How To Do Your Head In ...

Well it's been a while but I was talking to someone just yesterday when I came to an important realisation. Motorhoming as a full-time permanent lifestyle is not for me. Anyone who has followed this blog for any period of time will realise the importance of that little statement. I still enjoy travelling in my motorhome, I just can't slow down enough to sit under a tree for 3 days and think that's the best I can do with my life. It just feels a bit too like waiting for it all to end; well there are still to many things to do for that to be comfortable. Which in fact leads to the part which is doing my head in . . . I have been fortunate enough to have been able to travel to a number of different countries over the years but never to "UK/Europe". When I was young it seemed like everyone went on a pilgrimage to Europe, but being a contrary B***** I decided to go everywhere else, and thoroughly enjoyed it, however the idea of going there now, for a number of irrelevant, for the purposes of this discussion, reasons, is quite appealing. I have no work commitments, I have approx. 1/2 million frequent flyer points and can afford to spend a reasonable amount. "So what's the problem?" I hear you ask?? :) It's a fairly well understood phenomenon in psychology that people get confused by too many choices. Think about that . . . I can go anytime, for (say) three months to anywhere I like . . . too many choices! It's too long to spend on one trip after another, you need some down time every now and then. My current (not very clear) thinking is, because of my interest in photography, to base myself somewhere in the UK (easier because of the language), probably in Scotland and make one or more "trips" to "the continent" on organised tours. I am discovering rather rapidly that all of the things I would like to do that I can organise for myself require advance bookings of up to a year or more. Try getting into a Charlie Waite photography workshop in 2011 !! In fact it seems a general trend that booking up to 6-12 months or more in advance is the only way things become possible and affordable, discounts can be over 50% when booked in advance even for things like train fares! AND travelling as a single person is only about 10% less than travelling as a couple because of the "single supplement" which is charged. Another stupid thing I have discovered is that "self-guided walking and cycling tours" ie the kind where they give you a map and a bike and point you in the general direction (they actually move your luggage to the next nights accomodation as well but how hard is that?) are MORE expensive than being driven around in a air-conditioned bus! I guess that's a premium for not having to sit next to some drivelling idiot who wants to sleep all day and party all night, well that's what I remember of my last bus tour. So that's it ... too many options that have to be booked too far in advance and no really great "must do's" ... that'll do your head in!
PS You may notice the photo in the title has changed ... That's because the motorhome has now become less significant and my photography more so, and the new photo is my first competition winner :)
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