Being old

Since my last post, I've moved into my brother's flat, handed out at least 50 CVs, gone for a massive day hike (which ended with mud-caked feet and a guy offering to carry me to the nearest town), been to Notting Hill, Epping Forest, Camden Town, the National History Museum, a creepy deserted church in the middle of nowhere, and have volunteered at Oxfam Bookstore.

T-rex at the History Museum

Me and my hat

My boots

Me, my new hat and my brother

So, no, I haven't been lazy and I haven't died (in case you were wondering). However, I am still unemployed... which sucks. There are various places which seem interested, but nothing definite. But anyway, I've been busy buying out the Oxfam store, so it hasn't been too dull.

Hertford is smallish, but nice. There are little tiny shops which sell trinkets and there are huge supermarkets with rows of everything bad for you. The flat I'm staying in is right on a canal which runs all the way to London (if you're energetic enough to follow it that far), and I can feed the ducks from my bedroom window.

Attack of the geese!

But I've discovered just how difficult it is to keep a household running - everything from washing dishes to buying groceries and doing laundry takes up so much time!

Remnants of a raucous night

I've also begun planning my trip properly and I've actually found a few definite places to stay in Europe when I start travelling in April (with a guy in the tiny village Sens, with an ex-South African in Lagos, with a gay guy who lives next to a forest in Bordeaux and more). And (because I'm getting a bit restless after two weeks in the same spot), I'm also planning a small trip up to Wales sometime in February as a trial run for the CouchSurfing business.

However, something less awesome happened to me the other day on my day hike. I went alone, which was a mistake. About 7 hours of alone-time with me and my thoughts. Everything began to sink in.

I'm not going home for a while. A long while.

I miss my friends, my kitten, my other brother and my parents (yes, you too).

My kitten