Oh darling, let's be adventurers

I believe it's that time of year again, when I start getting crazy and buying one-way tickets. This time I'm not flying blindly into a post-Soviet country, instead I'm embarking on what may be a much longer term trip. The next six months will be spent hopping countries and volunteering with various hosts, then I will be settling in Poland (fingers crossed) in the fall.

This blog will hopefully be a source of communication for friends and family while I'm away, and I will once again be posting regular updates. At the moment I'm still in the planning stages of my adventure. In fact, until I actually settle in Poland, the plans will probably continue to change depending upon the day and my mood.

This photo makes me look like an utter slob, but there is actually some amount of organization in this picture. Believe it or not! In 3 weeks, all of that will be either on the shelves at Goodwill or stuffed into a backpack on a plane to Europe.

Even when I'm questioning my decision to pack up my life and move (which I tend to do when my bedroom looks like that photo), I remember that feeling of awe when I was standing on a glacier or finally seeing the Arc de Triomphe in person. It means saying goodbye, and that's something I will never get used to, no matter how many times I have to give those last hugs and smiles and tears. It also means that gut-drop when the plane takes off and the places you knew get further and further away in that small, oval window until they're unrecognizable and so far away that they become memories.

Ah, to be on the road again. I have my doubts on my plans, but as of right now they are as follows: London, Leeds, Brora (Scotland), Villeneuve d'Olmes (France), ?, Enontekio (Finland), Warsaw (Poland)!

The question mark is because I can only spend so much time wandering Europe before they say I've been there too long and need to find another adventure (90 days within 6 months in any Schengen country, to be specific). So, for a month I may have to come back to the States to get a visa or cut out my trip to Enontekio all together and find another place to go. Turkey? Israel? Russia? We'll see. The first 4 are mostly guaranteed, but really when it comes to travel there is no such thing as a guarantee.

I may or may not find a way to post another entry once I've finalized my plans and bought my tickets. I will, however, try to update as often as possible once I get to England. Let the adventure begin.

One of my friends likes to play a game he calls, "Where in the world is Helen?" For most people, this is an easy one: N'awlins! Home to alligators, chicory coffee, beignets, ghost stories and vampires. For my birthday I bought myself a trip to the home of a deliciously fatty breakfast food and blood-suckers. I feel like that's a good way to start my next year.