After emerging from 16 years worth of study within the education system, I found myself greeted by the same crossroads that many recently graduated students will be encountering across the country at this present time.
As we ready ourselves for the first September in memory in that we will not be returning to some form of learning establishment, the plunge into the 'real world' has already taken place.
Unfortunately for me the transition from student to working graduate was somewhat halted after an unfortunate sporting accident. After badly breaking my arm during a football match at the end April, I was resigned to accepting that I would not be able to work over the summer while I waited for my arm to recover.
Five long months and a summer of boredom have passed and the bone has practically healed, although my arm does remain as crooked as the edge of a Cornish cliff.
The main interests that have existed throughout my life so far are sports, music and travel. Ultimately I hope to become a sports journalist, putting to good use my degree in Journalism but first I have to rid myself of my 'itchy feet syndrome' developed from a summer of being stuck at home.
Fortunately I have always been somewhat careful with my money, and from previous part time jobs at a supermarket, and then at a local paper I have managed to amass a substantial pot that I have earmarked as my travel fund.
I was first bitten by the 'travel bug' aged 17 when I went on a school excursion to the German capital of Berlin. I was completely infatuated by one of Europe's most modern and historic cities and genuinely did not want to return home upon the trips conclusion.
Since then I have sandwiched a variety of trips into my holidays from education and have visited in chronological order, Spain, Greece, Egypt, The Netherlands, France, Czech Republic and Turkey.
So now, complete with several letters attached to my name, I have decided that it is time to embark on a journey across Europe, a place of so much history and so many iconic sights, cultures and contrasts.
Already purchased is the excellent Lonely Planet book, Europe on a Shoestring, and the planning of the trip is well underway, hopefully beginning on November 1st.
And finally as they say, behind every good man (or so I hope!) is a good woman, and mine, my partner of just over a year, Fran, will be accompanying me on my trip and we hope our trip will be educational, entertaining, iconic, memorable and everything between.
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