Last May, I spent most of the month travelling around France by train. It was the climax of my (so-called) ‘gap year’, and all clichés aside, it was one of the best things I’ve ever done1. It changed me for the better.
I kept a diary on that trip and I updated it almost every day. I didn’t write a diary before going to France2 and I haven’t written one since returning. In general, I think it’s a waste of time, but I thought it would be good to keep one whilst I was away. It would help to stop the memories from fading away so quickly3.
This month, whilst studying for exams and living La Vida St Andrews, I’m going to relive that trip and share the experience with you.
It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while, though I wanted to let the trip sink in and see how it affected me first before telling the world about it. I think enough time has passed now. Each day4, I’ll post an edited5 and embellished6 version of the corresponding entry from my travel diary.
Don’t worry. It won’t just be words. I’ll also take this opportunity to share a selection7 of the 4,000 photos which I took over the course of the month. There are some good ones. And, of course, there will copious footnotes8.
A brief warning: due to exam pressure and other constraints this month, I might have difficulty keeping to the tight schedule which I have set myself. I currently have only 1 post queued and ready to go; that took perhaps 3 hours of work to digitise, edit, and illustrate with photos. I hope that was an anomaly. I just have so much9 to say.
I hope you enjoy it10.
Footnotes:
- Yes, really. I’m thinking of doing a similar sort of thing again next year. ↩
- Except for a brief stint in 2003 after my Mum had bought me a diary for Christmas. ↩
- And, so that when people ask me “What did you do on your gap year?”, I’ll have something specific to tell them. ↩
- Be warned: some days, like today and tomorrow, do not have an entry. ↩
- The raw version contains a lot of highly personal and inappropriate material. ↩
- I don’t mean to imply that I’ll be saying anything untrue, I just like the word ‘embellish’. Everything I say will be the truth, at least as I see it. ↩
- As many as Flickr will allow me to upload. ↩
- Here, have another footnote. I know you love them. ↩
- Too much? ↩
- Whatever ‘it’ turns out to be. ↩
I always find each entry takes longer than I expected, and is almost never about what I intended to write about. The longest part is definitely choosing and editing photos, but I’ve found Picasa and Picasa web albums has definitely made that process much easier for me.
I’m looking forward to it though.
I’m looking forward to doing it too.
I’m not going to let myself give up.
I would like to read this very personal and inappropriate material please.