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My grand plan for the year was to not work for as long as possible and get to Canada around October to search for a suitably cushy job in a ski resort. I held my end of the bargain up - and didn’t work for around ten months, but when it came down to finding a high paying, low-effort job in Canada, I was screwed. On closer inspection in Canada, I had plenty of options for work but from traveling for the better part of a year and not working one day, I was struggling to find the required motivation for serious job hunting..

I really believe traveling is a great pass time, but after chasing the dream non-stop for almost 300 days straight, I was finding it hard to absorb anything new on offer. Unfortunately in Canada, this hit home hard, and it prompted me to begin making plans for the final ascent back home, back to the real world. After sitting around for what seemed like forever in Canada, I finally worked up the courage to make arrangements, and with-in a week, I was to be on yet another flight. Possibly the last for awhile.

On my final day in Canada i was feeling rather nostalgic. It was hard, partly because I was heading home for work and (hopefully) serious debt reduction, but mostly because I had had such an incredible year and it was really hard to think about what i would do on those other days of the week - as I had honorarily re-named every day “Saturday” for the year. Boarding the plane was filled with mixed feelings. I had learnt and earned (not in monetary terms though =) so much this year that I had no idea what to do next or what would happen next.

This was it, the final leg of my journey.

To view my gallery from my second visit to Canada this year, click here.

Being Europe’s hub for air travel, London seems to attract stop-overs - whether they like it or not. I don’t mind a stop over (here and there) but to try and spend ten days at 2.6 times your currency (when you have around 5 days total cash at your local rate) is just crazy. So I made a plan to head to Ireland, only spending the shoulder days either side in London..

It turned out well in the end, catching up with friends whom I hadn’t seen for ages, and generally painting the town green (ok, and red).. London was becoming a familiar city. I was finding my way around with ease and I felt like I knew what to do there, but I was never going to survive long there living on the good old ‘Pacific Pesso’ (or the Ozzy Dollar for short). Perhaps one day I’ll head back for work opportunities..

Ireland was an addition to my travel plans added in at the last minute. I had previously wanted to go and experience Ireland because I know the Irish love a drink (and I do too), and I found out that I have family heritage from the region so I wanted to check it out.. I had a 10 day break between flights in and out of London, and had I stayed for the 10 days, I would have certainly been forced me to sell a toe or a kidney or something to fund my time. So I headed for Ireland with a rough plan and an even rougher budget.

I found trouble in Ireland, both of the good kind, and of the bad kind ( - where you run out of money completely in a strange place - all alone). The good kind of trouble was helped along by a few Irish mates I met in various locations around the globe with witch I managed to catch up and drink with ’till all hours. Unfortunately the year had so far been an expensive endeavour, and my bank account and I were already on bad terms. I ran out of cash completely in a small town called Sligo with few options left up my sleeve.. In the end I managed to buy a bus ticket back to Dublin on credit card and John, a mate of mine helped me out with some cash to get by on (mate, I owe you one..!)..

Ireland was great for a stop over but my stunted visit did not do it justice. I will be back one day with more plentiful supplies of money and time, armed with good intentions to NOT spend the entire time in pubs (..although I don’t want to be insulting to the Irish by avoiding their national pass-time completely =-)..

To view my gallery from my Irish visit, click here.