Well I said I would...

I cannot actually stress enough how important it is that you get along with the person you go with. As stated many times before, Buzzy and I are good friends, we went to school and college together and have helped each other through the good and the bad times in life - all of which will not be mentioned (or ever mentioned) on this site - but there is a but, as there always is.

After college, we went to separate Uni's, and we changed - albeit only slightly - but enough. We've seen each other loads since we left home, during breaks and the like, but never any more than a few times in 3-4 weeks. That on top of the fact that while at Uni conversations would be sporadic, and never last more than 20 minutes, even on MSN.

When you are around someone, every day of the week, like we were a year ago, you get used to people little quirks and annoyances, and ignore them. After a good while of not being with someone however, you forget all these little things, and it always is the little things that annoy you the most - from the way someone says "Bye" on the phone, to how they spark a lighter, or never seem to be able to open a packet of noodles without showering the ground in broken bits. Things that - on their own - are nothing, and even when added together are still nothing, manifest and become bigger than they are.

Then you argue.

And it is never over the little things that are annoying you. It's about the traffic, or the weather, or philosophy, or trees, arguments that get become even more spiteful and scathing because of the aforementioned fuel.

This will happen, you cannot avoid it, the only thing you can do is - with this knowledge - try and defuse the situation when they arise. Do not let it store up inside you, it will only lead to worse things.

That shouldn't put you off though, none of this should.

I will also say that although planning is essential - and an end mark gives you a lot of determination and drive - don't be too rigid. I am certain that if we had turned down the lift with Jason and Lindsey because they were going to Amsterdam and not The Hague (which was actually our first day target) the trip would not have been the same. To be honest, the same can be said with every lift, and in this respect we were very, very lucky. As I said in the daily entries, we have heard hair raising stories of being stuck in Egypt with no money and barely any food, and others having to camp on the side of the road for over 2 days. But these things to not dishearten you, if anything they spur you on and make you get up at 6am, not eat, and pack up the tent and your bags, and go back to the side of the road, just so it doesn't happen to you. It isn't a fear, because we are already waiting, and at every instance we have no idea how long it will take, it could be another 5 minutes, or 5 hours, you never know.

There is something about this - and I have no idea what it is, nor why it is - that is very, very liberating. Even though we want to be in X by Y, if we are only at W then it doesn't really matter. Hell, if we are only at C, it doesn't matter, you roll with the punches, and karma has a way of paying to back to you eventually.

Know where you want to go, even if it is just roughly, and if you have the time, don't be scared to say fuck it, and go in the wrong direction just to see what is over the hill.

Money, will always be a problem. While nothing is really that expensive, £1 for bread and chesse, £1 for 2 packets of noodles - carbs are a saviour I promise - and camp sites are only £5-10 for a night - hell, the road side is free, so use that if you can - money can - and probably will - run low fast, especially if you are not very careful with what you are spending it on.

A few changes of clothes is enough - personally I think my 5 teeshirts/boxers/socks was a bit extreme, but Buzzy would say otherwise. Take what is comfortable to carry, and leave the rest. Really, all you need is a tent/sleeping bag/1 complete change of clothes/canteen/cooker/gas/pen knife/wallet/food. All of that together should weight less than 10kg, which is easy enough to drag around every day, especially if you aren't wearing the bags constantly.

Prepare to be in pain, your shoulders will hurt if you have to walk a long way in one day, or are carrying the bag for a long time over several days, but the pain goes away as you toughen up. You will appreciate a warm...or even a cold...shower, a proper toilet and all the little things (again) so much more - it really is strange.

But yet, something feels right about it - not being in one place for too long, keep moving around and seeing what is just over the horizon. Meeting different people with every different day, and moving so fast that you are only in a country for a matter of days, and a town for a night, always on the move, never looking back.

There is a simpler way, and this is it.

If anyone is thinking of it, do it. If anyone is skeptical, do a little one. Go to Scotland or something, see how far you can get and back again, even if it goes badly, after a few days you will want it back, you will want to move around and just talk to people.

You will gain faith in humanity. You will discover yourself.

You will...

...do what you were born to do.

Scuzzmonkey.