Looking Forward

"It doesn't get any better than this" 

- Camp Dudley circa 2008, attributed to Mike O'Leary

Out for a family walk on a beautiful day

It's easy to get caught up in the adventure. Now, that is a broad statement; everything that has occurred since I boarded the airplane back in August (seven weeks ago, to be exact) has been an adventure. Breaking it down, each little thing I do here is part of my semester in Germany, which is only part of the journey that is my gap year. 

I feel I have reached an incredibly exciting time in my travels abroad. The exploration so far has been fabulous, and in my next post I want to offer a list of my favorite memories so far. Today, though, I want to update everyone on where I stand and what lies ahead. Now begin the really big adventures. Because I have a long break from teaching and soccer matches, this is my time to see Europe on a grand scale. No, I will not be hopping to and from every major city within 500 miles, but I do have some pretty exciting trips planned. Counting Oktoberfest this past week, I have an journey of some sort penciled into the calendar on every weekend from now until November. Plans can change, of course, but I am confident that these trips will all work out--and all be amazing. 

So, a quick rundown of my jam-packed month of Oktober:

This coming weekend I travel south to Stuttgart to meet up with Dudley contact Blake Little--an American who has been living and teaching in Europe for a half-dozen years. Blake has offered to host me, and we're planning on visiting Stuttgart's Cannstatter Volksfest (the second-largest Oktoberfest celebration in Germany). Even better, on Sunday night Stuttgart plays Leverkusen in a Bundesliga tilt, so we'll be heading to the match. 

Next week I miss my final day of school before the break to meet up with Lukas Ebeler in Hannover. We will spend the later part of the week together and do some traveling via train. Hopefully we'll get to Paris for the weekend, which would be a blast. 

My true personal vacation, though, begins on October 17. First, a small tangent: on Sunday night dinners with my grandparents, we get the question twice a year or so from Babo (John Storey): "If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you choose?" Everyone answers, and we truly can pick anywhere, for any reason. Over the past few years, my choice has remained consistent. Scotland. Or Ireland, perhaps. The reason? Golf. Whether you call it a hobby or a sport, golf is one of my greatest passions. I know more about the history of golf courses and architects than you can imagine, and there's no better place for golf history than the birthplace of the game in Scotland. After a spring and summer packed with plenty of rounds (I think I added seven new courses to my resume), I was completely happy to take half a year off while in Germany and wait until the winter when I'll be heading south. Slowly, though, an idea started to smolder. Through many layers of connections, I contacted a young couple in Edinburgh--Ian and Lauren Clausen. And just like that, things began to fall into place for a getaway to Scotland. 

I reason that I may not have an opportunity to go to Scotland and/or play golf overseas for a long time. Maybe if I like it enough I'll spend a semester abroad in the UK, but for now, this seemed my best chance to fulfill a dream. I fly to Edinburgh via Amsterdam on October 17, and the next morning I have a tee time. I have two rounds slated--first at Gullane and then at North Berwick the next day. Both courses are ranked in Great Britain's Top 100, and the latter is one of the ten best in Scotland. It could be raining sideways, but I know that for two days, I'll be right on the ocean playing some of the oldest links courses in the world. 

I will stay through the weekend, using my time to explore Edinburgh, sample some haggis and single malt, and tune my ears to the Scottish accents. I want to take a train up to St. Andrews and walk around the Old Course (the true home of golf). On Sunday, I have a ticket for a Hearts versus Motherwell Scottish Football match. I'm not going to waste any moment during my time in Scotland, and it's difficult to say that I've ever been more excited about a week of travel. 

October closes out with tentative plans to visit Will Plumb in Prague. Czech Republic's capital is considered one of the coolest cities in post-communist Eastern Europe. I'm looking forward to spending a few nights with him and letting him show me around the city. Plumb rooms with three Middlebury students, so it will be fun to talk with them about my future at college.

It will be quite the month, and though I'm itching for the next adventure, I know the days will fly by. Before I can blink the month will be closing, and I will be settling back into a more normal routine of soccer and teaching. And, Thanksgiving is on the not-so-distant horizon, when my parents are coming to visit for a week. I'm glad that there is still a whole lot to happen before then. I will be finished with most of my travels, and nothing will be showing them around and sharing the stories attached to each place. No matter what, the best part of any adventure is the people, and I'm looking forward to sharing the company of friends and family in my upcoming travels.