Edging ever closer to the end of the diving board

Who knew things would get this far? For so many years Europe was an impossible dream - something to occupy my mind during an interminable bus ride or an Algorithms and Data Structures lecture. Now I can hold the aeroplane ticket in my hand, I have all the correct visas (I hope) and the entire affair is paid for. All I have to do is get on the plane in five days. Do I want to? I don't know. Here I am the conductor of my life; I know where everything is and how to work it. Everything is comfortable, safe, decadent. Across the seas is Europe: cultural mecca; historical treasure chest; diverse as a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. There lies the unknown, the threatening, the difficult. But in Europe lies also the invigorating, the thrilling, the amusing. This trip will not be easy, but it will be an adventure. Nothing of real value is ever easy. So I will get on the aeoplane, and I will have my adventures, and hopefully return a richer person. In experience of course - I have a strong feeling my new richness will not be reflected in my bank account.

Since this trip has taken more planning than the invasion of Normandy (and you all know how good I am at organisation, right?), sometimes I find myself thinking, "Why am I going to all this trouble?" So I've been diving into my trusty Lonely Planets, and let me tell you, nothing is more exhilarating than reading travel guides. Is that just me? It's definitely a case here of the anticipation being as good as the actual event. The only problem seems to be I cannot draw a line anywhere, since I'm just as excited by the prospect of doing the 9 day Kerry Walk along the Irish coast as I am about exploring Budapest or seeing the Tate Gallery. Somewhere in my mind I know it's physically impossible to cover the entire continent of Europe in 2 years, but for some reason most of my brain refuses to believe it. It will be interesting to see how much of Europe I am able to see by the time I have to come home. If Phileas Fogg can go around the world in 80 days, imagine what I can do in two years! At this moment the future is brimming with possibilities - I cannot wait to explore them!

There's not much left to do now except wait for Saturday to roll around, then jump off the diving board and hope I don't belly flop!