside that I had gotten for a bloody bargain way back in Melbourne. Being that all my plans plus an extra one, apart from the big party, I thought of something else that I needed to do. Hmm, well there was still enough time for me to do something, but what? I’d be seeing Nadia later on, not much else left to do with regards to the Hostel. Well, I don’t need to carry my big backpack this time, so I’ll take another look at the town centre of Horsens and also enquire about the travel to Arhus (the 2nd or 3rd biggest city in Denmark and the next town on my schedule) at the station. Once again got everything and made sure things were locked. An hour later or possibly shorter, I was in the town centre. Had a look around then went to the station. I enquired about weather it would be cheaper to travel to Arhus either by train or by bus? Answer being that of the train. It was gonna be shorter, by about a third, and cheaper by a few Kroner. Got the train tickets for Monday. On my way out, ‘Oh James’. I looked around, it was Jonas, Nadia’s brother. We spoke, not gonna be specific what about. Ha, maybe bloke talk then again?? ha ha. But he was there to pick a few of his sister’s friends up and I told him that I was there for the train ticket. He mentioned about catching 2 buses to get to the party, I asked him to write down the info, he did. We said our byes and said that we’ll see each other at the party. Whoa, hell’s bell’s, time was really getting the better of me. The sun was looking as though it was getting ready to settle down and I was only on my way back to the hostel in order to get ready for the graduation party that was on the other side of the town. The one ironic thought kept popping up as I went to the hostel, ‘Luckily I got my clothes out’. Ha, well at least I didn’t have to worry about something. I got to the room, had another wash and then got dressed.

Heading out the hostel with all the usual things, plus a plastic bag with my gift inside (I’m not the type who wraps gifts or presents up) and the customs bag with the bottle of Vodka in it. With my pockets full with the normal things and me in my selection of the best clothes that I had brought over with me, . I was ready for what was to be the happening for the night. Then something happened that I was not aware of until afterwards, something to stop me with time from showing up at the party. I had missed the bus, there weren’t any more busses. My choices, to ring or text Nadia and disturb her and ask for someone to pick me up or to walk right across town in my best clothes that hadn’t been worn too much. Hmm, what would be the choice??? Well I didn’t think I was of any importance to the party’s’ proceedings, I would end up being wrong on this, and I couldn’t really describe where I was… cause quite frankly, I didn’t know where I bloody was (that and of course, I couldn’t pronounce the street names). So my thoughts led me to walk the distance, I didn’t mind. Then of course with about a quater of the way to go, it started to rain a tad bit. Not heavily enough to soak my clothes but enough to make my hair wet. I arrived at the house, with a surprised person answering, it was Richard, Nadia’s dad. He invited me in and said that everyone was out the back. Along the short walk to the back, I came across Jonas (I think) and told him that I had a present and asked where do I put it? He told to put it on the table with all the other presents. . I felt a bit like a dork, cause if I had’ve looked a bit, I could’ve guessed. Then again, it was a good idea I asked in case ‘the graduates’ didn’t receive the present. The celebration was going to be held in a big tent in the backyard, with Nadia’s family and relatives along with the other graduates and their parents. Jonas said to come and sit next to him., with him leading. As we entered the tent, it seemed as though everyone had stopped and turned to see ‘the new entrant’. I didn’t know where I was being seated, but with no offence to be implied at Nadia and her family, but I don’t think a seating arrangement for me was arranged. Ha, funny enough though, where I was seated was between both of Nadia’s 2 older brothers, Jonas and I can’t remember the other brother’s name. I don’t, and still don’t, know how much was told about me to the other guests before my arrival, but it seemed as though everyone knew that I was ‘The Australian’. For that reason, I thought it best not to introduce myself to everyone around the table and either wait for them to come to me or when I was getting food or passed a message for me on to someone who wasn’t so embarrassed to speak in English. To put it quite frank, the speeches were spoken in the native tongue, cause it was about 75-1 in relation to those who spoke Danish to those who couldn’t. I had no other choice but to ask afterwards, when everyone was moving, what was just said? Bad luck if it was to evacuate cause of a fire and to escape through a certain way. ha ha. The general set up for the graduation party was to go up and get food and drinks yourself. When I decided to pull out the Vodka, Jonas said, ‘Oh did you bring that for my sister?’. I didn’t feel too guilty for trying to change the subject cause I had already goten her a gift for her to share with her classmates. Nadia’s other brother told me that he works at a restaurant for the rich and famous in Copenhagen. He’s a waiter and he supposedly has waited for Bill Clinton, cause of the party he missed out on watering for the band Metallica, but he was glad that he missed out for a good reason. He was a, no surprise, European Football fan (just like every one else in Europe that I came across). Once the two brother’s along with the others around us knew where my next destination was, Silkeborg (Well, I would be going to Silkeborg after Arhus), a debate/discussion was talked about. According to them, and Nadia as well, Horsens and Silkeborg has a like rivalry when it comes to socc.. (whoops, nearly said it… ), I mean European Football. Oh wow, I couldn’t wait till my next destination now, just so I could bring up something about Horsens, to hear a Silkeborg local’s view on Horsens. Ha. Three or four meals were on offer, my fravioute being deserts, of course. For drinks, well even though I had now opened up the Vodka (finally) and having been on a drinking rampage while my stay with Katarina (whoa, that was bloody awesome apart from the fact that my responsibility was for someone else) I was still not that big of a drinker. Still after two or three drinks of alcohol I felt the feeling of my drunkenness state coming to show, so I just stuck with the soft drink for most of my drinks. In the middle of getting ‘the main course ‘help yourself’ meal’, one of Nadia’s uncles decided he wanted to have a yarn with ‘the aussie. “So, you are the Australian?? You have to try the —— (note: I can’t bloody remember the word, due to it being a Danish one. ), umm I don’t know the English word for it. It comes from the high leg of an animal, the one with horns”. “Umm, deer?”. “No”. Then Nadia came to her uncles’ help, but also didn’t know the English word. Never to fear, Nadia with her Danish- English dictionary is now on the scene. “Ohh, I can’t say the word”. With two Danes trying to tell me what animal the ‘food I had to try’ was, let it be said that not much progress was made. Then the one who knew came all-most out-of-nowhere (but he came out from the kitchen), Richard. Surely the person who ordered the food would know what animal the uncle means?? Oh no, the language barrier. Then suddenly, it seemed as though all three said what animal it was at the same time, ‘deer’ (it was either deer or raine-deer. To an aussie, they’re the same bloody thing). Richard then explained to me that it was the hind leg of a deer (or yeah, raine-deer). All three of them, and many others as the night went on, told me that I just had to try it. With the piece of the hind leg of a deer amongst other food on my plate I went back to the long table, sat down and did my thing. The deer hind leg was nice, but Kangaroo’s better (ha, I said that when someone later asked me what I thought about the deer). Like it was mentioned before, the deserts were next. They were mentioned in one of the many speeches that were obviously in Danish, that of course being a ‘late minute guest’ I didn’t mind. Well as soon as it was starting to be interpreted for me by one of Nadia’s brothers, I was getting my arse to get my first of two helpings to the deserts, ha ha.. You guessed it, like usual I made a pig of myself but tried to keep some sense of politeness with my presence. By dabbing my mouth at times. No more food was to be served, apart from nick-knacks such as chips and nuts, but booze was a plentiful. The celebration with the relatives was coming to a climax. The party went on. As Nadia put it to me “the old go home, the young stay out” (not exactly the words used, but the meaning was about the same). Jonas, told me to join in the drinking game that a few of the guys were playing. A card game, where each suit had to be matched up from Ace to King. It went something like, all the 7′s (7 of Spades, 7 of Hearts, etc..) were laid out and from there you had to lay a 6 or 8, so a card higher or lower than that already put down. Can’t really remember exactly how the rules went, but you had to drink the number of cards that had already been laid out for the suit that you put the card down for. For instance, the cards of the Clubs pile that have been played so far are cards 3-9 and you put a 10 down, well that would mean you would have to drink 7 drinks. There was another rule that went something like, when another player puled a certain card or could lay down many cards they could choose someone else to drink the drink/s that they had to drink. Ha, when it came down to the Kings, well needless to say that all of us playing dreaded putting our last cards down, cause it meant we had to drink more. Can’t remember who won, but then again how can someone win from that game with a description like mine?? Ha ha. After a while, everyone, aka the young people, were planning to go out to a club (fun fact. . It was going to be the same club that Nadia and her boyfriend had first met about a year ago). The arrangements to go out was organised. Nadia’s brothers would stay home. Jonas would be with some mates (his band mates. According to his sister, Jonas’ band (at that time) weren’t near the best) drinking and (hmm, I can’t believe it but…) watching The Tour De France (the big French bike race), as for Nadia’s older brother who worked in Copenhagen and missed out on meeting and greeting Metalica, he would be just resting the night away. So before we all left for the night on the town (or what I would’ve called, to make it sound more interesting, Nadia’s night on the town (hmm, for some reason that sounds not the way it should), I said my farewells and ‘nice to meet ya’ messages to the two brothers. I liked Jonas more better, we had more in common and he was kinda like a type of a role model to me (I did say ‘kinda’. ha ha). Ok as us blokes waited out the front, the girls got changed. Ha, and girls in Denmark aren’t that different to the shelias in Australia, they all take as long as possible to get ready. Hmm, and being blokes, the girls changed in the bathroom, with the bathroom window being closest to us in the driveway… we had a good eye-out (not that any of us were looking (ha, believe that?? lol), proberly the reason being that the window wasn’t a clear one and was one of those fuzzy types where looking through makes the picture a blur. After about only 10 minutes, the girls came out looking ravishingly good looking (but then again, I was about a month and a half into my trip and about 2 months from any ‘girl interaction’. As well as the fact that on my rating of the shelias of Scandinavia (Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway (Iceland not included, ha ha)) The Danes were 2nd close behind the Norwegians (hey, what can I say?? I’m a bloke, it wouldn’t have been normal for me not to have done a rating)). In the cars (there were 2 car loads), got to the club. A thought came to mind, aghh I was starting to hate when they were ruining my good plans. ‘Hey, I’ve got a room at the hostel and I’ve got to be out by 9 in the morning. I’m planning to stay at the…. (ohh you’ll just have to wait and see). I’ll need the sleep that I can get, won’t I???’. Lining up for the club with my fravioute jacket in one hand and the vodka bottle in the other, again a thought came to mind ‘I’ll just stay for two or three hours then go’. Nadia managed to break away from her conversation with her mates to say to me that I wouldn’t be able to take the bottle in and that I had to put my jacket in a cloak room and pay for it to be there (a quick thought of wrapping my jacket around the bottle and putting it at the back of a laneway hidden (as best as I could in my half-full drunken state) came to mind). But then the thought of packing my things up for tomorrow overwhelmed the thoughts. I said something like, sorry but I’ll have to skip the night (which really hurt inside). Nadia said that it was alright, would’ve been great if she added ‘I understand’ or ‘we can meet up another time’ (I think she mentioned that 2nd one). I deliberately said my goodbyes to the group one-by-one as best as I could (I didn’t get some replies or even notice, meaning to tell me that they were glad to see me get lost. Ha, hmm) and ended it by thanking Nadia’s boyfriend for some advice he passed on when we were on the way to the club and of course my goodbye to him as well. Lastly, of course Nadia. The one person, that was in Europe, that had given me enough aspiration to continue on in following my dream of going over there and promising that she’d show me her town. Being ‘Jamesy’, I kissed her at the end. Only like a kiss on the cheek. The only thing I really regret not telling her when we were face-to-face was that my stay with her, even though it was short, was the most awesome and most anticipated time of my EuroTrip (and would be just behind the top moments of My EuroTrip). I’ll tell her one day. Nadia’s last bit of advice to me was ‘be careful on your way back and have a pleasant trip’, I replied with a dickhead comment like I’ve got these, while holding my fists in the air. Got into the hostel, with no instances of a brawl brewing involving me.

Yay, no one watching tele (it was like 2 in the morning) what movies’ are on?? Top Gun. Watched that for a bit, until I got quite tired, then it’s a no-brainer, I went to bed. Before I went to sleep, I managed to just organise the bags in the right places to pack my things into them on the floor, then I went to dreamtime-land. . Don’t know how much sleep I got, but I knew I had to be packed and have handed the key to room 21 in by 9. I managed to take full advantage of the resources that I had at my disposal, for the next 24-48 hours I would not have access to things like somewhere to have a full on proper wash or a comfy and enjoyable sleep. That was the plan and I was needing to stick to it. In turn of using the ‘luxuries’ I handed the key into the reception about 5 minutes late, ha, no penalty or anything bad was shown. With my big backpack on and no real plans. I stumbled into the town centre. Ha of course, being a Sunday everything would have to be closed. Thought about asking Nadia if I could’ve spent the day with her, but thought of her celebrations at the club the night before. Bugger, hmm absolutely nothing to do. I basically did nothing to pass time by, all I did (or rather could do) was to watch the people go in and out of the train station with the fact of reminding myself that my train for Arhus would leave in the morning. That and also trying to ask the next person that I was to visit in Arhus, Denmark (about a 30 minute train ride north from Horsens) if we could meet up earlier. Being bored out of my brain with knowing that I was stuck with no things to try-out, I suggested what anyone would’ve, if we could’ve met up now with me getting on the next train. The answer was a straight forward NO. In the end we agreed on meeting in the morning, instead of later on in the day. Still sitting watching people come and go, I didn’t see Jonas this time or anyone who was at the party. Just sat there as though I was catching a train that only came once in the day, what else can you do?? What would you bloody do in the same blooming situation? Huh? Then some random guy came out of the crowd of people coming in and out of the railway station, he shouted something in Danish as he approached. I didn’t answer, obviously cause I couldn’t speak fluent Danish, he still came until he was seated in the chair next to me. He again said something in Danish. I said what I was saying to every bloody person who did that to me, “I’m James, I’m Australian” or “I’m English” (when I meant to say “In English”, ha ha). Guess what this bloke said next to me?? “Where are you from?” It was like bloody hell mate I just said where. I told him where I was from and what I was doing over here. Then I told him where I was heading, and he mentioned that he was from Arhus. I tried my best to be my polite and nice self by asking what it was like? He just interrupted by shouting something to the next group of people to move about the station. Now the station that I keep mentioning that I’m in wasn’t like being on the platform (‘Spor’ in Danish), I was like in a small building where the lockers, toilets, ticket shop and food/drink shop was. The small building was also the gateway from the streets of Horsens to the train platforms and coach/bus station. There weren’t that many seats, they were made of wood by the way, and that’s where I was now. On one of the wooden seats. Well needless to say, that the bloke from Arhus who was talking to me turned out to be a prick. Ha ha. He was drinking and shouting out to the people passing. He kept buying drinks from the shop and I guess that was when he’s downfall, or rather away, from me happened. When I asked him how old he was he replied with a question of his own ‘How old do you think I am?’ ‘I don’t know?? 22 maybe?’ With, drunken, laughter he told me he was 17. He had goten on my nerves a long time ago, he was on his way to a party or something in Horsens, I kept saying to him ‘shouldn’t you be going to that party’. It was a bloody hassle to get him away and lost. In the end it was the shop keeper/ticket sales woman who got rid of him by calling the police on him. With the cops taking him out of the station, it was back to my doing of absolutely nothing. Boy what a bore. It’s funny how so much annoying things you want in the boring of times. I was wanting the company back, it was better than nothing at all. Well, if you hadn’t guessed it by now, well you could have if you were bored. The place I would be sleeping for my final night in Horsens would be the train station. It was a real bugger when I noticed that the station building would be closing and not be open all night. After all there would be trains stopping all night long. Oh well time to get moving to the Spor that the trains that went towards Arhus left from. Put the small backpack over my shoulders so it covered my chest, struggled with the Big backpack swaying as my shoulders grew muscle as the supporting shoulder took all of the weight. Managed to get low enough without falling to pick my ‘Australian Plastic Bag’ (the bag that I received when I got the Tim-Tams and Vegimite when I left Melbourne Airport) as well as my sleeping bag. Made my way to the platform, and settled down where some seats were. Bored as and hungry as, along with not being tired enough to sleep with a train stopping every hour or two. I ate, and I only had 2 things to choose from. Tim-Tams and Vegimite were the choices. Bloody dam it, forgot to offer Nadia a try at some Aussie Tucker. Oh well, maybe if there’s a next time. Well needless to say, I’m a pig (if you, oink oink, didn’t all ready know. ), so as the night went by so did the Tim Tams. I eventually managed to stop myself by reminding myself on why I got the ‘aussie tucker’ at the airport? and the fact that there were 2 more people stays to offer. I was ashamed at making a pig of myself on food that I could’ve had back home at any time, but didn’t really take advantage due to not liking the biscuits, but there were enough left over to share with the remaining 2 people. So there I was, laying on a metal seat bench at Horsens railway station trying to get to sleep with a train stopping every 1 or 2 hours. Me, myself, I was waiting till the next morning for a train to Arhus, Denmark’s second or third largest city.

Well, I won’t say the next morning cause I couldn’t get much sleep with the train noise through out the night, so I’ll just put it like.. When the sun was apparent, the texts between the person I was meeting up with in Arhus, started. We agreed that we’ll meet up around 11 at the station, the expected train didn’t come, so I caught one that just ‘appeared’ at the station with ‘Arhus’ on the front of it. The train I was on, wasn’t showing up on the screens that tell you what trains are coming and leaving. So, here I was stuck on a train that I couldn’t really explain to the person (we’ll call them Arhus Slick for now) I was gonna meet up in Arhus what time I will get there. Texting each other, we made funny, stupid and flirting comments. As I got each text I started to remember who this person was (it was going to be the 4th different person I was meeting up with that I knew before I left Australia, and I didn’t bring what I already knew about the people. Evan making it that bit tougher, Arhus Slick was the most ‘newest’ person that I had known, who I was gonna meet up with on My EuroTrip). I could only know Arhus Slick from the info given to me through the texts. I was really tired and had no access to any emails that we shared, that might’ve reminded me who I was going to meet up with this time. Ok, the train was reaching many trains ‘parked’ and I could make out that the speaker on the train said Arhus. Bloody getting exited, but I had to send Arhus Slick the Spor that the train was stopping alongside. Still bloody excited, I decided that I wanted to make the meeting thing a bit of a big deal. I decided to try and get off the train last. The train came to a stop, now my nerves kicked in with the excitement still buzzing inside me. I looked out the window. A few people waiting outside. Being so high up in the country, they were all Danes, so they all looked good. As I got up from the seat to get my bags down, I saw a beauty of a shelia just outside the window where I was sitting. Thought it was Arhus Slick, so I was gonna knock on the window like the bit of the crazy person that I was. Decided not to, in case it wasn’t, plus I had to quickly get off the train cause everyone else had already goten up and were moving towards the doors. Got my big backpack off from the bag rack above me, hoping I wouldn’t bump it into anyone as I was bringing it down. By the time I got my other bags and was ready to hop off, only a few people remained in the aisles. I hopped off the train and went to a near by metal pole. I didn’t really look for Arhus Slick cause once again my eyes were being a bloody nuisance and playing up. Took my glasses off, by the time I put them back on. A voice said from behind “James”, I turned around to see the Little Beaut that I had seen standing out my window with what looked to be her boyfriend. “I’m Eva, and this is my brother Michael” (it’s said a bit differently in Denmark). The first time I heard Michael talk, the instant thought of ‘there’s something about him’. He sounded like he was (seeing how this is all my words and the journal is un-barred (apart from one thing) I’ll use my words) well, quite basically a poof. But I didn’t say anything, like the next instant question that came to mind ‘Oi Michael are you gay? I’m not, I’m just asking’. How insecure does that make me sound? ‘I’m not’? Ha. We put all my bags into one of the big lockers at the station. Then took off for ‘Eva’s and Michael’s Arhus introductory tour’. We went from the station to one of the pedestrian streets (where only shops, people and bikes are allowed. No cars or buses) opposite the station. About 2 minutes went by, then a forgotten fact about Eva was re-discovered. Eva was a smoker (for those of you who didn’t know, I’m against smoking. Mainly cause I’ve had medical conditions as a kid growing up and smoke can have an affect, just like anyone else. Good enough excuse?? ha ha. It’s a true one though.). I didn’t care too much by now, being so far into My EuroTrip. With the majority at the camp at the Roskilde Festival were Puff McGees (my name for smokers). Who cares?? Honestly. The brother and sister combination took me to the Tallest church (cathedral) in Denmark. Then went back around the shops to the train station, collected my bags and took off by bus to Michaels apartment. Once we got in the bags were dropped and we were off again. To the nearest supermarket, ALDI (one of the few shops that are both in Denmark and Australia), to get food for the couple of nights ahead, as well as the days as well. . Off to Aldi we went, got the things needed, got back then just relaxed. I at long last, well it seemed it, had a wash while Eva and Michael prepared and cooked dinner. All finished, all together. We ate a meal that was nice while watching tele and getting to know each other better. Michaels like doing an apprenticeship in Hairdressing and Eva well, I don’t know much yet, but I suppose I’ll get to know once we go to her hometown of Silkeborg. Well as the night went on the fun just kept getting better. With the wanting of playing drinking games, I pulled out the vodka once we had ran out of beer. I’m not going to tell much about the night, but I will say that I won surprisingly 2 board games in a row (I don’t play board games too often, it’s very rare with me). They were drinking games, so like when you get a bad thing done you have to drink, and with a good thing you give a drink away. Michael went to sleep, he had to get up early I think. I have absolutely no idea, I was getting drinks pounded into me, Eva was sure to see that she made one thing happen while I was in her company, to make me have a good time. So it’s fair to say, that I was not pretty but bloody drunk. Ha, it was a show, cause I needed an excuse to drink the vodka. Ha, my reaction to taking a drink, ha (a scrunched up screwy face) made Eva’s words to say something like I’ll drink it for you if you don’t want to or like it. I was Ok, but bloody drunk, and sooner than later (what I had expected), I was in the state of being drunk where you can’t really make sure what’s going on, but you’re still hanging on to have a watch. The last thing I’m willing to say is that, it was only Eva and me. We were having a truth game I think…. Skipping the night’s event’s we woke up with Michael having already left. Eva and myself decided just to keep on sleeping until Michael woke us up when he came back. Once Michael came home and after a bit, we decided to go to the beach. Along the way, we stopped once again at the shops near where ALDI was. Got the nick-knacks along with a bottle of wine (or something). It was a bit of a hike to the beach, but we all survived. Ha, Michael kept complaining, and Eva just sounded in control. as for me quiet and observient as always. Reached a spot on the beach, nice bloody view. The towels were set out to make a large non-sandy area to sit and lay. With Michael holding a towel up to block the view of potential perverts (perhaps, I have no idea), Eva changed into her togs. Whoa, ho wow. My first thoughts of seeing that girl outside my train window weren’t wrong, Eva looked quite the beauty. As the time at the beach went by we did the usual things. Went and had fun with a swim, played Frisbee (which I hadn’t played for a really long time), ate and drank as well as sun baking. Ha, when we reached deep enough water for the first time without being wet. We, ok well, the sibling combination played a game with me. By saying some words in Danish (I think it was just simply 1,2, 3) and then dunking down to get fully body wet. But of course being a threesome, one had to break the game. Michael. Before Eva had said the words for the game, he went and just got wet (I suppose he wasn’t that much of a wuss of the water than I was, ha ha). Even though he had already goten wet, Michael went down on the 3 count along with Eva and myself. Got out of the water, the two Arhus Slicks’ had a smoke, the food was carefully bought out so ants and other insects wouldn’t get to it and the wine was poured into plastic cups. Being on a budget, obviously, the wine was cheap or at least one of the cheapest that could be found and in turn didn’t taste so great. I had only had wine once before and that was on the night that I got into a VIP area of a club without the help of my mates. The scrunched up faces, like the one/s I had made up the night before, were apparent on all three of our faces. I savour moments like this, drinking with mates, so I wasn’t gonna be drinking fast. I only lasted about 2 cups full, but finished them slowly. Michael held on to have three, but had ended his third when I was still having my second. It ended up to courageous Eva to accomplish the task of hatching down the rest of the wine, she had it up until where the taste really got to her. It was a sunny day, the reason for going to the beach , making it a bit hot and in turn had made the wine flavour go ‘off” (aka revolting). We had a bloody great time at the beach but headed home despite when we wanted to, due to a look of the whether turning bad shortly. By the time we arrived at the apartment our instincts proved to be right, it started to rain, but only for a bit. The next few days that we stayed in Arhus in the apartment of Eva’s brother, is a bit blur. What I can remember is that on one of the next few days Eva had a haircut from one of Michaels mates. The haircut turned out to be a joke on Eva, but I didn’t go with the joke of Eva looking like Betty from the TV show ‘Ugly Betty’. Mainly cause Eva, in my view, seemed a tad angry with how the haircut turned out. Not much else happened. On our way to Eva’s unit now. This next bit is gonna make the two Arhus Slicks sound like Alco’s’, but they aren’t. Trust me. Before Eva and I hopped on the train (it looked more like a tram posing as a train) the three of us each had a can of beer (it was either Tuborg (What VB is to Australia, Tuborg is to Denmark) or Carlsberg) had to do a quick skull of what was left because the train had arrived and Eva didn’t want to miss it. The last shared moment with both the brother and sister combination, was a photo taken of Eva and myself. I, even up till this point in time, have not yet seen that pic, would have to say that it mustn’t have looked like a nice pic. Taken a bit far away, me with all my bags on and with the height difference (most of the girls I visited on My EuroTrip came to around my shoulder height. A bit annoying, but I can’t help being tall and the girls can’t help being normal size). On the train now, Eva got to relax and it seemed to be relaxing for me as well. It was like now that we were alone together, it felt more one-on-one and not so much restricted with someone else in the mix. But we both knew that there would be more time like this, so not much was shared. Mainly because Eva felt as though, and I’m going to guess that most of you guys will agree with her, I wasn’t saying much on purpose. Quite basically, next to nothing was said by me. My reason, I felt as though Eva wanted a rest. That plus the fact, as and like always, I didn’t know what to say. Well, good to tell you that something broke the terrible ice and it was a good chat between the two of us until we reached Eva’s unit. So here I was in Silkeborg, Denmark with Eva. The last Dane to visit and in turn my last Danish ‘people stay’. Everything’s a bit bloody sketchy so I’ll do the best to put down the interesting things, that’s how much of a good time Eva showed me (although she’d proberly say that she was only doing what she did in her normal everyday day-to-day life). The next day, Eva and her friend decided to keep me up-to-date with all the Harry Potter movies made so far, as seeing on how they were going to take me to see the latest one that had came out at the cinemas. It was a bloody great and fun time, even though I wasn’t and still aren’t much of a Harry Potter fan. It was a bit weird when Eva and her mate (who was a good looking shelia) got close together. I just told myself, like every other time something like this situation came before me on My EuroTrip, that it was a different culture over here, a totally different one. I don’t think and not really going to question anyone who I visited on my EuroTrip if they weren’t or were gay. Although with that being said, a thought I had prior to leaving for Europe was one to do with weather any of the shelias’ that I was going to meet up with and visit, has had an ‘intimate moment with someone of their own sex’ (Is that really how I talked before I left for Europe? Freaking bloody hell, oh well. Life is life). I just kept saying in my head that it was a totally different culture in Europe (with thinking that this type of behaviour happens all over Europe. I’ve still yet to find out for myself) and also the fact that my senses were liking Eva’s friend. Honestly, she was looking like the type of girl that I generally like, but it must be ruined now, I never got to find out or confront her. The ‘Harry Potter movie day’ was quite one of the more interesting and certainly different experiences of My EuroTrip. The day after we watched the movies, Eva and myself met up with Eva’s mate and the three of us saw the latest one in the cinema. It was a bloody good time in that cinema, sitting next to the two friends who had a bit of an obsession with the Harry Potter phenomena. They were the only people in the whole packed out (small) cinema, that re-acted (just like every shelia re-acts to a romance movie apart from it was a Harry Potter one). The girls absolutely with-out a doubt made everyone else in that cinema appear as though the others in that cinema were only there to see ‘the new Harry Potter Movie’, so they could say that they’ve seen it). Did I mention that Eva’s friend was bloody great to hang with?? ha ha, . As we parted away from Eva’s’ mate, Eva mentioned “that will proberly be the last time that you’ll see her”. Waiting for the bus, at last some criticism to me. Eva said something around the lines of “why are you sooo boring??? Relax” I couldn’t come up with a reply fast enough, cause I was stunned only cause it was the truth and I knew it. I eventually found something to brake Eva talking to me and it was good conversations for the rest of the trip (with Eva not having to do most of the talking, I did my share as well). It was about that moment that I started to re-form and change as a person, from that point on until the end of my stay with Eva I took in every bit of comments and criticism that was talked to and about me that Eva filled me in on later on. Up until a couple of nights later, I liked Eva for the person she was (aka the person within the body). A couple of nights after the Harry Potter day at the cinemas, Eva took me for a night on her town of Silkeborg. A night that soon wouldn’t be forgotten, and for all the wrong reasons. Everything was going fine. Eva talked me through what the plans were for the night on the bus into town, sounds as though it’ll be in control. Eva told me that, because I was with her tonight and that I was her guest, she wouldn’t drink as much. (As my uni teacher put it…) ‘Can you smell that?? Did someone step in some bullshit?’). The place tonight was going to be a club called ‘De Niro’ and was Eva’s fravioute in her hometown. I was introduced to Eva’s mates, by her personally. I remembered her mentioning to me that her mates were gay, but (truth be told) seeing on how I wasn’t gonna go anywhere fast, I didn’t really bloody care. There were about 12 of us sited around a semi-circled table, one of the 12 was a enemy of Eva. So I was told. This is the basis for that, he, the ‘enemy’, had stolen money out of Eva’s handbag while she went to the toilet and had asked him to hold her bag for him. They were the best of friends or something of the liking, or so that’s how the story goes. The night was a blast for me. Having won the bronze in the dancing competition that I had competed in the day before I came to Europe, I was so proud that on the train from Arhus to Eva’s house I told her about it. Well, I certainly got embarrassed by one of Eva’s mates who had been doing the same type of dancing for 2 years. The girls eventually got me up to dance. So here’s how it looked. A tall, didn’t know how to keep up to the fast pace, Aussie who had 3 months dancing experience under his belt and a local girl, who didn’t fancy this aussie (ha ha), who had 2 years dancing experience and knew what she was doing. Along with Eva on the side of the tiny dance-floor taking about 4-7 photo opportunities. It was all for the fun of it. I broke it up by saying I had to go to the toilets, which were up some stairs. When I came back down, I was a bit drunk at this time or else I wouldn’t have goten up to dance. lol. , some shelia grabbed me on the arse as soon as I stepped off the last step as I came back down. No joke, it is a totally different culture over there. She said something in the local lingo but I blurted out ‘I’m English’. Hmm, being by this time in my trip a proud Aussie, I must’ve been more than ‘a bit drunk’. lol. I don’t really remember what she said but it was something around the lines of “you’re with the gays??”.. and being a bloke I just wanted it to end so I just simply tried to say “wanna pash” she didn’t understand. So I said “want to kiss”, she waved her hand in front of my head pointing to a finger. It had a ring on it. I took the quick assumption, and said “congratulations”, then took off to the table. Had some more beer. Oh yeah, I should tell ya, the beer was free. The catch was that you had to pay for your cup upon entrance. Eva told me that we’d get 1 cup and share it. Anyway, I reached the table and looked for Eva. She was the only 1 I could trust, mainly cause (for some reason) we agreed to put my passport in her handbag. Eva was sitting on the other side of the table. I joined her. For some reason she got up, and I was sitting next to one of her mates, with ‘the enemy’ on the other side of her. ‘The enemy’ talked to me, but I tried to give him my cold shoulder for what Eva told me what he did to her, but being the polite person who was still in me… I gave comments back, not bad ones. Ha, ha. The cold shoulder treatment worked though and he quickly left me alone. Now it was me with Eva’s mate. We talked, exchanged numbers and kissed. Hollld Uppp. Didn’t I just tell ya that all the friends were gay?? Well, we were playing a game and the object was to pass something around without eating it by kissing the next person. Eva wasn’t sitting next to me. Damn. lol. So I had to kiss the friend again. Ok ok, I’ll admit, I kept kissing her cause well she was single and was the only one around that I knew who was. Eva came back and sat between me and her friend. It was “cheers” (Skul in Danish) time and I got the drink, as I clinked with the friend, I accidentally made the beer came out to go onto Eva. After that moment, I just fell down in my confidence and it seemed like an alive nightmare from that point. By my re-thinked opinion (other words, I just thought about it more just then), I would say that the beer pour on Eva made her drink more. Cause between that time and when we left she got wasted some how. I do admit, I was quite drunk, but was able to bring myself to get my mind back together quickly. After De Niro, only the two of us went to another club around the corner. Some guy was hitting on Eva, Eva was flirting back. I didn’t really care, I was still really drunk but felt as though I had some type of a responsibility to make sure that the bloke didn’t take Eva away from my site (seeing on how she had a boyfriend). We ended up leaving that club as a three, only cause I had to ask that same bloke to help me ‘shoulder-carry’ Eva out of the club cause she had blacked out. Needless to say that the bloke hanged around with us. I must’ve blurted out, at some time, that I didn’t trust Eva, to her face. Cause that was the impression she had of me for the rest of the night. She kept telling me to “Fuck Off”, but I wasn’t gonna let that guy get away with Eva (she is around 20 years old and he was looking like he was in his high 20′s). The abuse kept flying from Eva along with fist hits and handbag hits. I almost got into a fight protecting Eva from being taken to some apartment by some ‘middle-eastern’ ethnics around our age, luckily though Eva saw the fist being pulled back and stepped in front to stop me from getting whacked (Katarina had told me, that in Denmark guys don’t hit girls. So I’m guessing that was the instinct behind Eva’s action). Well Eva pulled out the killer for me, being the nice guy that I was, “You don’t trust me, I won’t trust you”. I kept saying to her that I’d walk the other way, but I couldn’t afford too. This was largely due to my passport being captive in her handbag. With not knowing what the bloody hell was going on and what to do, the only time on My EuroTrip that I have and would cry is now. In the streets of Silkeborg, with my friend, the only person I knew within the distance of 2 major towns away (aka an hour away by road or rail in Horsens) I was crying my eyes out. Not being able to control it, even when I was bloody trying to talk. lol. Then like hiccups or something started happening. Several people came up to me and enquired about my situation, they offered me their comfort and hospitality. Ha, I threw it away and whilst crying I was even able to make light of the situation by trying to ask, jokingly, the girls who came up to me if they wanted to pash on. But like the usual they all had boyfriends or some excuse to cover them. After the bloke, who had told me that he was one of Eva’s’ boyfriends friends (aka the guy hitting on Eva) with Eva agreeing with him, and Eva had finished something to eat (that wasn’t each other) we (aka they made sure I followed) went to the taxi rink to catch a cab somewhere. So I was told that we were now heading to Eva’s boyfriends place to crash. We got there, and before the cab rocked up, the bloke and Eva just bloody grinded and kissed each other (I mean, where on earth did the bloke think it was heading??? A Bloody root right next to the proberly sleeping boyfriend? The bloke didn’t get out, he said that he was going to his place. Ooohh, I wonder bloody freaking’ why?? Hells bells, bloody oath this bloke was a bloody dickhead and was really getting on my nerves and fast. I was bloody glad to finally get away from him. On the short walk to the boyfriends apartment, in my now slightly drunk but sobering quick mood I did something to Eva and then said one of the worst things to say to a shelia. Before I explain, let me just set this out a bit. When I’m drunk, I’m a nice drunk but of course there is always a catch. For me the catch is being open mouthed and speaking of the mind (something I don’t basically do at all when I’m sober). Ok, now let’s get back on track. I offered to carry Eva in my arms the rest of the way, cause she said she was tired or exhausted or something of the liking. I managed to pick her up, then said straight off the first thought that came to my head (I didn’t think of what I was saying, I just said it) “You’re a heavy one” (not the exact and especially not the best words to be used). Well girls you’ll be happy to know that, that comment meant another handbag whack to my head. She whacked me then ran off to the apartment, leaving me a bit scarred cause it was like the 5th time that had happened already and the big fact that I didn’t know where she had gone. So I was left to do the guess work. I went into the apartment building and the door on the next level was open, so following my first thought of ‘that must be it’ I went with the flow. Went to the end of the hallway to a room that’s door was wide open and had enough space for this long body to rest. So there I was somewhere in a room with a hard wood floor and couldn’t give a rats if I was in the right place or not. That night I was a wuss and grew up a little at the same time, it was one whole big mess of an experience for me and what an experience it was. ha ha. Well needless to say the sleep on the hard wood floor wasn’t comfortable and I couldn’t really wake myself up. Somewhere during the night some bloke came into the room and slept on the couch and now that the sun was up and illuminating the room up with light, I could now see the room’s surroundings. I was in what appeared to be the lounge room. When others came into the room, it was, for me at least, awkwardly strange. I didn’t know how to introduce myself and really wasn’t sure if I was in the right apartment. Eventually the bitc.. witc.. umm, the one I had no choice but to trust, Eva, came into the room and spoke something to me. The ‘jist’ of what she was telling me, revolved around something like “I don’t know what happened last night” and “This is my boyfriends place and this is my boyfriend”. Not much was said to me during the day, which in turn made me feel even more uncomfortable and not doing much myself. The majority of the day was spent watching the TV show ‘Friends’ on DVDs’. We watched about 2 or 3 seasons as I was told. We eventually left cause we couldn’t stay forever. While our stay at her boyfriends and several of his mates’ apartment Eva kept ringing her mum to organise for the two of us (yes the two, sorry Eva’s boyfriend you miss out. ) to go around for dinner. The one thought that kept circling my mind was ‘does she really not know what happened last night??’. So yeah everything else that was happening, watching the Friends DVD’s, the stay at Eva’s mum’s house, just wasn’t really that big of a deal for me at that time. The thought just kept being on my mind. We left Eva’s boyfriend’s apartment to catch the bus to Eva’s mum’s house. We got there and it was a welcoming greeting that I received. Very comforting now, but the thought wouldn’t be forgotten until I confronted Eva about last nights events. Her mum’s place was not a good place to confront her. I met Eva’s younger sister and brother, of course being at her mum’s house I also met Eva’s mum as well. . We ate a meal, cooked by Eva’s mum’s husband. It was tasty (then again all the food I had in Scandinavia was tasty as can be). The main part of the meal was what I came accustomed to being my favoured Danish food, called something like ‘Fredilica’. Their just like meat balls, but with a taste of less meat and more juice, and because they are balls I’m not saying that I now like balls. Brucie+Waves= Dickheads!!!! (sorry had to put it in, for their text to me when I told them about the dish). Anyway, some more tele was watched and Eva got to catch up with things happening with her siblings. She seemed surprised when her sister had said something about her (the sister) life. She was telling me in English (Eva’s idea, to try and get her sister to practice on her English speaking) when Eva quickly said something to her sister and then turned around to me to say “excuse me”, then quickly turned around to her sister and interrogated her about whatever had happened in their native tongue. Being this far in my trip, with only a few more days in Denmark, I really didn’t mind and was just trying to listen in to the words being exchanged, to try and improve my Danish speaking. By the end of my 3 visits to Denmark, my Danish didn’t improve through this technique. It only improved through the way of my mates over there trying their very best to teach me personally. They certainly had fun doing it, especially Anja and Rikke in Copenhagen. lol. After the talk had finished, there wasn’t much time left to stay longer and we had to leave for the last bus back to Eva’s. The goodbyes and ‘nice to meet you guys’ were exchanged, and we took off. By the time we reached the town centre to change busses to go to Eva’s unit, Eva suggested that it’d be faster to catch the train there (Eva lived more closer to the next station and suburb Sklebeak than Silkeborg. Sklebeak was the next station after Silkeborg going towards Arhus). As we waited for the train to come. I wasn’t saying anything on purpose and Eva could defiantly see that. So she confronted me. (Point to note; the next conversation’s words could be made up. ) “what’s wrong”. “Are you sure you don’t know what happened last night?” “Yes, just come out and say whatever’s on your mind” “Last night I was crying because of you” “Ohh, sorry. I didn’t mean to” I was saying to myself, in my head, yeah right. “You also hit me with your handbag as well” I said with a little laugh “Are you alright?” “Well now I am, but I didn’t know what to do last night” “Ohh I am terribly sorry. I should’ve also mentioned to you before we went out that I can get quite bitchy when I get really drunk. I don’t really worry too much cause my friends are used to me being like that but I should’ve known better cause you were with me” I laughed a bit, “I almost got into a fight trying to get some guys to not take you away. You stepped in to break it up in time. So thanks”. “I had no idea what I was doing so I didn’t mean to, but no worries anyway”. It had ended, mostly everything that had to be said was said and by now the train was approaching the station. We got to her unit. Eva fed her cat Buster. The tele was turned on and put onto the TV show ‘Ugly Betty’. I found it a bit tough to confide my laughter to myself. I was doing so cause the laughter was about the joke to do with Eva’s new hair-doo. But I was able to control myself. I had recognised the episode before. I had seen it when I was back in Australia, it got to me that another country could be so late in showing a TV show from the states. Oh well, life’s life. A commercial break came on and an advertisement for another TV show, ‘A Up Hill One Tree’ or something to that sounding. When Eva saw it, she told me that she doesn’t watch much tele but there are two shows she always watches no matter what. Ugly Betty and One Tree Hill. Ugly Betty had finished, so we watched a movie that I hadn’t seen before, or so I thought. Kill Bill Vol. 1. It was just one of the many movie choices available that Eva had on either video or DVD, she has in excess of 300 movies. Towards the end of the movie I’m sure that my comments kept repeating themselves as I was saying to Eva that I had seen the next part before. She eventually shut me up for me by just simply saying that maybe I had seen the movie before. The movie ended and it was time to sleep. Eva told me that we had to get up early in the morning, I thought she had something big planned for me. You know what?? I wasn’t half wrong about that either, but it wasn’t totally for me. More closely to the fact that none of it was for me at all. Got up early, caught the bus and at the bus terminal met up with Eva’s sister. The three of us took another bus to some woods. Really unsure what was going to happen next, the top thought was that of ‘o no, they’re going to make sure no one can hear me scream’, But deep down I knew I could just relax and see where things were going. After about 20 or so odd minutes walking along a path and uphill we reached an open area. There were some other guys as well. 2 blokes that looked around our age and a lady (who was in charge of it) who looked in her late 20′s. As we waited, the five of them talked in their native tongue, naturally. Out of nowhere and not knowing it, they were speaking to me in their native tongue. This was cause Eva had told them that she had taught me some Danish and had helped me to improve on the Danish that I had already known. Eva got my attention by talking in English and saying what was being said to me, but in her way. She simply told me in an asking sort of way ‘what did you learn the other night (as in what Danish words)?’ Then I, with no thought, just said to the bloke, talking to me, the Danish that I knew. I can’t bloody remember my Danish, so sorry I can’t re-call on what was exchanged. The 3 strangers, to me, were impressed with what I had known. As time went on, more people around our age turned up. Then all of a sudden, they changed into like medieval type clothing. Then it was time to head back down the hill for some reason. Kids (around 5-11 years old) and their parents were waiting at the bottom. Well the guys said something, made the kids line up and we were back up at the open area. As what was going on (the guys just making a fun of a time with the kids) went on, the lady came up to me and explained what the happening was. It turns out that Eva and the others do a type of role playing game based on the medieval times once a month and that they get usually around 100 kids. There were only about 6 people helping out (Eva was one of them) on the day I went, but because they can get such high numbers of kids, around 15 people help out. It depends on the whether and season. As the role playing game was happening, I noticed that in a mini-game that involved pairs there was one extra kid. I asked the lady what the deal was, with the thought that they weren’t being fair on the kid missing out. Turns out that the kid was happy enough to just be there, but was too frightened to join with someone else with the fun. As it kept going, a recognised face appeared. It was ‘The Enemy’. What the hell?? Oh well. When Eva came over to have a rest she, came to me and we shared a silence acknowledgment that ‘The Enemy’ was just there. Ha, you may think that I wasn’t having too much fun watching Eva and her mates, as well as ‘the enemy’ enjoying themselves, well you would be right. However there was free food. So for me not being able to join in on the count of not knowing Danish, it was more than fair. Ha, I feel a tad bad now thinking back on it, cause that food was for the kids and the guys who made the fun happen. Well I’ll just say that I didn’t eat everything. The role playing thing was over. Now one of the two guys and ‘the enemy’ were walking with the three of us. Eva’s sister got away from us when she went to the bus stop for her bus, but ‘the enemy’ still tagged along. Along the way, we stopped at a house so ‘the enemy’ could pick some things he let a friend borrow, one of the things was a big bag of movies. It was a bloody long road we were walking and I had no idea where about I was. All I could and did do was to follow and trust in Eva’s leadership of me. So I did. Well surprise, surprise. We came to the supermarket where Eva worked. We had already organised to watch some movies tonight, so we went in to get booze and food. Compared to the distance we had already walked from the forest to Eva’s work, it was a short and now known walk to Eva’s unit. The thing was though, that it was a bit like a circus act with us walking while carrying everything. We finally reached the unit. Eva had to drop the things she was carrying so she could go in first to secure Buster, so he wouldn’t run out the door. Don’t get my words give you the idea that Eva wasn’t a nice person. It was just that it was getting dark when we got to the unit and yeah well cats are menaces at night (did that give away that I’m a ‘dog person’?? lol). Got in, got settled. Now there were only two things to do. Prepare and eat dinner and choose the movies that were to be watched for the duration of the night. It was decided that there would only be enough time to watch two of the seven movies that made the cut. . It was decided first up would be The Skeleton Key (me and ‘the other guy’ (aka ‘one of the two guys’) hadn’t seen it before. The second in line would be Mean Girls. For those wanting to know about the dinner situation, I can’t remember (the explanation will become clear soon). Dinner was ready to eat. Four pizzas. Cooked one at a time, one after the other and best of all there was enough for everyone. We ate the pizzas while watching the start of The Skeleton Key. Once the pizzas were gone, time for the booze. I would say that about half way through the movie, I brought up the topic of ‘what about having some beer games’. The three asked what I had in mind. I told them the one where you take a drink when the actors say something, like a name or place. I got the idea from a couple of movies (those being Baseketball and Tom-Cats) I was totally surprised when they threw back at me with what’s that game? How do you play it? For big time drinkers, to say the least, I was quite confident that they had already done the game several times. Well once I had explained, well basically what you do.. cause there’s no rules apart from follow the agreed word or words that you’ve agreed to drink on. We decided on the tittle of the movie, for a word that we all had to drink on, then Eva said that the main character’s name we should as well. Eva and ‘the enemy’ added about two more words and characters that they had to drink on. The other bloke did that as well at first but dropped to my level of only drinking to two things when he started to find it difficult to keep up with the other two. Reason why I only stuck to the two things were simple as it didn’t take too much to get me drunk and the fact that there was another movie to follow. As the night went along, so did the movies and the booze started vanishing away. With that another thing started coming to light. Eva and the truth light. It was the time where there was no movie, the time for a breather and toilet break. The two blokes went out the front for some reason. Before The Skeleton Key had finished, the three friends were kissing each other and, umm well there’s play-fighting so I guess you could call this play-sex or play-love. I kept getting either elbowed or kneed, so I just had to ask what the bloody hell they were doing. They said that they did it all the time (pashing on that is), while they demonstrated. When Eva was pashing the blokes it looked like a good show (I am not a perve), but it meant if I had’ve joined in I would’ve had to let my poofter side show. Something I was dead on not openly willing to do. Evan if it meant another new experience for My EuroTrip and doing another thing that My EuroTrip represented for me. The two blokes left to go outside together for ‘a breather’. Yeah right. My arse. Eva suspected the same, but understandably was more emotionally attached to the situation. Eva proberly won’t want me to say everything she told me, and even though I’m a changed person, I still respect women. However I will try my best to please you the reader, myself and Eva’s wishes. Being more emotionally attached and the happenings for the night happening at her place, she told me that she was to blame for possibly making her mate to turn gay. She wanted him to hit on her so she could have control over him, but now ‘the enemy’ had turned him into a poof. Eva then told me the deepest story of her life (the most emotional, I would have to say), and my comments back weren’t too flash cause I was drunk heading to wasted. Least to say that my reply to her long, interesting and intense story didn’t please and go down to well with Eva. Luckily the two blokes came back into the unit and in turn helped me from getting a spray of words torn towards me from Eva. The second movie, Mean Girls, started. everyone settled, relaxed and by this time having a great time. Oh no, a bloody crises now. Ha. Low supply of booze. Maybe it’s for the best. Is that me talking, ha. Seeing that she was drinking so fast, Eva had mine. I let her. I made the words to drink to now, I think Eva had made one or two more up later on to drink to. The words I made were; ‘Mean Girls’, ‘Casey’ or whoever the bloody hell Lindsey Lohan is in the chick flick and ‘Plastics’, after the bitchy girls’ group. It was a good selection and I got a thumbs up and good comments from all around. The game had to finish. No more booze. I could’ve staggered over to pull the Vodka bottle out, but didn’t. Time to sleep. Bloody blokes (the other ones, not myself. ), slept in Eva’s bed. Made Eva bloody have to sleep on a chair, I think, crampt up and near the floor. When morning came it was shown that it turned out that after that, one of the blokes decided to sleep on the floor. Bloody hell, they could’ve offered the lady a more comfy place to sleep. Well, the two blokes left and Eva and myself were together once again. Eva got a phone call. it was her work. Eva was off to work for the afternoon. She trusted me to stay there alone on my own. In the time that Eva was working, all I did was watch a couple of movies that I hadn’t seen before. Eva came home, and we enjoyed a nice dinner. While watching some tele, Eva asked me “what would you like to do for your final night in Denmark tomorrow night?” The question had caught me by a little surprise, I hadn’t really thought about having to leave. I was having a real blast being in Eva’s company, she showed me a really great time. One way or another it would’ve had to come to an end. I, did after all, have someone else waiting for my company. Two countries away. “I’m not too sure. Something that we haven’t done yet. Maybe watch a movie that I haven’t seen before. But that’s as a last resort cause I’ve had enough of movies”. “Yeah, you didn’t come all this way to watch movies. How about a going away/ farewell party?” “That’s certainly different. Sure thing”. As the night progressed and the TV shows changed, Eva texted her mates telling them if they wanted to come for the farewell. Eva knew what she was doing, so I butted out and just popped in the obvious question of ‘so, how’s it looking like now? good turn out?’. Eva was just waiting for one more person to contact her back, then it was time to sleep. We couldn’t wait all night. Eva gave me the order to turn the light out. She snuggled into bed, while I settled myself into my sleeping bag on the floor. Soon after, her mobile went off. It was the person we were waiting for, Eva’s boyfriend. He could come along. Once that was settled we went to sleep. The next morning, planning was afoot on Eva’s mind. The unit was in a bit of a mess, so Eva discussed the plans with me. “I’m going to clean up and it’ll be faster if you weren’t around to help out. Why not go into Silkeborg and take a look around on your own. I’ll text you when I’m nearly done here. Ok?”. “Sounds like a good plan”. I did feel guilty that I wasn’t going to help her out, but as Eva put it “… it’ll be faster if you weren’t around…”. I suppose she knows the best ways to clean up around her unit. I caught the bus into Silkeborg. Went walking about and then went to the library to use the net for free. Checked my emails for any emails from the person waiting for my presence in Finland and replied to the emails from some other mates as well. I got out of the library and went around the town. I didn’t pay too much attention to the town’s surroundings when I went out with Eva the other night, but one thing was certainly true. Just like anywhere else in the world, Silkeborg sure did look different in the day compared to at night. Well time was getting by, and I got a text from Eva asking if I was ready to go back? I wasn’t, cause I had to do one more thing. Once that was done, I got on the bus at the stop that I got off at. Hmm, it was the same route number and destination as where Eva lived, but it was the wrong bus. Well bugger. Bloody damn it. Oh well. I texted Eva that I’ll be late back cause I got on the wrong bus. She said it’s ok cause she herself also had more cleaning to do. So my trip back took me double the time and I did get back a bit later than suggested. I got back, knocked on the door so Eva could make sure Buster was safe and yeah just said our ‘hi’s’ to each other. While I was having a wash, Eva went to the shops to get the booze for us both to share, she asked if she could take some more money out of my wallet. Of course I said yes, then 10 seconds later she said through the door that I had more money and if she could take that, I firmly said No. Eva tried to bargain with me for the money to be spent on booze, but I still stuck with my answer. I finished in the bathroom, rested and then a few minutes later Eva came home and had to have a quick wash. There wasn’t much time to go now, and her mobile kept going off with texts. Ha, she eventually had to take it into the bathroom with her. Then I got a warning through the door from her, that her boyfriend and his mate would be here in about 5 minutes. Eva managed to finish up just in the nick of time, so she could let Tim, her boyfriend, and his mate in. Eva finished getting dressed in the bathroom and the party was a go. The night went along finely, people showed up and more chairs were needed to be set up. Then all of a sudden, guess who showed up?? No it wasn’t ‘the enemy’ (who by this time wasn’t ‘the enemy’ anymore cause he and Eva had sorted out their differences), he didn’t turn up at all. Ha, who knows if Eva even invited him. It was Eva’s friend, the blonde Dane. Eva’s Harry Potter sister. Bloody hells, bloody bells. Well I’m glad to say that we talked, but I didn’t end up saying I thought she was quite the looker. Bloody good vibes came about when she came over, knocked the bloke who was sitting next to me out of the way and sat down and just chatted away. Ha, you may be saying ‘he’s in love with this shelia’, well nah. To be honest, a pash would’ve been good. We started to play a drinking game. It was like a dice game. The rules revolved around the number you rolled up on the two dices. Most of them were reoccurring things that everyone in the game had to do and the last person to do it had to have one or several drinks, the other rules were about what the roller wanted. Ha, I wasn’t saying much, if you can guess the reason it’s a pretty good one if I might say, so as Eva’s rule (when she rolled the right numbers up that allowed her to make a rule) she was quite generous. Eva stoped everyone so we could all hear the rule she wanted to make. “I don’t think it’s fair that we all talk in Danish when James doesn’t know a word. My rule is that from now on we all have to speak in English”. I then had a two-in-one thought ‘What a bloody nice thing. That’s proberly why her mate came and chatted with me’. Once everyone was settled back, I nudged Eva and said quietly “Thanks”. The night went on and the booze went down. I wanted to escape from my normal self for the night, so I just drank my drinks quickly. I didn’t make it to the ‘out-of-it’ stage, only cause I still had the will not too make myself a big fool in front of Eva’s Harry Potter buddy (ok, ok. By now you’re proberly getting sick of not knowing her name. She did say it to me, I just can’t bring it to my head. So I’ll call her Heidi). It’s funny sometimes how strong my will becomes when I’m not after it to get me through things. Almost everyone at the party, there were only around 10, was playing the drinking game. Heidi wasn’t, I’m supposing her reason was that she was driving, then again she may not drink at all (and if that last is the case, she’ll be the first Dane that I’ve came across that doesn’t drink). The game had no ending, so everyone said it ended once everyone had to go to the toilet. Ha ha. The night went along, and everyone was really enjoying themselves. But sadly it had to start coming to an end somehow, one Dane started leaving after another. It seemed a bit ironic, it was a look back on my trip in Denmark, visiting Danes (aka Danish People) and having to leave them so I could meet another. A bit sad, but it was a reflection for looking onto the best of times. As each person left, I tried to get a photo snap (but only with those who had an impact on me. Ha, by the time this started to happen, I was really drunk and in the end only managed to get one photo snap. It was with the girl that had danced with me at De Niro. Once everyone had gone, there were only four left. Eva, Heidi, a bloke I didn’t really meet much of and of course myself. I had a massive train ride the following day, so my original plans were to stay up all night and then sleep on the train to Stockholm. The plan didn’t work out as I wanted it to. Eva suggested that I better take a sleep and that they’d wake me up before I had to go. With no thinking but a little hesitation, I took the offer and slept. I woke up at 7, had about 5 or 4 hours sleep and was still alive and in one piece. Well Emma and Megan, it seems as though Blondes can be trusted. Then again for all I know Eva and Heidi could’ve been doing anything to my defenceless body, I doubt it though. Lol. Time for me to get my arse up and freshen up with a little luxury of tap water splashed on my face, cause in the next three or so odd days I was gonna be couped up in trains and a ship with basically no time in-between. Swifty time, for the last time in Denmark. Apart from this time, seeing on how the hallway in Eva’s unit was a bit narrow, I dragged the backpack outside to the front step, sat on the step and swifted upwards to put my big green backpack on. The train left at 8, so I had to get a move on. The three guys were happy to see me off at the station so they came along. The three guys helped out by carrying my smaller backpack, sleeping bag and plastic bag. Got to the station still had some time before the train came, then the last moment started. Horrible way to end an awesome time and a sour note to leave the last Dane on my Denmark trip. Oh yeah that’s right, before I forget. NEWS FLASH; a couple of days before I left my ScanRail pass (train ticket) had came in Eva’s mailbox, I now finally had it, my long awaited ScanRail Pass. The night when I opened the ticket info up, Eva and myself tried to come to a conclusion on whether or not I could use it for the travel to Arhus (cause remember those trains that looked like trams?? Well they weren’t operated by the national rail company. So it was a bit tough to figure out if they could or not. Eva rang the company up and asked, still not sure. I would say that it didn’t really end, cause no clear conclusion was brought up). Truth be told I didn’t want to have to pay for the ticket, yes in case the ScanRail pass did cover the ticket to Arhus but also the fact that I wanted to buy some food to keep my energy up for when I had to change trains and was carrying my backpacks around a city. Well the train was coming and I did want to leave Eva and me with a good note, but we were arguing on whether or not I should get a ticket or not. I just wanted the madness to end, I gave in and brought a ticket. Oh bloody hell, the train was already at the platform. Only had enough time for a quick hug to Eva, while the other bloke placed my bags onto the train. Hmm, and now an interesting question has popped into my head (I mean now, in November while typing this out and not back in July when it was actually happening), ‘if I had’ve had more time, would’ve I done anything to farewell Heidi??’ Well first answer for me, what do you think? I might have sneaked a hug and a nice greeting in but any more… it’s too late to know now, the time was then and not now. I quickly hopped on the train, made sure that my bags weren’t in the doors’ way and then managed to take a glimpse at an angry but sorry to see me leave face on Eva. Ha, god knows what my look gave the impression of. For those who don’t know, my looks don’t give away what my expressions and what I’m feeling. So now I was on the start of my expected long train journey of three days across three countries and really surprisingly I was my hyper self that had started to shine while staying with Katarina.. Ha but of course, I couldn’t go buzzing or running around, I was on a bloody train after all. . I was in a wreak of a shape, but had to stay on the ball with regards to what stations I had to get off and change. All I could manage to do for the time being was tell myself that I had to get off at the station before Arhus then get my ScanRail stamped and valid, then catch a train to Copenhagen (Denmark’s capital city. It’s way better than Canberra. lol) and then the really fast train to Stockholm for the ferry to Finland. I was bloody tired and not in the mood to kid around too much, simply cause I couldn’t get to sleep. A living nightmare, but in the daytime. So a daymare. But it was what I’ve always wanted to do, like a dream. I was having a good for nothing daydream. . Leaving Eva and her 2 friends on the platform with Eva and me not seeing the best of each other’s eyes’, the good times we had came in one quick flash and then were gone. Eva’s company was awesome, she gave me the impression that she is a really down-to-earth generous Danish girl. It’s just a big shame that it all ended so sourly.

The Big Train Ride. After leaving Skylebeak it took about 30 mins to get off the train at the station before Arhus to not only change trains but to also get my long awaited ScanRail train pass validated. Due to the time I took to get ready, I missed a potential earlier train that I could’ve caught. After a short wait the train for Copenhagen came, got on it and was on my way. Tired as, with no hangover (got a small headache when I woke up but that’s about all), tried to figure out where I had to go and what trains I had to catch to get to a country that was another country away, Finland. I found out the info I needed from the Scandinavian train timetable that I had on me, it was a bit confusing but once I got the general idea, I fell asleep for a bit. Through out the train ride to Copenhagen, I sent all the Danes that had given me their numbers (I think about 11) with messages saying thanks for what THEY did for me in their own way and asked them if they wanted to ask or tell anything before I couldn’t send them any more free sms’, due to being out of the country. Most replied back (as for the Danes who didn’t, well I hope their message wasn’t an important one. I wasn’t able to use my Danish sim-card again, due to leaving it in Finland). It was tough for me for the journey to Copenhagen, having kept falling asleep turning my mobile on to find that someone had texted me and getting up to go to the toilet finding that my wallet had slipped out of my pocket and onto the seat. I also had to move where I was sitting due to it being a long journey (from Arhus- Copenhagen, it only takes about 3-4 hours. I think) meaning that it was being filled up with people and because it was a busy route they had reserved a seat. As I went past Horsens, I reminded myself of Nadia. As I went past Roskilde, I said to myself ‘Oh Roskilde, oh Katarina’ (I might’ve just woken up when the train was approaching Roskilde). Finally reached Copenhagen and was on the look-out for the fast train to Stockholm, had a bit of trouble finding it. I did find it, but it was like the train was waiting at Spor 22 and there were only 16 spors’ at the station. A bit confusing, but after some heavy navigation around to the back of the spors’ there was spor 22. On the train to Stockholm now, after a while looking for it. Evan though the outside of the train made it seem spacious and comfortable inside, it wasn’t. When I first saw the big silver, different looking to the rest, train. I was a bit held back. I can tell you that not much was special about the train, apart from it went fast. Looks can be deceiving, as for the inside of the train, the seats weren’t too comfortable but there was enough leg room (even for someone of my size). First stop was Copenhagen Airport. I was quite tired, so I was half asleep to recognise it. ‘Hey, I’m back at where it started’. Then the train took off. We came to the most anticipated (wait for it, it’s a blockbuster of a boring statement. Ha ha) bridge. Yes a bridge, I couldn’t wait to cross and was on my EuroTrip To Do List. Ok I admit, a bridge isn’t a thing to look really forward to seeing. So here’s my back-story to it. Before My EuroTrip, I watched documentaries, one of them happened to be on the construction of the Oresound Bridge that connects mainland Scandinavia with Denmark and in turn mainland Europe. It was quite spectacular going through the bridge, a bit boring though cause of the pillars passing by quickly making the view of either Sweden or Denmark (whatever way you wanted to look) a bit tough to focus on. Over the bridge now and we were in Sweden. The road, or highway, ran alongside the rail track and the road sign said ‘Stockholm 592′ meaning Kilometres. Whoa, it’s a long way off. It was a stupid statement cause my ScanRail guide, that told me the main info I needed to know, said that the journey from Copenhagen to Stockholm took up to 6 hours. After a bit, we reached a train yard then a station. It was Sweden’s 3rd largest city, Malmo (pronounced ‘Mel-moo’). Oh, Mandi, my Swedish girl (friend, ha) who had came to Melbourne at the end of my uni course lives close by. I’ll try texting her. I tried and the mobile wouldn’t work. O no, will it work when I need to tell my Finnish contact that I’ve arrived in her country? The train left Malmo for it’s long trip to the capital. It was a long train ride, I had to change seats about 6 times cause of other people’s seat reservations. By the time I got in the 6th seat I was really tired, there were only a few more stops till we reached the capital and I managed to fall asleep for about 30 minutes or so. Had to wake up, we were reaching the outskirts of Stockholm and I had to figure out what the times were and where the ferry for Finland was. There were four ferries a day that went to Turku from Stockholm that my ScanRail pass gave a discount on, two leaving at night and the other two in the morning. I had no idea where to find the info on where the ferries left from, because the ferries were with two separate ferry companies and Stockholm harbour was in every direction. With about a couple of stations to go it started to rain, but stopped once the train had finally arrived at Stockholm station. Got off the train, and didn’t know where to head. It was about 5pm and I had to get to the ferry and I wasn’t too sure what one to get or where abouts they departed from for Finland. I took a look around the station, bloody good set up for a station (as in, it was a nice and spacious station. Compared to Copenhagen, it was larger. .). I eventually found a couple of maps that lead me to the right direction. Then it was time for me to venture out into the streets of Stockholm. I had found a bit of relief, but knew it could not last. I made it to Sweden, yes alright. Out of all the countries in the world…. oh no, I better get a move on. I had to find the info for the ferry. I decided to look around the station. Well what do you know?? One of the ferry companies Stockholm ticketing office was across the road from the station. I grabbed a map and enquired about the discounted ticket I’d be getting with my ScanRail pass. I decided that I wouldn’t get the ticket there and I’d try at the actual ferry. The ferry was to leave at 9. So with about two hours to go. I decided to take a little rest, because of my backpacks. So I sat down somewhere, and took the massive weight off my body to stretch out. After about 15 minutes, I decided to get on my way. Whilst walking to find the ferry, got a bit lost, but it only meant that I wasn’t walking in the most direct and quickest way there. However, I was walking in the right direction. I ended up at a harbour, then looked at the map. I took advantage to have another little rest. I had to go just alongside the harbour, on the other side to where I was, follow it right down and around and I should be at the ferry. Now that I had a fair idea what streets to take to get to the ferry, and had enough energy to walk with everything on and in my hands, I was off. There was a big festival on or something, that made crowds of people be on the boardwalk with the harbour full of boats. About 1 K later, I had reached the end of the other harbour side. The ferry with white and red, was to the left in the distance but could be seen. I was glad that I now knew where exactly it was and also knew what the time was with a big clock straight in front. The clock was just ahead of me and read ’19:45′. I wasn’t so sure that I’d make the 9 o’clock boarding. I kept asking myself ‘I wonder if I’ll make it in time?’ as I tried to rush with all my bags. I was now keeping the weight of my big backpack by lifting it by it’s top strap with my bent arm. It hurt a bit, but I was quite determined to get through the little agony and get on that bloody ship before it took off. The slight delay in direction caused me to have walked for about an hour and a half, with my 17-20Kg backpack on my back and my plastic bag (with the 2 Tim Tams that were left in it) along with my sleeping bag in my hands from the station to the ferry. Reached the ferry company’s building (not saying what one, cause no free advertising now. Ha ha). Went inside, and it was empty. I was hoping that I hadn’t missed the ferry, cause I had no idea of the time. I quickly went over to the ticket booth and something really strange and a little lucky happened. I got a free ticket for the ferry because I was ”an Australian”, I’m not kidding you, the guy then said ”I don’t care if I get fired”. I was quite surprised and amazed at my luck. Showed my ticket to get on, then got on the ship that went to Turku, Finland. On the ferry now, the first thing I did was ask where I could put my bags for the trip? The lady who I asked told me that there was a locker room for bags just behind where we were. I put them in and took everything I needed out, camera, mobile and some money. Made sure my bags were secured, locked and zipped up. I went outside to the top deck and watched the city of Stockholm with the hold of Sweden behind it, leave our grip as we left for the old capital of Finland that was Turku. After a few minutes of watching the harbour go while we soared through it, I decided to look about the ship to see what it had to offer and looked around each of the nine levels of the ferry as I went exploring downwards. On board there were an abundant of things; a cafe with strict paying options (you payed by the amount your food weighed), chairs and seating at the front and back of the ship (the front was with the cafe and the back seats were with the entertainment area which included a two table casino, bar and dance floor with stage for singers), 2 bars (one with a karaoke part and the other more sport orientated) and a restaurant. Below the entertainment areas were the rooms for people who had booked a room and above the entertainment area were the ship’s outside decks, more rooms and a disco (aka nightclub). I went everywhere but the rooms, because I hadn’t booked any. After I had taken a look around the ship, I saw some signs saying ‘buffet dinner in the restaurant’. ‘Buffet’ certainly got my attention, so I went and enquired about it. The buffet dinner was fully booked. Not much to do and being denied the chance to eat (ha, if it’s your guess, I’m sorry to disappoint you by telling you that, being denied to eat is not my biggest fear. ha ha), I hanged around different parts of the ship and didn’t get the feeling of catching up on the well deserved sleep that I did need. With the time that I had to just recover from the long and tiring Stockholm walk, I sat by some seats and found that there were electricity points on board. I took full advantage of the, charging my mobile and iPod up with a close eye on them. I only had one Australian-European power adapter, so I had to charge them one at a time. It was annoying but my priorities were in the right place, I needed my mobile on full battery so I could get in contact with the Finn that I would be staying in Finland with. I was satisfied with the power level of my mobile so I took the adapters out and went to the front end of the ship watched everything go by for a while and of course being the person I am, got bored. I then went along the deck that had the entertainment joints on it to end up at the back of the ship in a like function room type of thing with a stage and dance floor. Alright a live band, oh bloody great it’s not my type of music. I just sat down and took in the surroundings, music and the entertainment of seeing others dance. A magian came on did his ok-for-entertainment act, it was a bit rude considering that he called a little girl on stage and there were also other little kids in the audience and he was using dirty talk. Ha ha. Once the magic act was over, some more music was played by the band and this time more people got up to dance. I stayed for a while then left and checked out the disco (nightclub), not too good and hardly anyone in there. I left it and just tried to get some sleep, but being the hungry pig that I am, I just had to get something to eat. I got some eats from the on-board duty free shop on board just before it shut. I got a packet of chips and some chocolate. It was a bit pricey but then again all food in Scandinavia is. Managed to get some sleep on the uncomfortable seats that were near the windows. Ended up getting about 4 hours sleep on the 11 hour boat ride. It was pitch black outside and I had no where to go with everything being shut, so in turn there wasn’t anything to do. Being that I didn’t get much sleep, I had a load of time on my hands but had no access to my big backpack so was a bit bored. I tried to fall asleep again, but once I’m awake I can’t get back to sleep. Before I knew it morning came, and with changing a time zone (the time skipped forward by an hour), the times were to much for me to handle I tried to block out the thought of ‘what time is it?’ but it was too strong. Due to missing out on the dinner, I decided to go back to the restaurant to see if some type of breaky was on. It was a buffet breaky, and this time I wasn’t going to miss out on a buffet of some type. The buffet breakfast wasn’t anything special I didn’t get to eat as much as I would’ve liked to cause my stomach got the ache, but they did have deserts I left the restaurant when there weren’t too much people left so I could pinch some chocolate cupcakes in a napkin for the later train journey. ha ha. (On my way to London, I found cupcake crumbs at the bottom of my little backpack cause I had forgotten about them. Ha ha). The ship turned around and backed back, then stopped. Well I guess we were there and what I was looking at was the city of Turku, Finland. The ship had finally arrived in Turku (I think it’s pronounced Turkey, yes I know there’s also a country with that name), got my things and boarded off the ship, it took some time but sure enough I made it to Turku’s solid ground as well. Decided to walk to the main station instead of waiting for the train that was due in an hour at the harbour station that was only across the road from the ferry. I was on my way to the centre of Turku by foot with all my belongings. Got the map out, found an easy route to get there. I was off, walking one of the back roads of the city was a good way to see a city that I had no time to experience. Although, I kept having to take a sit down at the bus stops along the way, cause the weight pressure on my back was almost unbearable. As I walked along, I said a ‘hi’ to a couple of people and you could say I stalked a shelia as she came out of her apartment, ha ha. Basically, I wasn’t purposely stalking her, but she was walking in front of me and seemed to be going the same way I was. She wasn’t that pretty, compared to the 4 Danes that I had just came from, and I was hoping that the Finnish women weren’t the same as the one making me walk in her footsteps (but then, who am I to judge?? Just look at how I look, horrible). At the corner that I had to turn to go straight onto where the station was, a bus went by. Oh wow, how interesting, a bus?? Never seen one of those before, Well, what caught my eye about this bus was where it was going. Quite ironic and at the same time, amazement that there was a suburb or place called that name. The bus read ‘Katarina’. Naturally the first thought that came to mind was ‘take a photo and show it to Kat’, but my bags made me differ my thought because of the strenuous weight that they were providing. Plus even if I did decide to get the camera out, I wouldn’t have been in time to get a pic. Well luckily the shelia in front took a seat at the bus stop while I continued my way to the station, it was a relief to see her go somewhere that I wasn’t going. Walked up the road, and sure enough there was the station. First sighting of where abouts it was, was seeing a train go past. My first instinct was that it was the train that I would’ve caught had’ve I stayed at the Harbour station (I never found out if it was that train). Seeing the potential Harbour train go past meant that I had walked for about more than an hour. I don’t know how long exactly, I wasn’t
counting the time, but it was a good walk through the city apart from the backpack factor. Reached the main station, now it was time for a little rest while deciding what train to catch. I tried to send a text to my Finnish contact that I was going to meet up with, but no luck. Just like when I was in Malmo and tried to text my Swedish girl Amanda, I could not do anything with my mobile apart from play the games on it and use the calculator. I didn’t want to hang around doing nothing, so I changed my direction seeing on how the Finn I was to meet up with wasn’t aware how close I was. I changed my direction for Helsinki, mainly cause it was going to be the original city that I was going to touch down in Europe and not Copenhagen, so I wanted to see what I missed out on. That plus the facts that I had thought I had time to kill and I had already seen two of the four capital cities of the countries of mainland Scandinavia, so I was thinking of passing through Oslo in Norway on my way to London. Looked at the train board and the train for Helsinki was to leave in 5 mins. Made the train. It was a two hour journey and I was relaxed apart from having to play musical chairs once again while people claimed I was in their seat. When I first went into the carriage, I talked with a bloke who also had a backpack. He was from Canada, on holiday, going all over Europe on train. He had gone all over mainland Europe and came here by the ferry that I wasn’t on from Sweden and was heading to Helsinki to stay for a week, then finish his trip in about 3 weeks time. This was the only other traveller that I had came across, whilst travelling on the trains with my ScanRail pass and with no offence to any Canadian that reads this but, he seemed a bit boring (even more no-fun than the ‘pre-EuroTrip James’. ). Arrived in Helsinki, put the backpacks on and went exploring. Before I could though, two things were stopping me that I needed to do.
First thing first, find out the train info to get to Vasa. Which I had no idea how far away it was from Helsinki. Looked up at the train board. No signage of Vasa. Went to the info office and asked my usual number 1 European question ‘Do you speak English?’. I was in luck, the lady behind the desk could. I asked her “what was the next train going to Vasa”, well I tried my best (Vasa is also spelt Vassa for the Swedes who go there or something like that) and “where to find it leaving from”. Turns out that I had to catch 2 trains to get there, and there were only 3 departures a day with the trip taking something like 4 or 6 hours and the next departure was only a couple of hours away. There wasn’t much time to get the other things sorted and not to mention explore the capital. I had enough time though to get the needed sim-card, but it would have to mean missing out on exploring Helsinki. In a rush now, the mobile trouble had to get sorted out. Went outside the station for the lookout to find a shop to buy another sim-card. The city looked… well not like much, but once again it walloped Canberra (then again, what capital city can’t? ha ha). It was a bloody dilemma trying to ask someone for a big shopping centre, cause well so far, in Denmark, the shopping centres weren’t like back home. So I didn’t really know how to ask for a big shopping centre, luckily though the Finns are good at English, or at least the tourists are, . Some people told me where to find a shopping centre and I was off with a bit of trouble actually finding it. I still had all my bags on me and hadn’t neglected them yet. At last reached the shopping centre after weaving in and out of traffic and looking up for the big signs that I was told would lead me to the shopping centre. Struggled my way to the shop directory, and of course being in a foreign country, the words were in a different language. Luckily though the letters were normal to me, and the words easy to read out and understand (so for a mobile shop, it was under something with the word ‘fone’ or ‘tele’). I was looking for the phone shops, after I got told that I could only get a sim-card from there and nowhere else. Found the listings, there were three of them and were all a level or two above. I went up the escalators, and found the mobile shop not too far away. With my backpacks on and everything else in my hands, I managed to stumble into the shop. I was waiting for a bit, then all of a sudden a couple of people came in and took a ticket from a machine. A bit weird, but I was along way away from the usual and comfortable ways of how things were done back home. I got a ticket to be served. There were people waiting, so I went outside and rested on the handrail next to the escalators just outside the shop so I could still see the number being served while at the same time take the weight off my back for a bit. I wasn’t quite in Russia yet, so the numbers still looked normal and sure enough it wasn’t too long till my number was shown. I heaved all my belongings into the store. Two good looking shelias were serving, but unfortunately I could tell that the one who served me was instantly like ‘he’s not in my league’ or something like that. Sheilas weren’t the thing on top of my mind though, getting the mobile troubles sorted out was my first priority… so then I could contact shelias. Ha ha. The sheila who served me said that the Danish sim-card wouldn’t work anywhere but in Denmark. I was hoping that I wouldn’t have to be getting a new sim-card for every country that I went to in Europe cause of the language barrier hassle. I felt like a dickhead, cause (with no offence to the Danes or Denmark) well Denmark’s a small country and I felt as though it was a waste of a sim-card. On the other hand, if I hadn’t have goten it, I wouldn’t have been able to meet up with my mates in Denmark as well as make new ones. The sheila behind the desk said that I should buy a sim-card that can be used in Finland, so I got it and was on my way (if I wasn’t in such a rush I would’ve tried to chat her up cause there weren’t any customers waiting behind me). Went back down the escalators to the food court, read the new sim-card booklet (which was in four languages, and luckily enough English was one of them). As I was sitting there changing the sim-cards and sorting out my plans to get to Vasa, I kept making eye contact with a group of 3 teenagers. I wanted to get up, go over and have a word or a punch whatever the Danish feeling still in me felt like making me do. . But I couldn’t, I was in a rush putting the mobile together. Once that was done, managed to send a message to my Finnish contact, gathered my backpacks and then headed off to the station. On my way back I noticed that there were trams running about, but what caught my eyes were that some of them were looking a lot like the traditional green and yellow trams back home. However, I had no time to take a tram journey, it would’ve been nice though but kept going to get inside the train station. When I got back it was nearly time for the train to depart, but I was still in amazement of the Melbourne Tram look-a-likes. I did a foolish thing by dumping my bags in a corner of the station and ran outside. My intention was an easy and quick one to do, get a few photo snaps of the green and yellow trams and then I’d be on my way for Vasa. Got to the closest tram stop and no trams were about, it was taking a while for them to show up. I didn’t want to give up and at the same time didn’t want to miss the train.
Started heading back towards the station. When I reached the other side of the road I looked back and sure enough, in both directions the green and yellow tram were on the way. Quickly got my camera ready as I rushed back to the tram stop, took a few snaps and was happy. Now time really wasn’t on my side as well as the fact that I had left my bags somewhere unattended. Ran back into the station building to where I had left the bags and they were still there looking untouched. I had less than 10 minutes now to get everything together and board the train. Bag swaying and the backpacks were on me and everything was in my reach. On my way to the platforms (and sorry can’t be your Finnish teacher, I don’t know what platforms are called in Finnish, like I know with Danish), I looked up at the huge train information board, but hardly could read it cause of the sunshine rebounding off it. Without knowing what was the proper train to board, I asked the bloke with the train outfit on. The old bloke told me the info, like what train now and what station I had to get off at to make my way to Vasa. He told me the train I had to go on was on platform 7 and that there wasn’t too much time until it left. I quickly made my way to it, thinking that I had only like a minute or so till it departed. Well sure enough I had enough time to get on the train, put my bags somewhere and sit down for 5 minutes or so before the train departed. On the train now, sent a text to Pia, the Finn I was to meet up with. The usual greeting messages were shared, then all of a sudden there was some trouble with there being confusion mixed in among the texts’. I was saying that I was on my way and she sent one saying that she couldn’t wait for tomorrow. Hmm wait on a tic, tomorrow? It took a little time to figure what she meant, I then quickly said that no I was on a train to Vasa right at that minute. Confusion and a dilemma soon came to light. My comment sent Pia into a spin of anxiety and she panicked with the thought of not knowing what to do. She had work at 6 and I would eventually be in Vasa at around 5 or 5:30. Pia’s dilemma was that she was about 1 hour out from Vasa. While I was thinking about what could’ve been done, I got the camera out and took a few snaps of Helsinki as the train took away from the capital. There was a large gap in time, between the messages, as the problem was desperately trying to be solved at the other end. While I waited, I took photos with my camera and kept trying to catch up on the well needed sleep, cause after that ferry ride I looked like a wreak. A few stops went by, which meant that about 30 minutes went by, then Pia sent a text to say that she had organised her friend Sofia to pick me up at the station and that she would be able to drop me off somewhere closer for Pia to pick me up later. All I had to look for once at Vasa was a blonde girl with a pink shirt. Well with that big problem sorted I managed to get some more sleep, but knew that it couldn’t last cause I had to change trains once more. I fell asleep with the thought ‘I hope I don’t miss the station I’ve got to change at’. Didn’t get much sleep and managed to wake up with about two stations till I had to get off and change trains. I was packing my things up by the end of the first train journey from Helsinki. Only to find out that my backpack was open through out the time I was asleep, which I had to stand against the seat cause it wouldn’t fit on the luggage rack above. I looked in and felt around my backpack, could find everything but my iPod. Bloody hell, my iPod’s been stolen. I’ll have to sort the mess out when I’ve reached Vasa. Got out of my seat and got my bags, looked around the seat for the iPod with no luck. Made my way off the train and eventually found where I had to go for the train to Vasa. I had trouble finding the right train cause the spelling was different in Finnish, compared with Danish (well not totally, but very different). Every long word I saw was tough to translate, meaning that the lessons taught to me by my Danish mates were useless. Needless to say that I couldn’t figure out what platform I needed to get on, but luckily there were only three platforms. With the train I got off on one of them and another with all trains going towards Helsinki, I took the third option and sure enough it was the right train. The Vasa train wasn’t looking the newest or most comfortable train but it did it’s job and fair enough I arrived at Vasa still in one piece. Nothing much happened on the 1 or 2 hour train journey. I once again achieved to be the last one off the train, my backpack was by the door on a rack, a bit easier to ‘swift’ down when it’s about torso height. I Stepped out of the train and that was the end of the long journey. It was now Sunday around 4 and was an hour ahead of time according to when I left cause of the elapsing time difference. I had caught about 6 trains and 1 ferry, took around 3 days to do it in and I didn’t get much sleep. The long journey from the top of mainland Denmark to the middle of the west coast of Finland was surely longer than my flight from Melbourne to Copenhagen. I was so relieved that it was over, but will I have to make the same trip again due to my flight to London having to get cancelled?

Now in Vasa and beginning the start of the end of my initial friend stays. Heading off the train, going down the carriage’s steps I looked around. Couldn’t see anyone trying to get my attention. I was on the look out for a girl, named Sofia who was wearing a pink shirt and had blonde hair. I moved more out from the train and someone in pink waved me down. I went over, it was Sofia. She was there with a car and her fiancée and then we took off. Oh bloody hell, apart from the part before meeting Nadia, this was a scary moment for my EuroTrip. Sofia, kept through-out my stay with Pia kept telling me that she thought I’d do something terrible to her friend because I came from Australia and the fact that she saw a movie about an aussie killing some backpackers. Bloody daunting every time after that car ride that Pia took me to see Sofia. From Vasa it was about 200 Ks’, I think, till we got to our destination of Jakobsen. Sofia and her boyfriend didn’t know much about Australia apart from “there’s koalas and people who murder backpackers”. Talk about Denmark and Finland being a lot different. Other than the whole what’s Australia and Finland questions (like what does your country look like in winter?), the introducing of one another and not many stories. Sofia ran Pia up and I got to hear her voice for the first time and she heard mine as well, not too special but yeah when moments like that happen it breaks some ice later on. Once we got to Jakobsen, Sofia and her boyfriend, took me for a little driving tour of the town then dropped me off at an information sign and told me that Pia would be able to pick me up once she had finished work. The information sign wasn’t much help, but the location was good, more or less in the centre of town. The pubs and starting nightlife was to the right, the European Football stadium was just down the road straight ahead and the station was behind me down the road. I would’ve loved to have explored the town, but had all my bags with me, so I was stuck with no option but to just go somewhere then stay and wait till Pia could pick me up at 9. I decided to go and wait at the train station, it wasn’t at all big but the bus station was with it to make it look bigger. Evan though the timetables suggested otherwise, no busses or trains turned up. The main office was closed, but there was still access to the worn-and-torn platform, which looked as though it wasn’t at the height to greet passengers with it being a couple of metres away and above the track. A couple of hours went by to make it 8, my mobile was on a low battery. I quickly managed to send a text to Pia saying that I had a low battery and would be turning it off soon and then leaving it on from an hour later. Time flies when you’re bloody bored crapless, tired but couldn’t afford to go to sleep. Then all of a sudden, it was like I was in the middle of a war or fight between two groups of younger-than-me-teenagers. First a group of about four or five came into the bus station car park on dirt-mountain motor bikes. I couldn’t get over it they looked about 15 and they had motorbikes. Instantly the first impression was ‘they must have rich parents’. Then all of a sudden, making the other group stop, another group of about 7 motorbike riders around the same age came rushing through, unlike the other group this lot passes right in front of me. The new lot, went to the other side of the bus station, compared to the originals. Both groups stopped. One of the riders from the new group did a half-chicken ride towards the other group. Nothing happened. A short time later both groups left, riding off in different directions. I passed some time by looking in my backpack. Oh no, where the bloody hell is my camera and iPod? I must’ve left it on one of the many trains. Remembering that I had already noticed that my iPod was missing, I tried to recall where I last had it. Now my digital camera was gone, I had to remember where that was as well. The last spot I remember having them was on the train after Helsinki. Recalling where the last times I saw each was the top agenda on top of my head, until I told Pia about it later on.
A short time later, and before 9, a red car came to park in the car park ahead. A short lady got out, came towards me. I instantly thought it was Pia, my intuition wasn’t wrong. “James? Hi, I’m Pia”. Finally, I met the last person of the first part of my EuroTrip. What a relief. No more anxious moments, no more being afraid of friends I haven’t met before going to mock my voice. What a big relief, ha but not a load off my back.. I still had my backpacks to carry everywhere. lol. It started to get quite dark, but not too dark to see in the distance. First thing Pia did with me was treat me to her recommendation of the ‘best burger in town’. It was a big burger, but was in separate bits. So you had to put it together by yourself. Pia took me by the sea, over looking the harbour of Jakobsen. We sat there talking and eating our burgers. A question that Pia asked me, still triggers in my head today. “I was looking up Karingal on the internet, but couldn’t find it anywhere. Is it like a secret place?” “Umm, yeah. Karingal. It is where I live but it’s a little suburb” I used the same reason as Eva told me how she understood where I was from when she had asked me and I gave her the answer. “Well, Melbourne is a city of Australia. Frankston is about an hour away and is a suburb of Melbourne. Then you have Karingal, which is a suburb of Frankston. Understand”. Pia knew what I had meant, but later on while explaining it to Sofia when we visited her, it was tough to explain for some reason. We both couldn’t finish the burgers so we packed them in the boxes they came in and agreed to eat them later. We headed up the freeway and ended up, in Pia’s words, “in the middle of nowhere”. We were at her parents house in country side western Finland, which was about another 50 K’s from Jakobsen. The town had one shop, and the next town further on had the petrol station, bank and a few other shops. Evan though Ejby (aka the stay with Katarina) was similar with only two shops, this town felt a lot more isolated with the houses looking more like farms, but there was a house close enough to the next to call it it’s neighbour. Well it was night by the time we got in doors. Pia showed me the room I’d be sleeping in and the one she would in case of an emergency. I was gonna be sleeping in Pia’s brother’s room, he had moved to Sweden or something, and it was the only room with the internet. Fun Fact: 1 in 5 Finns are connected to the internet. It is the highest ratio in the world. Well no guess taken that I was dead tired. But before I could get my well needed shut-eye, dinner needed to be eaten. As we sat at the table opposite from each other, Pia kept staring at me. Was I doing something wrong? Did I have something on my face? Was she falling in love with me (hopefully not)? It was a constant thing that happened through-out my stay and it was getting on my nervous and it takes a bit to do that. But the stare wasn’t doing any harm to me. I asked her after a bit, “What? Why are you looking at me? Something wrong?” Stunned, but not surprised, Pia replied “Oh no, sorry. Just a habit I guess”. Finally, at last a bed to sleep in. Now I could relax and re-energise from the long trip here. I came from the North of Denmark to where I was now, the West of Finland. I fell asleep. Ahhh, zzz. Had a well deserved good night’s sleep, but everything can’t last and with me that’s especially true. I woke up on my own, but felt as though I hadn’t slept all the sleep that I needed to. Pia was already awake and dressed. She was waiting till I got up till she cooked up some breaky. Thoughtful. I asked if I could have a wash while she was getting breaky together. In the bathroom, there was like a sauna. Seemed a bit strange to have one in a house. I never got to use it, would’ve I liked to though? Hmm, well if it was with one of the Danish girls I visited, hands down. With Pia, no (only cause compared to the 4 Danes, she was engaged). I got out of the shower and changed into clothes in the bathroom, so it was more comfortable for both Pia and myself, with not having to walk across the house with just a towel on. Now dressed, went out to have breakfast with Pia and ate while talking. Pia asked me the usual question, of all the people I had visited ‘where was I off to after her?’ I told her that I want to go to The World’s Biggest IKEA in Stockholm but I tried to look it up where abouts I had to go. Turns out that there are two in Stockholm’. Surprisingly she replied ‘Ohh, yeah’. We ate our breaky a bit more than Pia told me that her parents should be coming home today and that her mum is like an IKEA freak and she’d know what one in Stockholm was the bigger one. With that thought I got a bit excited. I also told her that I changed my details of when I’d be going to London and that I’ll need to book my flight ticket to London while I was with her. Pia said that we could take a look at that after breaky. We finished breaky, headed to the computer and took a look at the airfares. Basically I knew what the cheap airline to London was called, so what we did was go to the airline’s (Ryan Air) website and then proceeded to narrow down the cheapest airport to leave from within Scandinavia (cause that’s where my ScanRail Pass was valid). Finland only had one airport and it was one of the more expensive airports to fly from, so that was out. Denmark, Sweden and Norway. The cheapest airports were in Stockholm, Sweden and Arhus, Denmark. We went for the closest and cheapest of the two, Stockholm. Deal was though, you had to book online to get the price stated. We couldn’t do it, due to Pia’s bank card wouldn’t work to pay for it. I had already given her money to pay for the amount that would’ve been taken out, so we decided to go to the bank and get that money out. Went to the bank, got the money out, then did some shopping. We mainly got snacks and Finnish food, so I could have a taste of the country. I also got a couple of post cards and a booklet of A4 sized paper, I had plans for the things I got but didn’t really tell anyone the full extent of them. We got back and watched the Rocky Balboa movie. A movie that I hadn’t seen but had seen the previous five before, as for Pia she had only seen the movie we were about to watch and didn’t know what all the fuss was with ‘Rocky’. I guess that can be used for all girls’ and their view with male action movies. While watching the movie, we made fun of the fact that the love interest story was between Rocky and a kid who had grown up through-out the first 5 Rocky movies. The main punch line we made was to do with ‘who was the man and the women in the ‘relationship’ and also to do with the fight ‘watch out, Rocky will get you’ (to be perfectly honest, I can’t remember the main thing that we had made up, but we kept referring to it until my last day with Pia). Then we watched the first episodes of the US TV hit show Heroes. Pia commented on seeing the guy who plays Rocky’s son in the movie we just saw, now playing one of the main characters in this show (I think the characters name is Peter and he can fly). It seemed to be getting pretty boring pretty fast, watching episode after episode on a computer with not having a shared viewing place. So Pia turned the computer off and we headed to the lounge room to think of what to do, it was past 5 so our choices were limited. We decided to take in a couple of movies for the night. Pia searched the house for movies. Seeing on how she hadn’t been back at her parents house for a while, it took a while to find some. Once some movies were found, a decision was made. We would be watching two movies. 1 of them I hadn’t seen before. We were to watch ‘Pearl Harbour’ and then ‘The Facultity’. While watching ‘Pearl Harbour’, Pia tried her best not to give away the next part of the movie, she succeeded. Ha, Pia and me just kept pulling out the comments we got from Rocky Belboa and laughed away. Halfway through the movie a knock at the door. It was Pia’s parents they came in and did what they had to do. Pia asked her mum the IKEA question and then they left. I had no idea where they went till the next day when Pia took me to visit them. Pia told me the bigger IKEA in Stockholm while handing over a piece of paper with the name and suburb. Back to the movie, but now with the open snacks we had brought earlier. The movie had ended, time for a bit of tele. Not much on, but watching tele in Finland was just like watching it in Denmark. The English speaking shows had the black background with white writing subtitles, however the words were now all jiberish to me. The Faculity was on now, I had seen this movie a couple of times before and it didn’t get too boring this time around (I saw this movie again last night (a few months after this actually happened), still not too boring). Halfway through, Pia said “Oh look we just saw him. it’s Josh Hartnett” (and I replied with a comment like ‘yeah, and now he’s fighting aliens as a druggy’. It was an enjoyable night, and it was a great first couple of nights to have just rest and not do much things on a drastic measure. It sure was what I felt as though I needed for the preparation of working full time from a weeks time. It was late, we watched a bit more tele then went to sleep. Another relaxing sleep, ahhh. I hope we get to do something really great tomorrow, cause I was getting a bit ‘twitchy’. Slept, woke up, took a shower, helped Pia with the breaky then ate. I felt more fresh and awake then I did yesterday. “So, what are we doing today?’ “I don’t know, don’t really have any plans for us to do”. When Pia said that, I drained a bit down and got relaxed that I was going to be very bored. But very surprisingly, the day didn’t go as boring as it was to be made out in the morning. Midday had past, and I was told that we had been invited over to Sofia’s and her fiancée’s place for a meal or something. We were on our way to Sofia’s place and stopped to fill up on petrol. As we got out of the car at the petrol station we smelled a foul smell. Well I guess we were in the country side with the smell of cattle manure. Hopped back in the car once it was full then took off. Reached their place. As we were walking to the door, Pia told me that Sofia had to throw cloths out and most of the time she calls Pia around, she really rings to give Pia her old clothes. I really don’t and didn’t understand why. Proberly a girl thing, proberly a thing shared among Finns. Who knows?? I don’t. The feel of this country just seemed to be getting more like it was isolated from the world. Let it be known, that by now I was missing the time spent with my mates in Denmark as well as wishing that at least one of my mates back home had’ve came with me. We got inside Sofia’s place, and about 5 minutes later it had became relevant that the visit was more for Sofia to give her clothes to Pia compared with if we were visiting for a meal. Sofia’s fiancée came home from work, it couldn’t be interpreted what he did for work. Well now we could have a meal, but it wasn’t much. A cake that Sofia had made, in preparation for her engagement party that was two weekends away. As I understood from Sofia, she had brought the base of the cake, banana flavoured cause it was cheap. For the layers or dressing on top of the base, whipped cream (that had set solidly in the fridge) with lollies and chocolates on them (Oh yeah by the way, these two friends weren’t the slimmest of girls around. With Sofia being a lot not-thinner than Pia. How hurtful is that? That’s how the trip changed me). The cake tasted awful, so did the sweets that were slapped on top of it. The only good thing about the cake was the flavoured base. We were off, and to tell the truth, I couldn’t be happier. Back to the parents house we went. Got there, then went to the shop to get what Pia needed to make me something ‘Finnish’ for dinner. I can’t remember what it was or how it tasted, but that’s not to say that I didn’t like it. it was a quiet night with much not being done. Pia was tired so it was called an early night. I wasn’t that tired and at the same time, couldn’t get to sleep. So with nothing else as an alternative, I switched on the computer. I was able to do the usual things, as well as fill in some of this journal and catch up with those in Denmark that I had shared my company with. I also managed to arrange a visit to my mate in Switzerland for some time in November, which we both couldn’t wait for. Nothing else that needed to be done, and with all the things that I needed to do tiering me out I went to sleep. Usual routine for the morning, then Pia told me that we were going to visit her parents at the family’s holiday house and we were also going to go to Vasa for the rest of my stay. So here we were, after packing my backpacks, Pia was taking me to her family’s holiday home which wasn’t that far away, it was in Jakobsen just around the corner from where Pia took me to eat the burgers we got after we had just met in person for the first time. Nice holiday house, and like the others around the coastal park woodland, they were doing renovations. For Pia and her family they were re-building their house and ‘holiday-living’ in a little shed next door to it (that makes out that her family’s poor, but it’s tough to explain what it was and looked like). Well with her mum and dad still doing work on the holiday home for another five minutes, Pia took me down to the rocks in the water and the little pier just down the sandy path with grains spread amongst it. As we walked down, everyone kept saying ‘Hello’ (Ok, well not Hello, but whatever the Finnish word is for Hello), Pia told me that most of her relatives lived in most of the other houses around. Got to the beach, rocks and little pier. Walked and jumped among the rocks. Being a little pier, no more than ten meters long and one meter wide, we went on it one-by-one. I nearly fell off for some reason, but I had control and could’ve chosen to fall in and make Pia laugh and enjoy the time or do what I did and just act like a clown ‘trying’ to get my balance back. We headed back. Pia’s mum and dad were taking a breather and allowed us to join them around the table. Not much happened, there was food on offer (can you guess what happened??) I couldn’t help but be a pig. It was like junk food or as we backpackers say ‘luxury food’. It was only biscuits with fruit in them and others homemade and others with chocolate. The other thing that happened was talking. Yep, talking. They talked, Pia interpreted and I just gave a very simple to follow answer. There was a lot of talking about maybe meeting Pia’s fiancée, which I wasn’t too fond of doing, but I embraced 3 of the Danish girls’ boyfriends. The food was running out, mainly cause of the pig that I am (ha ha). Something happened and we were on our way. Shortly after, Pia saw her fiancée driving a dump truck going the other way, to the holiday house to help out. Pia quickly told me that she thought it was him, I naturally quickly tried to get a glimpse. Nope couldn’t see him. So we were on our way to Vasa. On top of things, it was only about 200 K’s down the Highway, it was raining down hard making it pretty tough to see the road in front and I was feeling really tired. So as Pia tried to drive in the heavy rain with a tractor going slowly in front, I was distracting for her. I kept falling asleep, and Pia kept staring over, the times when I was awake, it got a bit frightening when she drove and stared. She was responsible and she knew when to turn back onto the road when she needed. It took a while, but with me falling asleep for bits of the journey, it didn’t seem that long to me. Oh, I wonder why?? . Just as Katarina did, Pia drove around the town, showing me the things interesting to her. The pizza shop that’s her favoured one in Vasa out of a choice of 5, her uni, the main streets and of course the place that her and her fiancée live at. Still with pitta-patters of rain falling, we got out of the car to walk to the apartment. The place that it was, were three story buildings scattered within a small area. Pia’s one was a bit fair away from where her parking space was, but luckily was on the ground floor. I carried my big backpack to the apartment, I only thought the walk was going to be to the apartments just in front of where Pia had parked. I turned out to be wrong and had to deal with the consequence of carrying my bags in my hands along with Pia’s help, while also trying to manage not dragging or dropping them on the wet puddled gravel. We got inside, dropped my bags and just had a bit of a rest. it wasn’t too long after till we left again and were back on the road. Pia drove me into the center of the city so she could show me around, after a bit we went back to the apartment. Pia showed me around the 2 story apartment. Then cooked up a Finnish dish. Finally I was going to taste some Finnish food. While it was cooking, Pia suggested that we pull out the TV (they had it hidden, cause you have to pay a TV tax if you are found watching one or close to that definition). We set it up. Pia had plenty of movies but no DVD player to watch them on, her fiancée had taken both of their laptops, which were the DVD player, to get fixed or something. A friend who lived close by had came around and let us borrow his for the night. The company was now spread amongst 3, we were sitting on a big bed so it wasn’t as the saying goes ‘three’s a crowd’. Ha, no sex was involved. . The other bloke left shortly after, leaving Pia and myself to enjoy the movies and the home cooked meal. It tasted and looked like a pasta or bolognaise pie. It was bloody tasty. The movies had finished, it was getting pretty late and dark, we were both tired and it was a long while since dinner had been finished. We went to sleep (in separate rooms) and dreamt as a new day was to come. I’m pretty sure there was another day I was in Vasa, but if there was it’s been totally forgotten about. Woke up and had a wash, breaky and before I knew it Pia was talking about today being my last day with her. I had totally forgot the day that I was meaning to leave Finland. I quickly said that after breakfast I’d have to pack my bags. Ha, well that wasn’t anytime shortly after. There was a plentiful offering for breaky and I volunteered to stay to finish every last bit of food that was left over. Ha ha. Getting the idea that I’m a pig yet?? . I decided to finish breaky, cause I needed to get a move on if I was gonna make the ferry for Sweden in time. I went upstairs, packed my backpacks, heaved my bags one-by-one downstairs to the door and took a last look at the place then we took off. With my bags in the boot, we were heading to fulfil one of ‘Pia’s visiting requirements’ (all the people (I’ll face it they were all female) I visited, I had made them make a promise with me that revolved around my stay with them. With Anja it was a night on the town. With Katarina it was to get drunk, have a good time and visit the surrounding attractions as well as the Roskilde Festival. With Nadia, two promises were made pre-trip. 1, to watch (for my first time) the movie ‘The Boondock Saints’ (which still has not been fulfilled as of yet) and 2, take a tour of Horsens hosted by Nadia herself. With Eva, well with Eva she wasn’t that type of person. She wanted to just see how things went, but one thing did overturn her, her fravioute club. She wanted to take me to De Niro her fravioute nightclub in Silkeborg. Now it was time to fulfil Pia’s promise, can you guess what it will involve? Given up? Don’t just yet, take a guess? Ok, give up. Food. I hadn’t had a pizza from a shop before while on My EuroTrip but it was gonna change. But first there was the dilemma of my plane to London to be dealt with. We parked in the underground car-park underneath the super market and went to a travel agency. We found one in the city’s center square, it was a couple of levels up from the ground and quite different from a normal travel agency. The travel consultants worked behind a desk, but there was a big board blocking the customers view. So all that could be seen was where the travel agent was meant to be to serve you, that should be right but it’s nice to see more than you should. Well the price stated was high for what sounded right. I wasn’t too happy but being the person I am told them to hold it and I’ll get back to them. They got Pia’s number for contact purposes. I told Pia that I wasn’t too happy about it (I more likely showed her and didn’t have to tell) and asked if there was another travel agency around. Pia said that she wasn’t too sure. Surely there was another one around, it was a big city after all. Lucky enough there was one, just around the corner. We went in and it really showed that this travel agency really could give a stuff and more pleasing to know their weren’t any barriers like the other one. So we could see what was happening, well almost. For those who don’t know, I’m a very picky person and that can really get on people’s nerves. My requirement for my flight to London was simply three things. Leaving in about four days (the next weekend), cheap and a flight to anywhere in London from anywhere within Denmark, Sweden, Norway or Finland (simply put, where my ScanRail pass was valid). Well this other travel agent was nice and way better than the other one. She (yes it was a she, what can I say. I just kept attracting women to me while on My EuroTrip. Ha ha) looked up every airport that she could that fitted my criteria, as results came the price kept falling till it was about 100 Euros (double in Aussie dollars, I think). It was way cheaper than the other agent who had quoted us with in excess of 200 Euros. I didn’t have enough money with me, so we agreed to book it now and pay for it when I came back to pay for it. The lady told us that it would take about 10-20 minutes to process it (contact the airline and all that). Pia and myself left and went to the car to get the money. On the way, we talked about how much cheaper it was and what a difference it was. Ha, we made up another thing and I’m sure if I ever go back to see her again and we’re near the town square we’ll bring this up. We said how the first travel agency had priced us big time, so simply we just kept referring to them as ‘the evil travel agency’. lol. Bloody fun that little moment was. Got to the car, got the money then went back. On the way back we decided that this was the final stop as in looking for the ticket to London, cause time was a factor now with only about an hour and a half till my train left from Vasa station. We also decided not to do anything about the evil travel agency, cause quite frankly we didn’t like them. We got back with happy faces, the lady was with a customer, so we had to wait. ‘Ha, hey look. Some brochures of the ferry I caught to get here and the one I’m going to catch back to Sweden’ I mentioned to Pia, but when she took a look the lady was done and called us over. The lady told us that the booking she had made for me was with an airline or airport that the agency doesn’t deal with. But what was even more surprising was what was to happen to the changing airfare. The lady found another airfare after doing a bit more searching and found one that was cheaper than the one she had quoted us before. I payed for my flight to London. It was going to be one of the early flights at 6am. Leaving from Goteborg, Sweden (1 of the 3 big cities of Sweden. Well knowing that I was leaving from Sweden, you could’ve guessed that I was ecstatic and the feeling would stay with me until that plane was in the air. With time really not being on our side Pia and myself got out of the travel agency with the flight ticket and our thanks to the travel agent for all her help. We went to the car and as we were walking in the underground car park we saw a bloke also walking around, but suspiciously (I know it’s spelt wrong). Pia made the comment to me, ‘It’s Memphis Rains’. She had said it quietly so the bloke wouldn’t hear her, but I didn’t know what she was talking about. So I asked, ‘What?’ ‘Memphis Rains from the movie Gone in 60 Seconds. We saw it the other night’. Ha, yeah it did seem a bit unusual and was just like the scenario of the movie. Got in the car and drove off, we didn’t see any cars get boosted as we left. lol. It was a short drive to the pizza shop, Pia’s pic of the town. We went in and were told to sit down while being handed menus, the menus were both in Finnish. A problem for me, but not that big of a one, with Pia there to interpret. Lucky enough Pia asked if they had one in English and they did. A lot of hassle taken out of the equation now, but it wasn’t going to do much. By the time I got given the menu in English, I had already chosen what flavour I’d have, from Pia’s interpretation. I ordered a Hawaiian type pizza, the difference being that it had Blue Cheese on it. The pizzas came and we also got drinks as well, Pia a Pepsi, me a Sprite. Time not being on our side, we managed to have a slice each at the booth we were sitting at. I opened the pizza box up. Whoa ho wo. The pizza in Finland was a lot different then back home. The big difference was that the pizza wasn’t bloody cut up. I asked Pia and she replied ‘I hadn’t noticed, I guess that’s because I’m so used to it’. She asked for a knife and fork and we each received. We had to get a move on, we were out of there heading for the station. Got to the station, Pia parked near the main building so it would be easier for me to carry my bags. I plopped them on the nearest station bench and went back to Pia, got my pizza and drink and took them over with the rest of my bags with Pia following. Talking and saying how nice of a time it had been and also to meet up. Pia had to go, but I managed to have her stick around till we were able to get a couple of photo snaps. A couple of photos were taken, with someone helping with the second taken. Pia took off, I waved her off and it was all done. The last person of my EuroTrip visited, now it was time to go to the UK to work for money so I could explore the rest of Europe and visit the others I knew around Europe. Perhaps I’ll come back to Scandinavia, well I’ll have to cause I’ve still got a good solid week left on my ScanRail pass.

The trip to England. So there I was alone and sitting with a bench full of bags while being a pig eating a pizza. Although I had to take my time eating cause I had to stop to cut the pizza up and all I had to use was a plastic knife and fork. The drink wasn’t much help either, it wasn’t a twist top like back home. You had to have a bottle opener to open it. Eva and her mates had tried their very best to teach me the trick to opening a bottle with a lighter, but I couldn’t achieve the trick myself, besides I wasn’t a smoker so I didn’t have a lighter. However I was a bartender, but then again I left my barman’s maid (an all in one bartender tool) back at home. So the drink was left not being opened and the pizza was getting cold cause it was taking a while to cut it each time. The blue cheese had made a different taste come to light, but it wasn’t as tasty as all the Scandinavian food that I had a taste of during my EuroTrip. With about two slices of pizza left, I saw a light approaching down the track. Vasa was the last stop for the main trains, so there was only need to look one way for the train. It wasn’t the train, it was a small truck or something. However shortly after, another light approached. This light did turn out to be the train. The train got into Vasa station, after about 10 minutes the people who had goten off the train were nowhere to be seen near the station. All clear to hop on, swift and a struggle with my backpacks and I was on the train nicely sited and just glad to be on the journey to England to earn some money so I could explore the rest of Europe. The train left about 15 minutes after I had gone on it. Being that there weren’t many trains that went to Vasa a day, the 2pm train that I was on was the last possible one that I could catch If I was to catch the ferry tonight for Stockholm. I was leaving the middle of the west coast of Finland and going to the middle of the Swedish west coast. The journey would take two days, possible three and it wouldn’t be as big of a hassle as the journey to Vasa was. I had no choice but to go straight to Turku because I was catching the last possible train from Vasa, I would’ve have liked to have gone to see the other side of Finland for about 10 minutes, but there simply was not enough time. Nothing special happened on the trains I had to catch to Turku. I was able to rest and relax but couldn’t afford to sleep. I had to change trains once to get to Turku. Everything went smoothly, and this time the train announcements were in English as well as Swedish and Finnish. Very relaxing apart from the fact that the trains’ weren’t the best. However, I did manage to start on something that I was planning I would finish on the flight to London. I started a letter to my mum, to tell her, quote, ‘every other detail, cause it’s the little things that count for a mother who’s only child is not there’ (the quote went something like that, you get the pitch). By the time I had to get off in Turku, I had already finished three rough pages (ha yep, you read right ‘pages’. The letter turned out to be like this journal, very long). Arrived in Turku, but unlike when I came to Turku, this time I had decided to catch the connecting train to the docks. The train was full to say the least, and even more terrifying for your one and only backpacker the ferry terminal was chokka blocks full of people. Being Jamesy, I saw a good looking bird in the ticket line in front of me. She had a backpack on, long but bunched up hair. I said the usual talk thing, turns out she was from Italy. That was about it, her turn was next to get a ticket and that’s when she disappeared into the slowly boarding crowd. I got my ticket, presented my passport and ScanRail pass for my discounted ticket and was off to join the crowd of passengers who were slowly moving to board the ferry. Well it took a while but sure enough once on the ramp into the ferry it wasn’t as crowded, as soon as I got in, I knew what to look for, but the door was shut, I thought for a second about asking if the free storage room was open for the journey? But I couldn’t be bothered. So I quickly found a little space in one of the seating areas, behind a couple of game machines (they seemed like gambling machines, and through-out the journey little kids were playing them, by struth it was a totally different culture). Well, just like before, it was a night cruise and not much was different from the cruise I took about 5 days ago, apart from it wasn’t exactly the same ferry that I had caught. With that, the buffet dinner was on. As quickly as I could think about it, I went to the cashier and pulled out all the Euros and Swedish Kroner that I had on me, for two reasons. One, to make sure that I didn’t go down too hard on the other cruise by not missing out on the buffet dinner and 2, to get rid of all that loose money I had on me. It’s just occurred to me that the food in Scandinavia was food that I don’t usually eat because it all revolved around seafood and healthier-than-junk-food foods. So there wasn’t too much that I liked, but I did try everything even when I had no idea what it was. The result just like every other taste of food that I had, tasty as can be, bloody beautiful. It was all-you-can-eat (for those who don’t know, that’s what a buffet is. ) including the drinks, they even had beer and wine included in the buffet. The beer didn’t taste the best, and it wasn’t a real beer cause you only had wine glasses as a choice of glass. I’m no expert when it comes to wine, but it was better than the one I had with Eva and her brother. lol. I think I only drank half a glass of each of the alcohol beverages, and just pigged out on the soft drink. Well needless to say, the easy-to-get-away-with reason of the food wasn’t in my favoured category, every 2nd meal I had was deserts. So, in all I had about 6-8 meals, I just pigged out on the deserts once my stomach was telling me I was gonna get an ache. Ha ha. I didn’t get sea-sick. Compared to the first cruise I had less sleep and spent more time in the disco, the outside decks and the bar/entertainment lounge. I had about 3 hours sleep, and nothing happened to my bags. I did more writing of my letter to mum on the ferry and that’s when it happened. My pen had run out of ink, I was meaning to get another one but never ended up getting a pen. Every time I would remember I would be in the middle of one of the train rides. Before long, we reached Stockholm. I had figured out on the ferry that I would have an extra day before I had to be in Goteborg, So I gave myself the choice between two options. 1, surprise Amanda with a visit in her hometown in the south of Sweden near Malmo or 2, go to Oslo, Norway so I could say that I had been to each of the countries, that make up mainland Scandinavia, capital cities. I was more or less shoved into the option that I went with. I didn’t have a sim-card that worked in Sweden, so I couldn’t contact Amanda (my nickname for her Mandi). So Oslo it was. I was walking the walk to the main train station, and looking around as I held my backpack up while it was on my back so it wouldn’t strain as much. As I was looking around the passing views, I was saying to myself, ‘yes, this is Sweden’. I could’ve stayed in the number 1 country that I’ve always wanted to go to, but I had already made my plan and besides, with all my bags with me, it just wouldn’t feel as nice as it could. I took a way different to that of when I went to the ferry, I just simply didn’t want to get lost so I followed the trains in the distance. Before long I ended up in the fabulous main hall of Stockholm central station by following the trains. Looked at the main electric board with the trains leaving. Oslo in about 6 mins from platform… I didn’t know what platform was where so I just followed the signs, and had to rush with the little time I had. The knowledge that I had acquired so far along my EuroTrip journey told me that trains didn’t run between cities that often and took a while to get there. Examples; Copenhagen -Stockholm, 4-5 trains a day, 5 hours. Vasa station outwards, 3 trains a day. As for this one, Stockholm – Oslo, 4 trains a day, 5 hours. Now this distance wasn’t as much as the Copenhagen – Stockholm train, but it was the same time. A fast train wasn’t used, but the train wasn’t as bad as the ones to and out of Vasa, Finland. I got on the train, presented my ScanRail Pass to the conductor when they requested it and was just relaxing with the excitement of seeing Oslo and another country whilst looking out the window and seeing the country side of central Sweden go by. An announcement came over the train speaker, first it was in Swedish, then Norwegian and then English ‘We are now passing the boarder. Welcome to Norway’. First and only time that would happen ever on My EuroTrip, it felt pretty cool. With nothing to do, I took out the book that I had brought when Pia and myself went shopping and went through the letter to my mum that I had written so far. There was a lot that needed changing and more that needed to be put down, but with no pen it couldn’t be done. Arrived at Oslo station, quite the competition for Stockholm station. It was big and more spread out. I didn’t want to stay in the one spot just looking at what the windows restricted my view at looking at, so I found the baggage lockers, but being a cheap basted I hid my bags on the side of the lockers between them and the wall. They were safe and sure enough were still there when I came back. I took the time I had to go up the main street and take in the busy spectacle that was the crowds of shoppers about. I got a map of the city while I was at the station and went looking for the library. Backpacker tip; every big library has free internet access that you can use. I found it checked my emails and replied back. There was one from the work agency that I had gone through to get me a job. Confirming my arrival dates for the job that I had accepted to do via email when I was at Pia’s place. I had to reply back saying that there was a change of plans and that I’d be in London two days earlier. On top of things I said that there was no way that they could contact me until I was at the agreed place I was to work at. While I had access to the net, I checked out the suggested site for looking up trip info for ScanRail Pass holders. There were only three trains a day from Oslo to Goteborg and the next one had just left. In about 4 hours was the next one and it was more of an express train than the one that had just gone. I had to move it if I was to catch the next and last train to Goteborg. As I was walking back to the station, my foot began to hurt big time each time I took a step on it. I was in too much of a rush to check what was wrong, still in pain I walked. Took a little breather at a big building (which I later found out was the royal place or something of great importance). It was overlooking the landscape of Oslo and the main street. What a beautiful site. Just like in Denmark, there were royal guards outside with guns in hands. I managed to get another holiday maker to take a photo snap of me with the guard (I was looking a bit slack, with a ‘thumbs-up’ beside the guard. I was a bit afraid to go any nearer to the guard). I proceeded a bit further on towards the main street, and decided to take another snap. This time self made with the main street and site of a mountain with my face which looked as to say ‘what on earth?’ (it was being scrunched up). Apart from the pic with Nadia, it was the most looked at pic on my camera that I looked at while on my travels. It was a really good pic and proberly the best and most expressionist one that showed the ‘un-boring’ side of me. Walking in the main street, then ended up at the station. I got my bags out from their hiding spot and went to the station train board. I looked up the train to Goteborg and went to the platform. Had to wait a bit, but it wasn’t too long. Nice looking red fast train. nice and comfy inside as well and the journey was very comfortable indeed. Arrived in Goteborg, and being the cheap basted decided to walk to the airport. I decided to follow the road signs with a plane on them meaning airport this way and that’s when the trouble started. First it turned out that I was walking in the opposite direction, and was told that the airport bus left from the station with the airport being in the other direction. Fair enough, went back to the station, had a look around and couldn’t see any busses going to the airport or let alone the airport bus stop. I then went walking in the right direction only to have the path stop by the signs for the airport pointing to go onto the freeway. I walked back and decided to try and find the bus, I couldn’t find a stop and I was walking up a winding hill. I dropped my bags on a near-by grassy hill and proceeded to the top to the nearest bus stop. Nope the bus didn’t come along here, I was a bit lost with it being pitch black and around midnight. Leaving me a bit confused, distraught and bloody tired I went back to my bags. I turned the winding corner back down the hill, to find a lady on the phone. Oh no. Nothing drastic, she was just concerned cause someone had left their bags all alone. I got a lecture, but wasn’t really in the mood. I asked her, once she was done, if she knew where the airport bus went? She didn’t really know but pointed me to the right direction. Sure enough I had found one of the stops for the airport bus, but because of my arriving antics in Goteborg, I had missed the last bus. My flight was first thing in the morning, so I had to catch the first bus that left in the morning. I went back to the station, and waited for the 5 hours in-between. First thing first, find the bus stop. I walked around the station, not much the train, a big car park the main building. I asked a person, then was pointed to the big car park and said it went from there. It turns out that the big car park was in fact the bus station. Everything was closed, but I managed to get in. The building was closed but I was able to peer through the window at the bus board, the airport bus was to leave at stop 2 at around 5 am. At least I knew where I was meant to go now. I saw two other backpackers sleeping by the side of the train building so I joined them, when they awoke during the night they were wondering who I was. They were French or something and we didn’t really talk to each other. I tried my hardest not to fall asleep, and it worked. It was a long wait though, as the hours passed on I just wished it was 5am already. As it was getting towards that time, I went to the doors of the bus station as they were opening. It was fantastic to just go in and get comfy inside the warmth of the building. Not long after the bus came. I payed for the bus ticket, put my bags on the baggage racks then took a seat at the back. I slept for a little, so nice. I checked my money and took a look at the Swedish krone I still had. I was amazed as I was looking at the money, now I had a memento to say that I had finally been to Sweden. It was a bit funny to see the outside as the bus went past. It was like re-tracing my steps, it was funny in the sense of what I had done was ridicules. At the airport now, swifted my bags off the racks and then went into the airport and to my amazement my flight was already lining up to be ticketed. I joined the que, got to the check in desk, and they told me that I’d have to go to excess baggage cause my arse was to big (Lol. Only kidding). Nah, the real reason was cause I had strapped my sleeping bag onto my big backpack (just like I did when I left Melbourne, but I didn’t have any problems then). So I took my backpack over, got it checked in and proceeded to the customs checkpoint. I remembered to take my belt off before I was near the metal detectors. Everything was all good. I got through, but my little bag that I was taking on board with me had to be scanned again, then the security asked me to go with him. He told me that I couldn’t take my drink (the drink of Sprite that I had goten with Pia with the pizzas) with me and I had to either go outside of the airport to drink it or throw it away. I asked the bloke if he had a top opener, he told me no. Well I had no choice, I had to throw it away. It made me angry when I was watching the bloke throw it in the bin with no concern. That bottle had printing in Finnish on it, my bags had already been checked in so I couldn’t have went back to put the bottle in my big backpack. I mean they know problems like this will happen, why can’t they just have a few bottle openers there, so when you go through the customs check they can offer to open it for you instead of just the one option of chucking it away on your behalf. I mean, bloody fair dinkum, come on. I know it sounds useless, a drink bottle with Finnish words on it, but it was the only memento I had of Finland. It was a bit of a long airport and wouldn’t you know it my plane’s gate was at the far end. It meant that I had to walk past all the ‘duty-free shops’ (if you ask me, they tell you their cheap, but it’s not really) which of course tempted me to buy something. I just had to buy something, couldn’t make my mind up and time was getting by. I wanted to make a decision fast so that the announcement of my flight was boarding didn’t beat me. I settled with a small and the cheapest block of chocolate I could find. I got a move on. As I walked past the windows I looked out side to see the other planes at their gates, it was raining and the tarmac was wet through with no sign of clearing up anytime soon. There was another customs check-in that I had to get through, I presented my passport and there was some confusion understanding what was being asked to me, I just said whatever sounded the better answer. I eventually was allowed through. Got to the gate, don’t know how much time was left till boarding, but it was a while till we could board. It was raining now, not heavy but it was contentious. I was going to fly with SAS (a Scandinavian airline), oh bloody oath I couldn’t believe it when I saw the cabin shelias. My O My it was a beautiful day, uh-hum (as a song goes). Bloody beautiful women. I wanted to try and chat one up as I was boarding the plane, but at the same time didn’t want to hold up the line for the people behind me. Got my ticket done, grabbed a paper (only one of the four on offer was in English) and went forward for the plane. Boarding this plane, wasn’t like back home (the covered runway, the walkway from the airport building to the plane). Boarding here, at Goteborg, the covered runway only led to the ground with you having to walk about 20 or 30 meters to the plane. Being the rainy morning that it was, no one who was with me enjoyed the walk in the rain. Oh yeah that’s right, there were also a couple of good looking shelias just behind me and I would’ve turned around to chat them up, but they weren’t the people directly behind me. The people in front of me, a family, ran to the plane. I walked cause of the fact that I hadn’t had a wash for about the last 2 days. Sadly though, I didn’t get drenched as I was hoping to. On the plane, sat in my seat and even though I was sitting in economy, the bloke next to me seemed as though he belonged in business class. He didn’t have a laptop, but to cut it short, he was acting like a stiff dick, a stuckky uppy type person. No kidding or second guessing needed for what I did once I was comfortable that the plane was safely in the air. I went to sleep, at long last. Yes it didn’t skimpa your eyes, I was afraid. Reason I was afraid was simple enough, it was the first flight I’d be catching where the plane took off from a wet tarmac, so I had to have an emotion of some type. I couldn’t be happy, smiling away possibly making me look very suspicious to everyone watching me, now could I?? Before I fell asleep, I read most of the interesting bits of the paper and then fell asleep. Shortly after I woke up, the pilot made that announcement that we were in a waiting line for landing at Heathrow airport. The plane came down to land. Everything was fine, but it felt as though everything was moving quite fast and the plane’s backside had swang out a bit and we were rushing to the arrival gate. Unlike how we got on, we were able to step off the plane straight onto the covered runway that led from the plane to the airport building. As I moved ahead towards customs, the crowd of people became bigger and bigger. I’m guessing that the other flights came from Australia and China or Japan, cause the majority of people either looked Asian or were holding an Australian passport. Got to the packed out customs gates and the nerves were kicking in. I needed proof that I had enough money in my bank account which I couldn’t find, for the customs person to validate my 2 Year Working Visa. The terror really got to me as I was called to the desk. O no what was going to happen to me. I didn’t know what to say, so I just tried to get the one message clear, ‘I’ve already got work arranged for me’. The customs bloke said ok and stamped my passport, 2 years was my UK expiry date. Hopefully by the start of 2009, my car loan would’ve been payed off and the money borrowed from my parents for entry into the UK was re-payed and I had explored all of Europe along with having many more mates met along the way. It was gonna be a grauwling 2 years, but I had enough will to put me through the paces. Then there I was I had made it to England and was more than prepared for the next two years to come.

The directions to where I was to be met by someone who would take me to my new workplace seemed as though they were made for someone with enough money to get them around London through the quickest way there. It was a very expensive little trip (London is very expensive. Once I got my bags, the best deal I could get for exchanging fifty bucks was a merely 13 pounds (about 30 Aussie Dollars). By the time I had goten to the final stop, I had a bout 75 pence (about two aussie dollars) left). From exchanging my money, I took a quick look at my emails, none from the job agency and I wasn’t too sure how to get there so I was looking for address’. Found the new workplaces’ phone number and found at least an address’ for the job agency. Rang the new workplace up, got the directions then was off with my bags to the Tube (the train system for London). Went to the job agency address’, but it wasn’t the job agency. Instead it was the place where I had to go to set up a UK bank account and get a UK mobile number, I tried to see when I was due to come back for my appointment, but they didn’t have me on their records. I did pay for it, but arrgghh. Bloody a bit angry and just wanted to get to the new workplace so I could have a bit of a rest. Got back on the Tube and went to the station where I had to change train networks. It was only about one or two stops to where I had to get off, so I didn’t do much apart from brace myself for what was to come. Arrived at the station and walked to the front of the station. Waiting there and once again for I don’t know the life of me how many times, my eyes irritated me. Took my glasses off, rubbed and closed them to get some sort of relief and then looked up to see a white semi van pull up with a big brownish looking figure come towards me. It was the person picking me up. Introduced each other and got in the van. On the way I found out, through questions, that we were working in the country-side with not much at all happening as in terms of the night-life. The conclusion came to me that with not having to go out every week, it would mean I would be able to pay my car loan off faster, yes finally alright. We arrived there, the two story white building had the words of the pub/restaurant on it ‘The Cart And Horses’. First thing I did once my room was ready (it wasn’t ready yet due to they had thought I was coming a day later and the person in it had not had enough time to sort their things out of the room) was sleep. I would say that I slept for about 5 hours, then asked if I could start working straight away, they said maybe cause people who’ve just came usually have the first one or two days to rest. I had my rest and just wanted to start earning my money so I could pay my loan off. The big bosses (aka the owners and managers) were married with a kid named Curtis, they were named Ian and Ann (I couldn’t really be stuffed when it comes to writing about my experiences in England, so only a rough guide when it comes to England. Sorry, for all you England lovers). The chef’s name was Andy, and my supervisor was Rae, the same lady who had picked me up from the station. I wasn’t put in the job that they wanted me to work in, cause my resume had said that I was more suited for a different job. I could tell by the end of my time there, everyone wasn’t happy with me being there. Rae didn’t like working in the back to watch over me, she’d prefer to be out in the bar (mainly in my view cause she was a bloody dumb arse, but she was a mawi, or whatever they’re called). When I was there I was the only bloke (apart from Ian and Andy) and Aussie there. I was replacing the only other Aussie and bloke who was working in the Kitchen and had stayed at the restaurant/bar his whole 2 year visa. I was only at The Cart And Horses for about a month and a half, and earned around 700 pounds ($1100 aussie bucks). I was payed 160 pounds a week and only spent 10 pounds a week. I spent the 10 pounds on food and DVDs. Not much really happened apart from the re-cycle of events. My job was to wash the dishes, learning to make the deserts and pre-pare the food as well as take food from the freezer to the kitchen when it was called. That was my job and nothing really changed through-out my time there. Now for the summery.
1st week, brought the 3 Beverly Hills Cop movies that came altogether in a box set. Also, a couple of days after arriving, I found out what was making my foot hurt from when I went through Oslo. It was like some big dark coloured bubble under my foot near my big toe. The pain was annoying. I went to the bathroom and got some nail cutters. Clipped the bubble and blood started flowing out (ha ha, should’ve given you a warning before hand, sorry. Lol). I clipped away till the bubble was inflated and no more. It hurt like hell over the next couple of days but I lived through the pain.
2nd week, Brought the 3 Naked Gun movies that came as a box set.
3rd week, brought the 4 Lethal Weapon movies that came in a box set and also finally finished my letter to mum. After 6 pages and several alterations, the letter was finished.
4th week, brought King Ralph on DVD as well as a new pair of runners and a T-Shirt.
5th week, brought Zoolander on DVD. The days we had off were one full day and the next a half day, I brought Zoolander on the full day and then quickly rushed on my half day to get the National Lampoons Vacation movies as a 4 DVD box set. I got them then, cause the following week I planned on resting. Well the night after I got the National Lampoon DVD’s, Andy and Ann had talked to me, with the simple message that I was no longer needed. Ann kept repeating herself bloody annoying. I didn’t say anything cause I thought she would’ve came up with something new. I put my happy face on, but was really pissed inside cause of my car loan and amongst the fact that I had made plans to rest the following week, but now would have to do what I had planned for one of the weeks after and go see London.
So my last week there, I went and saw London with not knowing where I’d be within the next few weeks. It made me bloody miserable, I ended up making the decision that the ‘transition week’ (the week between leaving The Cart And Horses and finding a new workplace) I’d make the flight back over to where My EuroTrip started, to finish my ScanRail pass on Scandinavia and do the full boil of all three countries (Denmark, Norway and (mainly) Sweden. I decided to give Finland a miss due to how far away it was). When I got back I asked Ann and Ian to book my flight to and from Scandinavia, due to the credit-card-booking-on-the-net factor (no guesses needed that I had decided to fly with RyanAir). By the end of the week, I had booked and had my tickets with RyanAir to Arhus, Denmark (Woo-Hoo, Eva), finished the Vodka bottle with the rest of The Cart And Horses crew with me clearly stating that I wanted the last shot that was left in the bottle, brought a UK sim-card and had arranged to leave my big backpack at the restaurant for me to pick up when I’d get back. I came over to get more experience as a bartender, not as a kitchen hand. Well now that, that whole ordeal of The Cart And Horses was over, I was heading back over to where it had all started, Scandi. The intention of this trip was to see the one country in the world that I’ve always wanted to see, Sweden. I have some mates there, but was it to late to try and organise something to meet up, of course not, when you’ve got a nickname like Wozza nothing’s impossible.

Scandi part 2. Monday night. The night after my last shift, Rae drove me to the nearest town to catch the bus to Stagnated airport. She dropped me off at the bus station at 11pm with my bus not coming until 2:30am. It was a long and scary wait, but luckily I wasn’t bored. O no I wasn’t, after all I was in England. In a town’s dark streets late at night, with it being a chilly night as well. I wasn’t bored, after all I was scared so I had my guard up to protect me so I was alert and awake. Busses came and went, mainly to Heathrow airport and the other towns around, then 2:30 came and a bus approached. It was the same bus company as the one I had booked with, but it was heading the other way. I asked the driver where was the Stagnated bus? He replied, he’s coming, he’s being held up, it’s getting pretty busy (believe it or not, all in the same sentence). About 15 minutes later the bus came and two hours later it would be at Stagnated airport. I got on the bus, it was packed, steamy and all fogged up. Only real seat free was right at the back, right next to the toilet door. Everyone on the bus was asleep or near it anyway and bags were surrounding the bus more than people. You could hardly move, but then again, why do you need to? I took it easy, just relaxing and taking a little nap. I woke up, and decided to be the only one with the light above them turned on, you’ve gotta feel sorry for the bloke trying to sleep next to me and those going to the toilet. Ha ha. I was checking all my info I had, mainly just the flight info. Turned the light off and soon enough the two hours were over. For myself I only had my small backpack to worry about, meaning that it’d be nice and quick to get off the bus. However, sitting at the back, I had to wait for everyone else to get up and off first. I had decided to bring with me two pairs of clothes, casual and my best going out clothes, with one pair including shoes always packed in my backpack. As well as a change of clothes I had also decided to bring the blanket from my Thai Airlines flight, mobile charger with my Australian-European electrical adaptor and my ‘washing things’ (like shampoo, shaving needs, deodorant…). My main intention of my second trip to Scandi was to enjoy myself by using my ScanRail pass to the max, travelling on trains all day and going out for the night, then getting the sleep the next day on the train journeys. I couldn’t wait for my flight and went in the airport as soon as I could. Bloody big airport, RyanAir was everywhere. Found some seats where some monitors were. Everyone there was either taking up 3 seats sleeping or just using the one seat. Evan though there were a lot of people waiting, it was easy to get a seat. The flights were on the monitors, but their status’ weren’t (the info of how long till boarding, and the like). The flight to Arhus was on the 3rd screen, so there was time to wait. I got bored just waiting around with nothing to do, while walking around the flight status said go to check out. I’m proud to say that I was first in line. Got my tickets valid, passport stamped, metal detector cleared with taking my belt off once again while having to hold my pants up, ha ha. Got a couple of bites to eat, including a Danish (surprise, surprise. I was a real jerk). Went to the gate where the plane was and boarded when told to. Boarded the plane, and cause my ticket didn’t have a seat number on it, I asked one of the flight attendants what seat I was in. She said “Whatever one you want, you choose your own seat” with the ‘regular RyanAir passengers’ making smart arse comments with her about my question. I felt like yelling a bit saying that I lived in Australia and we don’t have any low-cost airlines, but chose not to for the reason of every other passenger, that I wasn’t yelling at, would hear as well. I wasn’t angry or any other similar emotion for that matter, just wanted so badly to start the ending of my ScanRail pass so badly. I got a window seat with there not being too many people on the flight. The flight took off and soon we were in Denmark. I tried to point out to myself Horsens and then Skybleak when the plane went from being over a blue to being over a green surface, but in the air you’re lost with direction. A bit of a shaky landing but it was ok. Small airport and as the plane came down to land it was like when is it going to bloody touch the tarmac cause I could only see farms all around. A bit of a shaky landing, but it was ok. Small airport, lucky there weren’t too many people on the flight cause there was only one customs checkpoint open, it was a bit of a wait but got through in the end. Then, I did something that can belong with that saying ‘Better late than never’. My UK sim-card would work anywhere, I learnt from last time where I had several mobile troubles and ended up with 2 or 3 sim-cards, so I took advantage to see if it would really work. I sent texts to about 6 mates that were in Denmark (Nadia who was just down the road in the next town, Eva who was the closest, Katarina and other Danes that I had met along the way a couple of months ago. For some odd reason I didn’t text Anja). Nadia was the first to reply and quite quickly as well. She replied with a good comment, one that won’t be forgotten the next time we meet again, ‘How many mobile numbers do you have?’ and also, what everyone wants to know ‘What are you doing over here again?’. The purpose of my Scandi trip this time was to mainly fulfil three things. Use my ScanRail pass up, experience Sweden and go out every night wherever the train had made me end up. I was going to catch trains all day all over Scandi while sleeping on them and go out to a club, pub or bar at night. Another reason was to see the biggest IKEA in the world at Stockholm, Sweden. The days weren’t that interesting, except for when I was totally lost with time towards the last few days. So a quick sum-up with a tad of detail added is what is to follow. I only had my small backpack with me this time. It may have been small, but it was full. I had decided to pack two pairs of every clothing I had, a pair each for during the day (the train travel with my casual clothes) and for when I went out at night (my pick of my absolute best clothes (what I danced in the dancing competition with), apart from the shoes where my best ones were well and truly worn out and had to be thrown out before I left. My best pair of shoes (my black lace-up formal suit shoes) were to big to pack, I had to settle for my 2nd best pair (white with blue sneaker-looking type gripless shoes, which had holes appearing at the bottom of them and meant had to be also replaced soon). I also decided to pack all of my toiletries, reason being that when I went out at night, I had to look my best. At the end of the week, I wish I hadn’t taken every single toiletries cause they became a hassle. I managed to leave room for food when I had a big train journey ahead. Who are we kidding, we all know that I’m a pig and it was to store food for all the time no matter what. My plan was simple, divide my days into each of the three countries fairly with seeing Sweden the most and seeing as much of the nightlife as I could. I had brought half of the money I earned, a bit too much, cause I wanted to have a really great time. I was out of the small airport of Arhus and went straight onto the departing bus for the city. I forgot the 1 instant rule of landing in a new country, change money. No hassle at all, the driver happily accepted a tenna (a Ten pound note) and gave me back 40 Danish Krone, then I sat at the back opposite a bit of a good looking shelia (she didn’t seem as though she had the qualities of a native, just like me), but to my chatting-up disappointment I couldn’t do anything she was on her mobile the entire ride to the city. I slept a bit and kept getting awoken from text messages from Katarina and a few from Nadia, but still no sign of Eva which was a big disappointment. After a bit, the bus went past some scenery that looked quite familiar to me. It was the shops near Eva’s brothers place. Sadly though I couldn’t tell Eva due to she hadn’t responded to the texts’. We kept going into the city of Arhus and rocked up at the train station. My ScanRail pass had five more days on it and I had planned to leave in eight days with the hope of spending some time with some mates. The restrictions to the ScanRail pass were my back-up plan in case I couldn’t spend time with any mates. To mark a day off on my ScanRail pass I could say that I travelled tomorrow if I caught a train from after 7pm of the day before hand, a stipulation that I took advantage of which became very handy indeed. With that being the whole draw card for the limitations of my Scandi trip, I was set and ready to see more. I decided to do the train after 7 o’clock thing, hmm the next train to Copenhagen after 7 would be at 7:30. It was a long time to wait. Patiently and persisted I asked my mates in Denmark if I could come and hang with them. I had nothing to loose. Texted Nadia, she was too busy working and had no more time for me. Texted Katarina, she was at school and couldn’t be bothered with me paying her a visit, so I gave her a miss. I forgot to text Anja, and all the others that I had met. I was on the train to Copenhagen trying to think of how to change, well I didn’t really take that much of an effort for Copenhagen. I had already gone out to one of the clubs and just felt like the pub scene, so I just wore my casual clothes. It seemed a bit dead, but the places that were open were full. For some reason I didn’t really feel too comfy going into them. I found a pub, turned out to be an Irish one and not really that full, but I was the only youngin’ there. I had one cheap bear, cause once again I had forgotten to change my money. There was a 3 piece light band playing, think they were aussie. The cops came a bit later to say ‘close up’, the owners and regulars didn’t care and kept on going, they came again and this time I left of my own free will. Everything seemed more dead than before, it was 3 in the morning though. Nothing going on, I headed for the station and figured out what tomorrow’s day sight would be, I chose on Stockholm and the world’s biggest IKEA. 6 hours went by and the train finally arrived, it was of course that big silver train. Had no problems like the last time apart from the 4 seat changes, with the feeling of pleasure as I was able to pear out the window and enjoy the surroundings. Arrived in Stockholm 5 hours later and this time I didn’t have to wait cause of my big backpack, got off the train and didn’t know where to go. I didn’t want to go straight away to IKEA, but then again I didn’t want to stick around not knowing what to do. I asked for info on how I get to the suburb it was in. I had to catch the Red line train and my pass didn’t cover the cost. ha ha. It was really unfortunate that I hadn’t spent any money yet, so I decided to start spending some money. Exchanged some money into Swedish krone. Got on the train to the suburb and yeah it was quite busy. Reached the suburb, but I couldn’t find any signs saying something like ‘IKEA this way’. I got lost pretty easily, but easy enough I got back to where I started and saw the bus stop. Most of them went to IKEA. By this time I had changed some money into Swedish Krone but had to get the bus ticket at a ticket machine at the bus stop, as I was told by a bus driver. He waited for me, but I needed help after about a minute just standing there trying to figure out what to do, I went up to ask him for some help. Sure enough it was time to leave and before I could reach the doors he took off, leaving me there stranded. I decided not to catch the bus cause the people waiting for the bus didn’t speak English so they couldn’t help me. It was disappointing that I wasn’t going to see one of the main attractions for a tourist when it comes to Sweden, so I just took a walk around the shops. Not too long after I found a footpath saying ‘IKEA. 2 K’s', what do you know the path was just past the bus stop. Sure enough I followed the signs and shortly after entering, the track led me to IKEA. When it was in sight, the path went underneath a busy road, but before it did I went up the embankment to take a couple of snap shots of IKEA as the whole. Didn’t look that big, more round than huge. I went the rest of the way along the footpath, right up close it looked tall and big. Went inside, the escalators were a bit longer and steeper than usual. I was finally inside the world’s biggest IKEA. Yay alright. You first enter the 4th level but it’s the first floor, from ‘the shoppers’ perspective and on it is the largest cafeteria there (there’s a cafeteria on each level), I got my long awaited Swedish meatballs and couldn’t believe that I was going to fulfil one of my little dreams. I was going to eat Swedish meatballs in Sweden. Oh wow, . lol. It seemed big at first, but as I went down each level it lost it’s charisma for being big by the simple fact that you could see the other side of the level. It was four stories high, by Pia’s interpretation when she translated from the Swedish IKEA website. It was just literally like going around in four continuous circles, a bit annoying. When I got to about the third level down, I said to my self that the one in Richmond (the only IKEA in the state where I’m from in Australia) is bigger. It’s only got two levels but they’re pretty big. I was done with IKEA, there were a couple of interesting items that I wouldn’t have minded buying, but I wouldn’t be able to enjoy my trip if I did. Left IKEA, back along the footpath for the train station, got on the train and went back to Stockholm Central Station. Where to now? Hmm… what’s the next train to the big cities? Oslo, Goteborg, Malmo/Copenhagen. Hmm, where? Took a rash decision and went to Oslo. I’ve gotta say that for a train journey that was between two capital cities and a longer one than the Copenhagen-Stockholm route, the train to Oslo was pretty dull and not that great appealing. The announcement came like it did a month and a half ago, ‘we are now at the Norwegian/Swedish border entering Norway. We are in Norway, welcome’. Arrived in Oslo. Decided to just look around a bit. But before I did I had to choose what train I would be catching next and where to? Taking out my ScanRail pass map of where the ‘free travel’ was bound to, it was a great moment to follow up on yet another one of My EuroTrip minor goals, to go into the Artic circle. There were two places that I could do that, that were ‘free’. Narvik, Norway, but had to leave from Stockholm, which was the furthest Northern town apart from Finland that was in the three countries that I had decided I would spend my time this time around. Then there was Bodo, Norway, leaving from either Stockholm or Oslo. The choice was obvious, Bodo. Bugger, 19 hours. It sure was gonna be a tough train ride and only two trains a day leave. I had time before the next train left. Went and explored Oslo, going the other way to when I went through here last time. Walked past construction sites on the roads and footpaths as well as the buildings. During the walk, I took a breather at a bench and without knowing it until a few moments after moving off, something broke. My wrist band that I got with the amusement park with Eva. I basically went in a big circle to end up back at the station. Oh man, my stomach was a buzzing for some native tucker. But my knowledge of Norway wasn’t good, cause I wasn’t expecting to see any of Norway and for that reason didn’t do any research. I was left to ask the customer help desk at the shopping centre that was connected to the train station. I asked the helper lady a few questions to get my point across, the convo went something like; “Umm, do you speak English?” “Yes” “Oh good. I’m Australian and I’m after something Norwegian to eat. What can you recommend me as what I can have that can be called a Norwegian dish?” “Ohh, I don’t know. You see, I’m only customer service. Let me think, umm… Hellobeaolk” (I don’t know if that’s what she said and if it’s spelt correctly) “What’s that?” “It’s like, umm… fish” “Ohh nice, know where I can get it from?” “Well you won’t be able to get it in here, I think. But there’s a restaurant called The Cantoon Club (don’t know if correct either) that has it, which is opposite the Greater Western Hotel” “Oh good. How do I get there?” “You just go down the stairs at the end and go towards the tall building with the cover over it, in front of you. Ask people as you go, they should be able to help out”. “Oh thanks” “My pleasure”. She was a bit old looking, and not my type, so she wouldn’t be getting any pleasure from me. Ha ha ha. Sure enough I reached outside and was lost straight away. Found a police person and asked him, he pointed me in the right direction and all I did was go up the street he told me to go up, which was hidden from the train station. Sure enough when I found the Hotel, I couldn’t see the restaurant, so I asked a bloke who was already helping some other people. Ha, it was just across the road but on the block before the hotel. I went into the restaurant and it seemed more like a, umm well restaurant, a normal charging restaurant. Oh mate, bloody gorgeous women working there. Holding back my composure and chat-up attitude, I managed to just act normally. Well almost normal, the convo went like; “Hi” “Hej” “Umm, I’m Australian and I was recommended to come here to try some Norwegian cuisine” (I would’ve said ‘tucker’ but she proberly wouldn’t have understood me) “Yes well the menu is here” “Umm and what is there that’s a Norwegian dish?” “All of them”. There was about 5 choices to choose from. I can’t remember what I got, but it tasted nice. I don’t really enjoy fish that much, only when back home and it’s the fish in the fish and chips. Ha ha. I kept looking at the time. Ohh, nearly an hour till the train leaves. I rushed a bit faster towards the last bit of my meal and got on out of there without managing to try to chat up any of the shelias working there. Due to knowing that the train journey would be a very long and tough one for me to handle, I stopped off at supermarkets to buy some food. I brought some doughnuts, bananas, a big bottle of soft drink and a few other snacks that were cheap. Got to the station, got out the ticket that I had to get earlier and checked where I was heading cause I knew I had to change trains once. Troidhiem. Umm, platform 11, where was it? I made the train in time and found some bloke sitting in my seat, I thought he wanted to stare out the window as some people do. Luckily though the seat next to him, which was proberly his, was free. I sat in the free seat and let the bloke sit in my seat, but if there wasn’t a free seat in the four seat area, then I would’ve said something. Well the train was on it’s way and you could tell that they were expecting you to sleep, cause there were ‘night packages’ on the seats with an inflatable pillow, blanket and eye cover. I started eating the food I got as soon as I could, cause there wasn’t enough room to put everything. Started with the doughnuts along with the other pastry food I got, slowly eased off my food so I had some left for the second leg to Bobo. I only drank a little of the soft drink, but come to think of it, it wasn’t soft drink and was the cheapest I could find flavoured spring or soda water, so no wonder I didn’t like it too much. Needless to say that a bit later, I don’t know when, I fell asleep. There wasn’t much leg room that could be shared with the couple in front of me, so resting the legs was a bit of a hassle. When I woke up, I found that the couple had disappeared and a bit later I found out why. For some reason, my pants were wet and so was the blanket. I looked around to follow a huge wet area in the isle running towards the back of the train (I was facing the front end). It was looking as though I had pissed myself. Ha ha. So I covered my lap up with the blanket and just tried to relax. It was night outside and I had absolutely no idea how long it had been already and how much further there was to Trodhiem. A usual occurrence happened to me after I woke up, my mouth was dry. I was also a bit hungry but that’s not a usual thing for when I’ve just slept. I got the food out that was beside me, I must’ve fell asleep with food in my lap, ha ha. Reached down for the bottle of drink, couldn’t grab it in one go. I’m sure I put it by my feet, where the hell is it. It was under my seat rolling within the small space as the train rocked, it’s lid was open. Oh great, the spillage on the floor was my fault and as soon as it became apparent that I was to blame, I quickly got the blanket and tried my best to wipe the liquid up dry. What was left was a sticky floor with the outline of the leakage around it. Well what came next I couldn’t help, but tried to hide it as best as I could. Ha, the floor was sticky and as the train conductor and other people moved through the carriage they were stunned by the floor. I just couldn’t help but laugh to myself, luckily it wasn’t a loud laugh. Not much else happened, the train arrived in Trodhiem and I got off. It was night and about 11pm or 1 am and about an hour till the train left for Bodo. I decided to try and find the nightlife and enjoy it somehow. Trodhiem was a big city (I’ve now found out, from research, that it’s the third big city in Norway or at least one of them). It was a chilly night, then again the country was cold all the time and as I was walking into the city crossing a bridge over a river, a thought came to mind. It was a pretty radical and far-out-there thought for me, the thought was to be the start of the turning for me and I guess I owe it to the wild side of Eva. The thought was, ‘How about jumping into the water naked? Get it on camera so no one misses out’. Ha ha. Well I just wanted to enjoy some Norwegian nightlife first, I walked around and found a pub with a good atmosphere. I asked the barman for something ‘Norwegian’, he tapped on the beer tab and said there all Norwegian. I said yes, he poured it, I went over to a table and drank it and with all the bags I was carrying, needless to say that I couldn’t sit down next to some locals and make some new mates. Unlike the pub in Copenhagen, this one was full of people around my age, it was a real shame that I couldn’t make new mates cause of my bags and the race against time. Well I had to more or less skull the cold beer, which didn’t feel so nice a bit later on. I left the pub and Trodhiems’ buildings and back headed to the station. As I was making my way through, the nightlife was alive and busy with all the joints having bouncers at the door. I got to the river, but couldn’t do anything cause of the time factor. Rushed a bit for the train to Bodo and made it. The train didn’t have the sleeping pack on the seat, even though it was night. The train journey was longer and well worth the scenery that we passed. Eventually reached Bodo, and it was bloody chilly. Made me wish I had’ve brought along my beanie and gloves. I didn’t bring them cause it was meant to be summer or at least the end of it. I was now in the Artic circle. Went walking around the town and of course was on the look-out. I got to what seemed like a ferry/boat station and saw a very little pier just a bit further up, turns out it was a fuel pier for boats. I studied it thinking about angles and the run-up and the sort. It was within the hour before 9 or 10am, so I didn’t have too long to do what I was going to do, if I was to do it at all, until the pier and water front became busy and workers came to work. Would I do it or give it a pass? I jumped into action, cause I was getting tired of just standing around doing nothing, went for a walk up further along the shore line and came to a park where I took a seat. Sitting there, finishing off the food that I had brought in Oslo, the thought came once more. I was close enough to the water and it looked as though, where I was, the ground slopped into the sea. The bit where I was, was hidden away from the buildings of Bodo and some houses as well, thanks to a wooden shed. But then, kids came running about, it was a school sport class or something, luckily I hadn’t stript down. Ha ha. Then a big noise lurked the air, bloody massive noise. I looked about but couldn’t see anything, so I went walkabouts on search for the mystery soundwaves that circled the air. At first I thought an army base or something of the liking was around. Walking around the streets, I didn’t travel too far in case I got lost from the main part of the city and I didn’t have to travel too far either. Making my way back towards the center of town, I saw a plane in the sky coming downwards. It started to rain, so I decided to go to the library to check my emails. Got to the library and the net or email site wasn’t working. Oh well bugger that, I was the furthest away distance that I have been yet away from home. Not much I can do if I need to rush back home or someone in Denmark has invited me for the night. I went out of the library and found the shopping centre. As soon as the rain had started it must’ve stopped again, cause it wasn’t raining when I came out of the library. It wasn’t too long till I casted my eye on a native bird, giving me the eye too. She was doing a survey or something and it was too early to do an intro. Went back to where the boat fuel filling pier was, decided that it wasn’t best to dunk in. If I was wet through, would’ve they let me back on the train?? Cause I didn’t know where the toilets were to change at the station without anybody noticing. Too much at risk for the bad side, I didn’t jump. Went for a little walk convincing me that I had made the better decision. Whoa, time was ticking past, had better go back and try my best with that bird in the shopping centre. Went back through the centre, and wouldn’t you know it she was talking to a perspective customer, I kept on going and a few minutes after I had left the centre, I gave it one more try. Couldn’t see her, bummer and she was giving me the eye. Bugger. Oh well, time to get moving. Opted to fill up on my ‘train snacks’ for the long journey back to Oslo, I went to a supermarket that I had seen earlier. Had about 15 minutes till the train left, had to get my food and get the bloody hell out and run for it. The supermarket was at the other end of the main street to that of the station. I got to the check out and the shelia behind it wasn’t too bad looking. She instantly made conversation with me, it went down a little something like this; “So another backpacker?? Where are you from?” “Australia” “Oh yeah, I know that place” “How do you know English” “I went to school in Sweden, I’m Swedish and had to learn English. British English, American English and yes Australian English. Australian is a lot different from the other two” “Oh it is?” “Yeah, and the Swedish boarder isn’t too far away from here, so now I’m here”, it ended there. I really wanted to ask her out or to show me Bodo as she knew it, but two reasons prevented me. I was in a really tight time frame if I was to catch the next train and she was Swedish, meaning that she wasn’t attractive as a Norwegian. Ok, that second reason, wasn’t really one, but some humour must be added here. I got my bag of shopping, grabbed my bags that I left by the door and started heading for the station. I put the food I had just brought into my small backpack, then ran for the station. I made the train just before it took off. I hopped on the last carriage and walked myself up to the third carriage where my seat was, the train/s had about 13 or so carriages. Sat in my seat and started eating the food that I had just brought. Arrived at Trodhiem and now that I knew how the changing trains at Trodhiem worked, I knew how much time I had to play. It was night and the nightlife was not bountiful like it was the other night. I went to a bar and tried to impress the Shelia behind the bar. She wasn’t interested. I said that I was an Australian and I wanted a cocktail, but one she chose out. It was tasty and at the same time sweet. Went straight from the bar back to the station and this time had enough time to relax in my seat before the train took off. Nice and comfy train compared to the ones I had been travelling on in Sweden. There was a sleeping pack just like the train up here, and just like my flight to Denmark from Australia, I took the pack and put it in the plastic bag that I had received with my shopping. Now I had 2 blankets, an eye cover, ear plugs and a blow up pillow in a separate bag along with my normal small backpack. I slept and it was enjoyable, had to be woken up cause we were arriving at Oslo, I had earplugs in and my blindfold on, so when the train conductor grabbed my shoulder to wake me up, I instantly jumped from being frightened. Ha ha. Packed everything, got off the train and went to the train board, to see where to go next. Only two destinations took my interest and they were both in Sweden, cause I didn’t want to do the whole see Norway at the one time kind of thing and wanted to do the rest of Norway another day. Stockholm or Goteborg? Decided on Goteborg, cause I went last time in a rush and this time I wanted to see the nightlife. In Goteborg now and before the station building shut for the night I managed to put my backpack in an empty locker without having to pay for it. Once done I went to explore what this city had on offer. There wasn’t much of a variety but with the places open I tried to get in. I had no luck. Main reason being that there were a minimum age restriction or something of 25 years. What crap. Very different and a lot bizarre to back home. With nothing to do, I just walked around the city for the remainder of the night and not before too long the station opened again. Went to the locker, sure enough my backpack was still there and hadn’t been touched. Wasn’t really in the mood to go hear there and everywhere today, so just decided to go explore Stockholm. Got on a train and was off to Stockholm. Arrived and wasn’t too sure what to do. Got the map of the capital out that I got with the ferry ride and just looked about finding interesting things. The library. I needed to check my emails. Walked through the big streets to get to the library. They had free lockers there to put your things in, before you entered the main part. I put my things in and took the locker key with me. Went to the computers and tried to access the net, you had to be a member of the library to access it. I tried another computer and was in luck. Used the net to check my emails. There was one from Eva saying that that she had changed her number and hoped I read this before I left Scandi (she knew I had already been to the UK and was back) cause she wouldn’t mind if we met up again. She gave me her new number and I took note. Sadly though, I didn’t have much time left on this trip when she told me that. and no emails with any job offers from the job agency. I was all done on the computer so I was off and decided that seeing on how my things were safe and locked up that I’d take advantage and explore the capital city with more weight off me and more free will. I decided that I’d go to Copenhagen for tonight for Eva’s sake, for it to be cheaper to text, I’d text her when I got into Denmark. Finished exploring Stockholm. Went back, got my things and went back through the city to the station for the Copenhagen train. The streets of Stockholm were busy and packed. It just would’ve been much better if I knew someone around the area or at least a mate had came with me on my EuroTrip to explore the more interesting bits of the city, such as the nightlife. Got to the station and the train to Copenhagen wasn’t the same big silver train that I had caught when I came from Copenhagen, this train was just a normal looking train. Hoped on the train. On the journey to Copenhagen, even though the train was packed out and it only had two toilets working on it, I took advantage to change my clothes and clean myself up. Ha, tough luck for those needing to use the dunny for a crappa. lol. Fully changed and now at Copenhagen, I texted Eva and Nadia as well with trying to organise some time that we could meet up. It was too late, cause nothing could be arranged for either of them. They were flat out busy with work, so nothing could be done now. A major blow with the thought of not seeing any of my mates on this trip I decided to head to Malmo, with the plans of not experiencing the nightlife but to also meet up with my mate Mandi who didn’t/doesn’t live too far away. It was night when I got there, I took a look around and no place would let me in cause of the age minimum and I was wearing sneakers. So I went back to the station and caught a train to the next town up the line, Lund. I got to Lund. and walking out of the station walked past and between a fight breaking out. Hey, I wasn’t too concerned, if they hit or shoved me I’ll just do the same back. Nothing happened to me as I walked straight in between those fighting. Walked around Lund at when it was night with t he background noise of that fight escalating, could hear music and people having a good time, but couldn’t find the places myself. With no luck headed back to the station, thinking of what to do. As I was walking, the fight had came into the street with taxi drivers now running up to the large group fighting, to try and attempt to break it up. At the station, caught the next train. Hoped on it and suddenly a loud knock at the window, the window was tinted as, so it was tough to see who did it. Instantly thought it was Mandi cause she lived in between Lund and Malmo, but found out the next day with some texts’ that it wasn’t. the train I was on was totally different to every other train I had been on. It was a small, one or two carriages, and looking quite worn out. I wasn’t sure if my pass was valid on it, as it was looking to be a local train. Luckily though, it was covered. The train was heading for Malmo and there weren’t any more trains going anywhere. I had no choice but to stay in Malmo for the night. Whilst in Malmo, I talked with the largest person I’ve ever came across, he was a bouncer and pretty friendly (I had to look up for a change. Yes, I, the tall bloke, had to look up to make eye contact). Still, no place would let me in. I walked more and more into the city, and got lost. I found my way back to the station by following the bus stops and busses that were still running. Eventually found the train station, and thought of going to Lomma, where Mandi lives, and perhaps hanging out with her. Went to the bus stop for the bus that went to Lomma and no more busses until tomorrow. Headed back over to the station that was only a lake and another bus station away, to think of what I could do. Thought of doing nothing and sleeping here on one of the sitting benches, but too boring for me. I wanted to try and meet up with at least someone I knew this time around, and all the trains had stopped and Mandi was the closest person I knew. Decided to get up, follow the road signs and walk to Lomma… no matter how far it was. So I did. I started, following the ‘Lomma’ road signs managed to get away from the station and over a bridge, then two blokes approached me. They came up to me, no one else was about and a car was passing every 5 minutes, and asked me where the nearest pub or bar was that they could find some women. ha ha. Well, they told me what they were after once I had established that I wasn’t Swedish and only knew English.. They seemed drunk and where we were was on the harbour/water side of the city, so I came to the conclusion that they must be sailors. Not too long after the two blokes, I gave up and headed back to the station. But if I had’ve known what I was going to do the next day, I would’ve kept going until I found somewhere suitable to sleep. Got back to the station, went to a bench and got ready to sleep. Got my two blankets out, sat on one and covered myself with the other as I changed into my casual clothes. Put the ear-plugs in, the blindfold on, zipped my backpack made it my pillow and put my glasses into an area of the little backpack that they wouldn’t get broken. I was already to sleep, so I did. I got woken up by the cleaners I think, to tell me that the main building was open and that I could go into the warmth of it (it was cold outside). I jumped as always when they woke me up, cause they had to tap my shoulders to wake me up cause I had the ear-plugs in and couldn’t hear them. I packed my things and went into the warmer building. Once I was comfortable, I made my plans for the day. Simply attempt to hang out with Mandi. It was early morning, around 7am so I set off once again for Lomma with not wanting to send a text to her that might’ve woken her up (if I had’ve sent that text, it would’ve turned out to be a different day). Followed the ‘Lomma’ road signs until a roundabout came up stating that Lomma was in two different ways, but I noticed that one of them was the way to a freeway and the other just a normal road. Went with the normal road sign, it was the correct one. It was a 3 hour walk to her town. Although I took a detour to a town before Lomma called Alnarp. Alnarp wasn’t too big and mainly consisted of about three main roads, one going through Alnarp and the other leading to Lomma. In Alnarp I said hello to a quite a few share of people, but decided not to knock on anyone’s house, ha ha. Went up the road that lead to Lomma and was there. When I got there I took a photo of me beside the ‘Lomma’ sign as proof that I had been to Lomma in the case that Mandi and I couldn’t meet up. As I went around her town the exchange of texts between Mandi and myself were too far apart, so I couldn’t ask her if I could meet up with her. Her excuse, later on, was that she was sick with a cold. Lomma, isn’t that flash of a town, well from what I could tell, but it was bigger than Alnarp. There were three busses that stopped in the center of town where they were also two supermarkets along with some shops. My time spent in Mandi’s town, was texting her, getting some ice cream that was on special (make that a two litre tub of ice-cream, lol), getting a hamburger meal and eating it on the beach. I couldn’t eat all the ice-cream, it was melting more faster than I was getting cold from eating it, even though it was sunny and nice out. I desperately sent a text to Mandi saying that I was in Lomma and wanted to see her, reason being that I thought it would’ve been nice to give her and her family the rest of the ice-cream. I waited about 10 minutes for a reply, but to no prevail. I threw the tub in the bin along with the rest of the rubbish and went along my way to try and find my way back to where I cam from. Got lost in houses, but ended up back to where I started. I saw some bus stops on the way here, but had no idea where the closest one was. Thought about going to the closest house to ask, but decided not to in case it was Mandi’s (which turned out that it was in fact her house, when she told me later. what are the odds?? lol) and wouldn’t be able to explain myself if she did answer (I was still a scaredy cat). Went along the main road that lead me to those three busses before, not too long after I thought I saw Mandi riding her bike up the next street. I went down it for a bit and saw a shop or something and thought that she might’ve gone there and if she didn’t at least it’s a good place to ask for directions. I couldn’t see a bike near the little supermarket and it took a while to get to the registers (you had to go right in, then walk till you got to the check out. Hmmm… come to think of it a bit like an IKEA store. Ha ha). I asked with a bit of confusion from the language barrier, and followed the directions. The nearest bus top was for a bus that wasn’t running today. Had no choice now but to walk the rough 1 and a half K’s to where the three busses were before. I was tired and my feet were flat out tired. I could not be tired and secretly was hoping that Mandi would send a text saying come and hang out, I’m right behind you. ha ha. But no text was received from her until a few days later. Managed to finally reach the bus stop, with the bus coming shortly to take me to Malmo. I payed for the ticket, had some rest on the bus and just relaxed the rest of the way. I kept checking my mobile and being seated was able to feel around my pocket better. My mobile was easy to find, but I also found that I hadn’t returned the locker key in Stockholm. Hope they haven’t replaced the key, cause I’ll be bringing it back soon. Decided that once I got back to the station I’d have to go back to Stockholm to return the key. Everything was an idea which couldn’t be planned on a due course of not knowing train times. The idea wasn’t a plan for a good reason, in case something like this happened. The bus went to Malmo, but it didn’t go to the train station. It stopped on the other side of the city compared to where the train was and if I was going to catch another bus, it would’ve cost more. My feet were tired and during my walk through the city, I walked into two things. Walked straight into concrete sculptures or structures, hurt my legs until I was on the train for Stockholm. Just the normal looking train to Stockholm, which meant, compared to the Big Silver one, that it was about an extra two hour journey. Hoped I would make the library before it shut. I ended up getting there too late and was now stuck in Stockholm and couldn’t find any good places open to go to, only restaurants were open. I had my best clothes on and the only place good enough that would let me in was the casino. It was majorly jibbed. I had to pay to get in and even worse register, even though I wouldn’t be going back. Had to supply my passport as ID and everything was fine. The lady who welcomed me and registered me was a beaut of a good looking shelia. I told her that I was after the nightlife and was only at the casino for somewhere to go. She was very nice and told me that the nightlife really happens in the south of the city. So I was quite disappointed, I had already paid to register (what the F’n bloody hell?? Register. Ridicules) and really only came in to have two drinks then leave when I got bored. I had my two drinks and had already played a little roulette with no luck. I had decided I’d be leaving shortly but wanted to take advantage of on more ‘luxury’ while it was at my disposal. I asked at the service desk ‘where the toilet was?’ The security bloke replied with ‘and then you’ll be going?’ I was a bit stunned, but just had the toilet on mind. I didn’t know what to say, apart from ask my question again. I did then he repeated his answer more firmly this time. I said ‘yes, I’m thinking about leaving soon. Why?’ ‘Well, sir. You seem like you’ve had enough. You seem drunk. The toilets are just around the corner there and then you’ll be leaving afterwards’. I was done with the ‘luxury’ of the well-maintained toilet facility. lol. I was leaving then was met at the door by the security bloke and another bloke ‘escorting’ me out. I got my bag which I put into the free baggage room. Said my thanks to the people for letting me in and left a bit cross at that security bloke, but at least I’m taller than him and have more hair than him. Bloody prick. That good looking shelia was no on the door so I said thanks as I went past her. Went to the station as my bit drunken status, it wasn’t open yet so I got the blanket out wrapped it around and just sat on a step waiting for the station to open. When it open a few hours later I was fresh from alcohol but draining for sleep. I randomly chose to hop on the first train that was leaving, it so happened to be the airport train. Got on it, and now at the Stockholm Airport had a little look around as the sun was coming up. Not too different from Copenhagen’s airport but I wasn’t too sure about the closeness to the sea factor. Was done, cause it was boring and I just used the airport trip as a time killer and thought killer of that security bloke who was a bloody prick. Went back to Stockholm and decided to go to some towns not too far away, to get rid of some memories (yes, sounds really bazaar, but there is a reason which is way more sinister) It was the last day that I was willing to travel around by train with my ScanRail pass until the final trip to Arhus for the bus to the airport. For the last day I planned to go to Copenhagen to party the night away with whoever came along. The plans to Copenhagen were simple but they didn’t work out. Simply catch the big silver train to Copenhagen from Stockholm, simple enough. Right? Well looked up the next train for Copenhagen and managed to get on it before it left. Had troubles with the train conductor and was a bit afraid that I’d get a fine, so I got off at a station that, by my ScanRail map, went a back way to Copenhagen. I got on a train that went to the changing station for the back-way train for Copenhagen. Arrived at the exchange station and decided to get some food for the little journey. Wouldn’t you know it, food would be my downfall tonight, it made me miss the train by about 5-15 seconds. I ran along the platform and the train was just taking off, to my surprise it was the last train. I waited a few hours and didn’t know what to do, it was quite cold outside and I was in the small station building with not knowing the shutting time for it. Ended up catching a bus to a near by town hoping that I could catch a train to a connecting station that ran along the main line. The station didn’t and the town looked pretty rough as I walked around the streets of it. I was desperate to find somewhere for the night, when I came to the decision I was only interested in where the closest hotel was, Evan though I had seen several other hotels in the town, I was too buggered to go to each one to find the cheapest price. Found the closest hotel and payed for the night. I was lucky to get a room at all, it was about 15 minutes till the reception closed and there was only one room left available. It was the only hotel and payed accommodation that I had on the second part of my Scandi trip, the other times I slept at stations or at best tried to stay awake to sleep on the train/s the following day. Got to the room, settled everything and put it down. Relaxed a bit with the tele on and was able to change my mobile up. I got a text message from Mandi and told her where I was with the little hope that she’d get her dad or someone to drive her over to where I was (I was in the southern region of Sweden but on the East coast, Mandi was on the west coast). I wasn’t too sure how far the distance was, the thought just happened but I didn’t push it and say anything. She didn’t come and went to sleep. I watched a bit of tele with an American show on (umm, Bones, I think). Subtitles on, more similar to Danish programming and not Finnish. Was way too tired and just needed to use the ‘luxury’ of the best to my full advantage, so I just went to sleep. Woke up, had a wash with taking full advantage. There was one more thing to take advantage of, the buffet breakfast. usual things on offer, cereal, toast… After I was done, had to get a move on to the station for the train to Copenhagen. Arrived in Copenhagen and a thought hit me, but it would end up to be a costly one for time not to be on my side. The thought was considerate and a strange one that in the end did nothing but waste time. To re-visit each of the main town’s of three of the four Danes who had allowed me to visit them on my initial visit. I felt quite bad that I hadn’t told Anja that I came over again and even had a worse feeling cause I kept forgetting and when I did my mobile had a flat battery. It was morning, around 10am and first stop was Roskilde and an attempt to get Kat to meet up with me but had no success. Kat was stuck at home doing homework. At Roskilde, it took me a bit of a while to realise, I had a big dilemma just happen to me. It was too easy to get around, reason being a bag was missing. I went to the station to say that I had lost a bag on a train, but they couldn’t really help me. The thing was that the bag could’ve been lost on any of the trains that I caught from Kalmar (I think that’s where I stayed in the hotel) to Roskilde and even worse, cause I was travelling on a ScanRail pass the trains couldn’t be tracked down to find out if the bag was still in the seat I was in. I went back to Copenhagen’s main station and went to the lost and found, nothing of what I had described had been reported in yet. The lady behind the desk told me to ring in a few days, but that would’ve been useless cause I was flying out tomorrow. Ended up totally forgetting about it. All that was in the plastic bag that I had lost were the two blankets and the things that I had received from the Bodo train journey. Had to get my mind off things, but couldn’t really cause I was reporting my situation as it developed to Kat and Nadia. Decided to get some tucker in me, but chose the backpackers diet of fast food. KFC. I told Nadia what I was getting and she was like ‘KFC? What’s that? There isn’t one in Arhus and there for sure isn’t one in Horsens’. I was amazingly surprised (I took a look at the website and Denmark was not mentioned. The closest neighbour that was, was Germany). Got my KFC meal and went to catch my next train. It was well into the afternoon now and the rush peak was starting. I switched trains at Roskilde and caught a less busier train to a connecting train that went to the only station on mainland Denmark that had all the trains travelling on the mainland stopping at it, Middlefart. Ha, I kid you not, it’s the actual name, not too sure about the spelling though. The real reason why I changed train was cause I needed a seat so I could charge my mobile up, on the train to Copenhagen from Arhus I witnessed someone using a laptop connected to an electrical outlet just above the train and since then, that’s how I’ve been charging my mobile. It was night, decided to go to Horsens next and would be the last stop, well it would have to be cause by the time I got to Arhus there wouldn’t be any more trains to come back from Slybeak. Got on the train to Horsens, keeping my texts to Nadia my #1 priority as in the texts go. But of course by the time I got there it was like 10pm and too dark for Nadia to come out, she was way tired from working. Working 45 hours that week, I think she told me. Poor thing. If she was single I would’ve offered the Jamesy Kiss, to relax her. Ha ha. I went for a little walk in Horsens, texting Nadia as I went. I think I was heading towards her place but thought it was too far so went around the block to head back and almost got lost. Eventually found a petrol station that I had noticed shortly after leaving the station and headed towards it. It turned out to be a good guide cause it lead me right back to the station. Nearing around 11, and not many trains were left on the departing/arriving monitors. The train I got on was a red and long one. Inside it was a train I had not been on before. Not only was it a train that ran between Denmark and Germany but it was full of seating cabinets instead of seats. It was very nice to see it with the thought that this must be the train that roam around Europe and will one day be carrying me around Europe. It felt so great and I couldn’t wait til I could explore mainland Europe. But when would and could I? How much longer would it have to wait for this Aussie? Ha. The train reached Arhus and everyone hopped off. I went to the bus station, to look for the airport bus and had trouble finding it. Couldn’t find the bus stop, it ended up being away from all the normal buses with their bus stops and by the time I got there found out that I had missed on all the busses to the airport for the night. It was gonna be a 5 hour long wait for the first bus. I went back inside the train station building and waited within it’s warmth until it shut for about two hours. Went back into the station once it reopened and needed to use the toilet. Locked. It was nearing 5 and the bus should be there now, went outside to see it there. Got the ticket and was off to Arhus airport. Some bloody good looking shelias sitting near me on the bus, but was so exhausted to do anything. Had a bit of a sleep and shortly later arrived at the airport. Everything was fine for me to board the plane, of course got my food for travelling and was off to the waiting area. Compared to when arriving, Arhus airport seemed a lot bigger when I was leaving. Kept texting Nadia and Eva til the plane left. It was over and I was at Arhus airport boarding the plane back to Stansted. I never went back to Norway, even though I wanted to so much. The plane was packed and two ‘wide’ ladies sat next to me, I once again chose a window seat. Turned off my mobile for the flight and slept. Got to Stansted, cleared customs and turned my mobile on, to find that I had messages and to my surprise they reached me all the way over in the UK. Over the next few days Nadia and I texted each other, then she simply stated that it was costing her too much for me sending her texts, and to only send them when I was in her home country. It was the last text message that I received on my mobile as well as the latest one from Nadia.

Once I had found my way out of customs, I went to the bus company that I caught the bus to the airport with. I had trouble finding it and because of that I just missed the bus, it was a 2 hour wait for the next one. While waiting I took myself around the airport and saw the shops on offer before the security checks, then went to the bus station (where there are several bus stops adjoined). It was a boring 2 hour bus ride from the airport then a further wait for another bus. Was on my way to The Cart And Horses to get my bags, and even though Andy had said that he might be able to get me a job with another place when I got back, he didn’t deliver. I was bloody glad to leave that place, I still had most of my money with me and decided to send it over to my Australian bank account to go towards my car loan, but never was able to send it. For the next two days and nights, I stayed in hostels ringing up places for work. the third night all the hostels were booked out, so I put my big backpack into a storage place for 24 hours and went for exploring London. That night I took in the London nightlife, I went to a comedy gig, where the comic was a bit rude and harsh but all for a laugh, even pointing out me and mentioning my look-a-like appearance of Harry Potter. Then went out to a club, chatted up two girls, an Aussie bird and the only Swedish bird I did. Evan when I was in Sweden I didn’t really get to chat up any of the shelias. Nothing ended up happening, they had to go elsewhere. The next day I decided to go back to one of the two hostels that I stayed at to try and book a weeks’ stay or something, I never made the distance. I walked for about half the day and decided to turn back to get my backpack so I wouldn’t have to pay more money. On the way back, went into a real storage place and enquired about putting my backpack in, it was a lot cheaper than the place I had it at now. Decided to get my backpack and bring it here, but forgot and never did. Got my backpack and just played out the night hanging about the busy parts of the city. Mainly around Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus. Night went through. The next day in Green Park, my pic of the parks, Nadia sent my last text message that I received and not much else happened. That night I had no where to stay, then it started. I asked a bloke who looked homeless and was asking for money where I could have a good nights sleep. Simply put, it was with the homeless opposite Waterloo station, the station that the trains, called EuroStar, leave from to go to Paris via the English Channel. Well I had only planned to sleep there for the one night, but my greed got in the way and told myself that it was too good to be true. Free food, somewhere to sleep and no spending of my money (at this point, even I had experienced a lot, I was still a cheap bastard). A couple of nights later, my big backpack got stolen. Everything was in it apart from my sleeping bag, wallet with only my cards and my passport. So devastated I was. I woke up during the night, and was desperately panicked and frightened. It was surprising how fast time went by, 1 or 2 weeks went by. I had enough money in my bank account for the flight back home, but wasn’t going to give up so easily. I did eventually give up when I made the decision that I didn’t want to re-start my life (regain all the possessions that were stolen) in London or another country for that matter and after a few long days of applying for jobs I payed for my flight back home. I came home via the USA and Sydney on a United Airlines flight. 3 flights, all jumbo 747 planes, even the flight from Sydney to Melbourne, surely there has to be a better way for the environment? Finally was in Melbourne, there’s no place like home and behind Oslo and Copenhagen, Melbourne was the equal #1 city in the world. It was the 16th of October and my troubles weren’t over. Cleared customs at the airport and couldn’t find the local bus timetable for a bus to a station. I saw a bloke that I had met while boarding at Sydney and asked if he could give me a lift to any station, he said he could and he did. He dropped me off at Glen Waverley station and passed on some convention confidence talker passes. He was a guru or something. I didn’t want to tell anyone, including my mates that I was back in town, so got on the train, changed at Richmond and an hour later I was only a bus ride away from home. I was so disappointed about having came home early, but for my reasons it was understandable. Got on the bus in Frankston and went home to Karingal, 2nd last stop was my one. Got off and got to the house. Opened the door and said that I was home, my mum was there and really surprised. She was watching tele. I didn’t acknowledge my dad’s dog cause first thing I wanted to do was the last thing I did when I left, hug mum. I hugged mum, felt loved again and was just so glad I was back home. The second thing I did was throw my socks and runners away, which by now had some pretty big holes in them.

The aftermath. 5 months have nearly passed since I’ve been home and been applying for job after job since. I’ve had troubles getting a job cause of Centerlink (an employment based department government funded place) but progress is being made with having appointments with them. I’ve planned my life out, as what to spend my money on with my debts being top priority and should be able to finishing paying it off finally within a few months instead of the predicted 1 year and 4 months. It took me some time to get used to being back home. I’ve lost my muscle that I gained from backpacking with it turning to fat, although that may be the case I have not gained weight. I got a pup the day after I came back, I got her when she was 6 months old and she’s now 10 months old. She’s a Kelpie X Labrador with a black coat and a white sock (front paw) and white chest. I got her from the nearest lost dogs home and renamed her. She was named after an alcohol brand, but I changed her name after someone on my EuroTrip that I had visited. I named her Eva after Louise in Slybeak. The name choices came down to, Anj (After Anja), Nads (After Nadia) or Eva (After Eva, obviously. ). I did think about the other two shelias I stayed with, but Pia just didn’t click and Kats (After Katarina) just didn’t seem right to call a dog). My pup, keeps me active and is a great running partner, well not really but she tries her best to keep up. I haven’t been out as much as I usually did pre-EuroTrip. For my 21st, which was on the 28th of October, 12 days after I got back. A couple of mates took me to a well known pub (that me and my mates know) and a whole lot of my other mates were also there and wished me a good 21st. I haven’t returned to dancing or even payed a visit back to the place where I had danced pre-trip, but I do occasionally practice little steps every time I walk around the house. By now, I’ve forgotten most of the other dance steps apart from my competition dancing steps.

For the future. Well I’m still young, but at the same time want to put my career on a track. So I’m thinking of earning money to go on a almost world trip, when I’ve got a job, have enough money and the holiday are afoot. But before my next international holiday starts, I’m going to pay my bloody car loan off.

Anyone have a pair of socks? Ha ha.

also, åæø. ha ha, the tricky language over in Denmark. I’m a learner. . I typed these letters when I had a Danish keyboard in my possession.

Thanks.

James/Wozza/Jamesy.

… and to finish it all off, it has to be dedicated to some one, along with my now mates in Europe….

I LOVE YOU GIRLS.

I’ve only been in true love twice, the furthest I’ve gone is sex although I’ve never had a girlfriend or been on a date. My main expertise when it comes to the love circle is kissing. I’ve been told by all those that I have kissed that I am a great and soft kisser.
I do know what the perfect female for me is and I simple follow this rule to match the personality and attitude that is perfect for me; ‘go for who you are’. It means that if you’re fat go for someone who’s fat, someone who’s golden brown go for someone who looks the same… you get the picture.
I consider ‘love’ to be something that involves passion and is shared that has to really mean a lot about something. It seems to me that the word is thrown around a lot and for this reason I only use the word when I really do mean it and the thing I’m talking about really does have a meaning behind it for me to care a lot for it with my heart.
I’m a shy guy and it has made those that i have loved qith all my heart dissappear from my life. I was not able to approach them and say my true feelings for them. As for those that I have been in love with, the relationships all ended the same way, ironically. The girl moved away and was able to get on with life.

I currently have no girl on mind or in my heart that I want to share my feelings with, cause if I did I’ll proberly end up not telling her how I felt. So for now, it’s the game of whoever comes along we shall see what may come of it and just meeting randomns and sharing my kisses with my girls (those who are girls, around my age, and are friends).

I have no love felt emotion that needs to be shared for the time being.

 Jamesy. Jamesy is a nickname one of my girls named me just for the sake of it and for something different, as in names go. I have adappted the name to sybolise myself for the love and romantic side of me that i talk about for females.

Jamesy.

 It took me a solid week (well honestly about ten days), but I prevailed in the end to achive in getting my truck licence. Evan though I’ve always wanted to become a truck driver, the licence I got doesn’t allow me to drive the big trucks that I want to. So now I have to wait a year untill I can go for the truck licence that will finally allow me to drive the big rigs that I want to, in simple terms semi-trucks. I can’t wait for a year’s time, but no promises that I’ll still be in Australia then.

I’m still trying to sort my life after My Eurotrip fiasco. I had an appoinment to sort something out on the career side of things, but tottally forgot about it cause I was studying for my truck test. Which in turn, made the organisation send me a ‘you missed an appointment, come to this one or forget about it’ letter. Ha, fair enough. The new appointment was at the end of the month, another two weeks away, and my memory isn’t flash at all. So needless to say that I had to keep the letter close to me every day.

Come the end of the month, I had finally passed my truck test after two attempts (well truthfully I passed the driving part the first time and failed the written. After 3 more reads of the truck licence book and 7 days later, I re-did the written test and passed. Bloody exciting and mommentious (if that’s spelt wrong, well I’ll tell you that I can’t evan say the word properly in real life) momment, that was ended during the new appointment I had. Basically I had to have a test to determaine my capacity to work or something. It felt so downgrading. It was a test conducted by a psycholigist who was still in trainning or something, and in doing so had someone else in the room evaluating her performance. It was a variety of questions, some easy but only a few hard (as in tricky) and as I do with everything, I laughed. The bloody lady testing me thought I was laughing cause it (the questions) was easy in her mind, well I was yes that was a reason but the biggest one was because I was nervious. It got really intimitating in a bad way towards the end of the ‘appointment’ when the lady kept laughing. I could feel that the questions where I didn’t do the best answer that I could have, the lady saying to herself that she knew the right answer. The thought came to me as I walked out the doors, and then the big thought and feeling of feeling that I’m really stupid came.

Today, a day after the appointment. I decided to get on the wagon and start looking and applying for jobs. I have basically no experience as a truck driver, so needless to say that the’re wern’t many jobs open to me. On the bright side though, there we’re about four or six that didn’t really care for experience. However as one of my many sayings go, for every good thing there is always a bad thing to it. Most of the jobs were based at the international airport of Melbourne, 2 hours away. I applied for one, got a phone call back saying that it was way too far for me to travel to and from. The others that were waiting for me to apply for, I gave the miss… for the obvious reason.

Well that’s it. I got my truck licence after a 2nd attempt. Which was the high, and will proberly be a highlight of this year. Then got the feeling of being downgraded by a in-learning psycholigist (and for those wanna-be or are-already psycholigists, you are downgrading us ‘normals’ when you conduct your tests’ on us…. and don’t anyone call me not ‘normal’ I won’t do anything, but if you do you’re no better than me). That was the low.
So Now you see how easy it was to go from a high to a low, and all within a few days of each happening.

At the momment, 2008 is looking like the end and starting points of my changing life. My new year’s resolution is to pay my car loan off early (expected to be payed in 2009). I’m wanting to put my life onto it’s career path, but not yet ready to put it down as a NY resolution. However, I am planning to book myself in to get my truck licence in Febuary in about 3 days time. Amongest that, I’m going to clearly and go-with-the-flow in regards to achieving the massage course that I want to do until last minute before the course starts and not the good idea of when the booking period closes.

The first half of the year is pretty much already in the planning bag, with a big highlight is of my intimate side with 2 shelias coming to my city for me. Truth be told, 1 is entirly coming here for me and only me, amongest that reason the other (that she’s told me) is that she’s never been to my city before and has always wanted to go. The other shelia, well she is going to be spending some time with me, but sadly for me isn’t coming here just for me and as for her… no idea of what her stay with me will consist of us doing together. With both shelia visits, I can clearly state that i don’t have a cue where my life will be at that time, what I’ll be doing and most of all if I’ll have enough time for them.

As for the later half of the year, well hopefully my car loan will be over and done with, so I’ll be planning to go on my next travel overseas. Planning to go to the USA and back to Europe for Sweden, Switzerland and of course to finish the business that I didn’t get the chance to start.

Thanks for reading and don’t hesititate to leave comments on any one of my several blog thingys.

James.

What I’m talking about here is the look (the clothes, the attitiude, the appreance, the personality) that you decide to wear when you go out. Going out to whatever it may be; clubbing/pubbing, partying, a mates house, to the shops to your girls’ or mans’ house, evan for work. It’s going to be about everything that you wear when you decide to go out of the house.

Personally for me, I noticed a change last night when I went out for only the 2nd time since I came back from Europe, which was about 2 months ago. My choice of clothing was useless, it didn’t all match. I had brand new white and black shoes, a pair of tan/greenish coloured cargo pants, a dark T-Shirt with pink writing on it, a black zipper jacket and to top it off my navy blue hat that I got in London. Well needless to say that the pants made me stand out in the wrong way, but they were the only best pants I had to wear. The hat was the main attraction of the aweful style for the night, with it gaining me a few new mates and keeping my usual clubbing style aloft in the awful colour coded look I had on. It was a clod and wet night, the reason for the jacket. I was taking a heap of things as usual and I’m not a shelia so I don’t have or took a hand-bag, which ment that ny cargo pants I had to choose cause the pockets of the two pairs of jeans I had just brought were too small to fit my belongings in. As for the hat, well quite simply as one of my sayings go ‘any exuse will do’ to wear it and I was clubbing so it was coming with.

A cold, wet and windy night with it being a rainy day saw that the usual crowds of lines in front of clubs and pubs was non-existant. It also ment that the girls couldn’t wear their good dresses and were in pants. As for the blokes, the hip ‘in-style’ hooded jacket/jumper was a must. The problem right there was that all the blokes looked the same and the girls looked as everyone should, distinguished with different looks from each other.

Now here’s something that is going to be said time and time again. Pre-Eurotrip, I had the styles’ and matching profile to distinguish myself from the crowds and help others do the same by makin a trend setter out of myself. I wore neat and casual clothes, with button up long sleave shirts and pants that were cheap but they made the look complete. With being, what I felt as, a trend setter, I went out alomost the majority of the week for about a month straight with uni happening the next day. I was really on top of my game. However everything must come to an end, in Europe I only went out to 3 clubs in 2 different countries and was totoally upstaged by most of the blokes there. Ha, I didn’t allow it to affect me though, cause of one of my girls over there telling me “the guys proberley take more care of what they look like, than the girls do”. Then it came to a complete stop, when my backpack got stolen with all my best clothes and shoes inside.

I don’t look at my dissapearing profillin’ and stylin’ ways get the best of me, I look at the situation as a look at what needs to be changed to keep up with the trends and most of all keeping me happy as well as getting me more comfortable in an atmosphere that I enjoy the most.

After last nighnt, I can say that I enjoy the pub scene more than the clubbing one and that after my 2nd ever visit to the place i went, to not go there again cause it wasn’t enjoyable for me.

James.

The 1st party. Held in late October of 1999 to celebrate my 13th birthday. It was a type of sleepover party, ha but only two people went to sleep, apart from my parents, and for doing so they got the shaving cream face game played on them. It was a bit of a boring party, but with my cousin Daryal there, it went ok. After all it was a bunch of 12/13 year old boys just staying up late.

The 2nd party. Most honurable and best one to date. To celebrate my 18th on the 29th of October, 2004. Held on the nearest weekend. Was planning to do something really big for my 18th, time ran out so fast that I was left with desperate meassures. A beach party, it was ment to be just near the beach but when a lot of extra invites get handed out, a few dickheads want to take charge and decided where the party is to be for themselves. Daryal was also here and he stayed with me for the whole night and morning. I caught the train to the station and walking down to where the meeting point was to be, with a bag full of sassuages top be cooked on the public barbees. They sure were cooked, but when the cook poured alchool over them, well no one wanted any apart from him and a few other mates. The party headed, with my not-likeing, to the start of the peir. Free beer. provided by me, it was all snapped up before I could evan stand up and crouch down to get some for myself, luckily my greedy mates gave me some, for my first teenage taste of alchool. During the night, a bin got burnt down, a car dropping someone off backed into a parked car (what an absolute dickhead. ha) and yeah the finally… the police broke the celebration up. A police helicopter was evan called in, and apprantly the event made the local paper, that’s how big it was. Around proberly 75+ showed up mostly around 16-18 years old. Me, my cousin and a mate of his were walking after we had goten asked for our names by the police, to catch a cab home. Out of no-where a car rocks up and a bloke comes hurdeling out threatenning to chop our heads off with an axe cause a group of guys had stollen some mobiles of some other guys. It turned out that my mates had been ambushed and had to pass over their mobiles and money, the guys who ambushed them had them at knife point or something. Daryal straightened the mess with the threatening bloke out, and we kept our heads, I was a bit too drunk to think sensibly.

The failure of a party. To celebrate my leaving for Europe. May 2007. It was all organised, a house party with everyone of my mates and friends that I knew invited. An expected crowd of around 150 people. I don’t have a big house or backyard and I do live in the middle of a bad area, but the party would’ve been able to be handled correctly. I was working as a Pizza Driver still, and decided to work the night for the extra money. Expecting to come down the hill to see around my house packed full of cars and an alive atmosphere. Not 1 soul showed up. An expense was spent for the party to be a good one, and no one showed up. The furthest away expected party guests would’ve been from interstate, they didn’t show. Found out later, that it ha dbeen forgotten about and people wern’t up to coming out my way for the party. A major blow for me and my social network of mates.

 1st time wasted. Held in mid 2005. To celebrate a girl, Ebony, from my classes in High School going overseas. I had a crush on Ebony and it got leaked out and I was tottally made fun of by everyone, evan her. Hurtful, but not my reasons for what happened to me at her party. Held at her house, my mates and her friends were invited. I was invited by one of Ebony’s best friends, I was there when she told Ebony that she had invited me. I was ‘lucky’ enough to hear her imitation of me not having a good time. That made me really want to go. Needed a back up plan, so decided that i’d invite Daryal and his mates with me. Got drinks. I got a bottle of Couger Bouban (I think) and a 4 pack of something with cola. We got into the party, then I had to go back to the car to get something, knocked on the door again to go back in, and Ebony opened the door and welcomed me with welcome arms and a kiss. The flair of my sensual and sexual side bloomed as I kissed her in my style that I had not seen for a while, the classic one hand on the back and the other being free to do whatever. I just regreat rushing the kiss in and not talking with Ebony longer. The night went on, and I was playing stupid dickhead games with my mates, drinking the bottle as I went. The night went by along with the Cougar. Managed to drink about more than half the bottle before Daryal saw me and took it off me, evan though I was drunk, I still felt in control. My mates got me to dance in my drunken state, while recording me on their mobiles. What really made me wasted was when I went back to find a seat to just sit down and rest, only to knock a clock off the wall, break it and feel really guilty for doing that. After that happened, I just couldn’t with the guilt and just gave in and let the big affct take over. Then I became wasted and can’t remember a thing after that. I kept hearing stories of what happened, and it’s funny how after a while you hear different stories with different attitudes put on them and all of a sudden you get a picture of who your true friends are, those just making you feel better by lying and those just embarrassed, sorry and just don’t like you.

James.