Hi guys, sorry it's been so long since I last posted, over a month now, I know, but there hasn't been much to tell. That's what I will try to recap here.
Basically, I lost my job 2 weeks after I last posted. It wasn't working out, and I really should have left the day after I last wrote one of these entries, but I carried on, having convinced myself that it would get better. It didn't. So I gradually got unhappier and less optomistic until I was fired. Oh well. I wasn't keen on the job in the first place, so it's no biggie.
However, this threw me into unemployment, which I'm sure most people reading this have experienced at some point or other, and will know that it is one of the most demoralising things in the world. Countless CVs sent off, often with no reply, a couple of rejections saying the same, generic "on this occasion, other candidates had qualities more suited to the specification of the company", and the fact that I couldn't even claim dole money because I'm not a citizen. Fantastic. So with dwindling money supplies, I gripped to the hope that something would eventually come along. Which it didn't. So after 3 weeks of looking, I was finally able to Skype the whole family with Mum back from Scotland, and see what they thought I should do. And the best option was staring me right in the face, but I seemed to have refused to accept it until this wake up call, when Mum basically told me to get travelling again, borrow the money I needed to enjoy myself properly again. Even if I did get a job in a call centre or somewhere, that's not what I came out here to do, so I am borrowing money and going travelling again! I have been stuck in a rut here, not that there haven't been ANY good times, but I was just generally happier on the road. So I'm off, but more about that a bit later.
During my time in Melbourne, I have been able to do some pretty cool things, like go to the Australian Grand Prix! It was awesome by the way, in case anyone still hasn't heard. The noise was deafening, and the speed they go past is incredible, but the day was great fun. I went with my male housemates, and we had a whale of a time, drinking beer all day, and at the end we got to walk on the track they had just been racing on. So good. The variety of shows and races that was on was fantastic, well worth the money, and I strongly advise everyone to go to a GP at least once. I'll be going again, that's for sure!
We've had good nights out as well, and a couple of weeks ago we got given free tickets by an old housemate to go and see the Melbourne rugby league team, who kicked arse with a 38-0 thrashing against Parramatta.
Anyway, my future plans. I have spent the last week and a bit trying to find people to go travelling with me along the Great Ocean Road, and have found 2 guys, an Englishman and a Frenchie, who I will be renting a campervan with for a week. It promises to be a decent road trip, with many opportunites to do my first proper surfing in Australia (finally! It's only been 6 months!). After I get to Adelaide, I am staying with my Aunt's friends for a few days before flying to Queensland again and finishing off the East Coast, which I had to cut short due to the floods, before going over to Western Australia for the final part of my trip. I intend to be home a bit earlier than expected, hopefully sometime in mid-june (cos I'm missing you all a lot, as much fun as it is out here!) I leave on Wednesday, so I'm spending the next couple of days with my Australian cousins, before heading out and getting back on the road.
I have also started exercising again this week. It's been 6 months since I've done any routine exercise, and I am horrendously unfit now, so I bought an iPod armband off eBay and have started running. Those who know me well know that I absolutely hate running, but I have actually started to get into it. It's so much better if you run outside, not on a treadmill. You feel like you're actually getting somewhere and the time goes quicker. I probably overdid it on my first run, indicated by the fact that I felt as though I would have a heart attack at every second of the run, and the intense aching for 3 days afterwards, but after the second run, I felt a lot better, and will continue to build on that.
That's it from me for now, you are all caught up with me. Don't forget to keep me updated from home, see you later!!
