Corey Sudduth: World Traveller

That's what my third copy of my ticket to Boston said. Man, the last few days have been beyond words. Not in a "so amazing" way, and not in a "what a bummer" way either. The last two months and even more so the last five or six have really given me incredible perspective. I've been to Europe, read a few chapters on how complicated women can be, had a lot of alone time to think, and met many new people. Not to mention graduated from the audience :) Woah... I feel like throughout High School I had so much I could've been and done but it just wasn't my time. All of the events and missed opportunities that gave me a truly unique High School experience were not what put me in this position of ?stasis? not quite right but I'm for once at a loss. It was me. That's what I'm trying to say. All the teachers and adults and peers in the world could've told me and I shrugged it off. I believed it, but I didn't want to accept it. But at the same time, I didn't want to blame life. I'm just so glad that I took this opportunity to jump out into the world even if it was only a short hokey pokey. I see now that I was doing the oppsite of what I had preached since I was wee. I was looking! I've always said that the best things in life come to you rather than you to them. Yet, when I wanted to do well at something, or try something new I would look to it to "strike inspiration in me" or wait for something to push me. I just need to do things, I simply needed drive not inspiration. Inspiration will come in time but for now I need to take the things I love, draw them close, and make something of it. Just because! The worst part is that this trip has only extended the list of things I want to do and be. I'm pretty sure now though that I have time to try them all, with the grace of God, so I'm totally game. It's a pretty awesome feeling really. Alright enough of the silly manifesto. I'm'a be honest my last few days in Amsterdam were a bit of a blur. I went out the first day and walked the whole North, South, and West of that city. The next couple days I would find first dayers and take them out (on them) sorta like a coffeeshop sherpa. It was a little ridiculous for sure. The last day I went on a great tour of the Oude (eastside) area it's got a name after old but I forget. It was freezing cold out and the wind was pissed at me for having the audacity to go on a walking tour I guess. So by the time I got back to Jordaan ('hood where my last hostel was on the westside [has anyone else noticed I always stay on the Westside?]) I was ready for a serious nap. I awoke to total boredom with a dash of loneliness. I tried to solve that by visiting the Hotel Utopia (one of my favorite's) where I got roped into a purchase I later regretted and came back to my bed at around nine feeling like a whirlypool. I was sick feeling, freezing, greasy, overwhelmingly pleased to be in Amsterdam sippin a hot cocoa, and thrilled to be on my way home. It was then that I went back out with some money I hadn't realized I had and chowed on some Doner and pancake. At the Doner place I saw my flight was in ten hours and someone had told me (not for the first time) that international meant a 3 hour early arrival. Shit! Pardon me but I was ready for bed and I had to be up at like 5:30 to catch a tram, to a train, to a plane...yeah, I had a coffee and didn't sleep much. I did manage to have freaky dreams and kept waking up with my blankets on the floor in the fetal position. Yeah best not to ask :{ So I roll into the now infamous Schipol airport at 7 cause I woke up from my 31st catnap a little late. I had some pizza and was doin alright chuckling at the unmanned security checks at every gate rather than at the entrance to the gate area. From there I had a crazy day. First the machine tried to swallow my 2euro and because I had 2 hours on my hands I spent about an hour doin Power Ranger moves with a stir stick fighting that machine like it was alive (pretty sure it was) and when I finally heard the *clink* I nearly broke into song and dance. Then I looked that macine in the eyes and realized it had forgotten I wanted stroopwafel and so had simply taken my money as a generous donation to it's well being. I was heated. Now with about twenty minutes left till take-off I turned towards the gate wondering why we weren't boarding yet and bumped right into one of the people from my flight (a ways down the hall with me and the devil machine) and looked past him to see that I had been fighting for the last few minutes in what was now the middle of a lengthy line. The airport folks actually waited till, in flight terms the last fucking minute, and then decided they were gonna get everyone in line, check them and their bags, and then board, with their own little passport check machine and everything; to expediate the process of course (my passport had already been checked twice). Got on and the flight was delayed 45 minutes while they counted, recounted, re-recounted and then interviewed everyone on the plane (truth) to make sure they weren't one person short, or maybe one extra? I don't know. The pilot was great he just kept blaming the airport (whose fault it turned out it was) and kept apoligizing on behalf of Aer Lingus. One mispelled last name, an hour and half, two more runs through customs and security, a jog across Dublin International and a missed connection later I was receiving a ticket to London and a connection ticket to Boston. Oh good I'll only get there three hours later, great. So I arrive in Heathrow, travel from terminal 1 (Detroit) to terminal 5 (El Paso) and got a reprint of my boarding pass (the titlesake). While we waited I chatted with two other folks going through the same ordeal about cars for an hour. I didn't sleep on the plane. Got back. Missed the bus by fifteen minutes. Waited an hour and a half for the next one, and got rolling. Oh but first we had to go to South Station to make a pick-up (announced in thirderson in a casual btw style). What a bad idea. The driver was pretty much ready to make an evasive maneuver (I realize this after we pulled a U-y after the first police blockade on the off ramp) and pretty dedicated to those potential passengers (dawned on me after we passed the second blockade) and pulled into the city. We actually pulled up on a third blockade (this is South Station so I assume there's a civil war goin on or some shooting or bombing) and the bus driver hopped out and the cops told him there had been a bus (maybe four) that had caught fire (I saw absolutely no sign of this) and we could make our pick-up at the outdoor port. We grabbed our 5 new folks and rolled North watching Encounters at the End of the World, during which you are told that life doesn't really matter and that humanity is a doomed chaotic event in a cosmic series of similar such events. Yeah you guessed it I still coudn't sleep for some reason. I got home here at nearly one and woke up at 8 (cause I'm stupid) and now I'm running on every Christmas cookie in the house and some OJ! Bedonk! I'll be on island soon...I hope. On behalf of Corey Skies I would like to thank you for readng with me these last two months, have a safe onward journey and we hope to be writing for you of some new adventure fairly soon. PEACE OUT YO!

p.s. that was hella longer than I thought...jeesum crow

Spain & Holland

The last 7 days in Barcelona were much awesomer than the first one. I met my new good friends ross and Tupp in the shithole hostel. The three of us came to really like the "character" of our hostel. All of the employees (including friends they number about 20) treated you like a cousin they didn't like much that came to visit. Only one woman ever cleaned our whole floor and the kitchen (she was awesome) and the others wouold close the kitchen to take over and eat and chain smoke. It was all very nice and we found the city to be amazing and then in came the Swedes. The three of them were a whole new fun. There were nights of cheap wine and guitar jams, with a huge cloud of cigarette smoke and "de boobs" our constant companions. The boobs were an ashtray. Most nights we would come back with a pile of groceries make pasta and talk to Will from the State Department. On the last night we saw a movie and I got pasta for free because I spent my last on a Doner Kebab earlier. If you ever visit Europe or the ME hunt for Doner Kebabs and various other kebab, falafal, and pita places. Cheap, greasy fun for the whole family. On my last day I ran round like a chicken with my head cut off worrying that I wouldn't survive in Amsterdam. I found emergency money from one of my accounts and so began the process. Tram, to train, and then to the airport all having had too much wine and constantly worried for some reason. Barcelona Airport is more of a very nice mall than an airport and so (because I got there early) it was looking like a hungry plane ride. I got on the plane though and like a charm I used my incredible power of PTFO and fell asleep before take off. Amsterdam is great. Going out for absinthe in a minute with a pair of Canadians. I have already seen what feels like all the city. That has a lot to do with my missing the last tram over last night. I got in at midnight, dropped a 20 off a bridge, and then headed towards the hostel. I walked and walked. Dutch people though, even at 1 am, are soo friendly. I got directions and advice for coffeeshops, and encouragement from at least 3 people who I didnt even ask! As I got close though it started to snow. It was surreal. Alone and lost in a foreign city walking through a beautiful park with snow gently falling. Then to top it off I took shelter on the stoop of the Van Gogh museum and five minutes later I was snuggled up in a soft bed. I am off now!

Cheers

España!

Barcelona is a beautiful place indeed. I have walked more today then ever in my life I think. If you want to check a map I walked from Plca. Catalunya (the middle) to Montjuic (the bottom) climbed the Jew Mountain till I reached what I thought was the top but found out was a really high middle with magnificent views of the whole city! As I was staring out over Barcelona I was a little bummed that the fountain nearby wasn´t on. So to cure my bummer I grabbed a water and as if by magic that made the fountain turn on. It was muy tranquilo with a jardin full of fragrant greenery and raked gravelly track dirt and the ocean stretching far far away. Lovely. From there it was back home with a pitstop at an open market for the cheapest eggs in Europe and huuuge pimiento rojo. Of course I came out on the wrong side and got lost walking for literally an hour. I got back had a tiny muffin and laid around a bit before I set out to find La Sagrada Familia. That was almost 2 hours ago... I still havent seen it up close. But I did stumble upon Le Arc de Triomf on the way. Well I stumbled upon a sign and then proceeded to stumble upon alley after alley of shops and carrera lined with Sycamores and cafes selling tapas. Eventually this led me to the Arc. It was way more increible than I imagined. I wondered a bit on the path and found a gaggle of old men playing that game with a little red ball and big heavy metal balls. Honestly I have no idea how they kept score or recovered their balls after the toss. They looked the exact same. From there it was more curious wondering adn finally a revelation that only dissapointed when I realized I needed a tarjeta credito with money to rent a bike! Frustrating. Well to backtrack to leaving London. Erica and I took the tube and had lot´s of fun with the seemingly simple fare set-up and went to Buckingham. Where I took maybe 300 bad pictures of Erica. I was under the impression I got at least four good ones but ya know. Mostly it was because the sun was in her eyes and I was having fun taking pics of her squinting for some time. From there we went to the tube and parted ways. Her to Heathrow me to King´s Cross. The train to Luton from there was 12 pounds! I just about burned the place down. The train was quick though and I had fun at the airport for 6 hours lol and ate a few Clif Bars. The first thing I see when I get off the bus in Barcelona. After meeting some Americans in a large group that seemed a. not interested in me and b. young. Well after that my first impression of Spain, as I stubbornly set off to walk to my hostel, was a couple of gay guys making out pretty intensely. On the way to the Ramblas I saw couple after couple of gay guys holding hands. It wasn´t a problem it was just a little surprising seing so many gay couples at once when no one else was out?? At the Ramblas I was offered hash a few times (which I was scared was laced with crack) and then finally gave up on finding my hostel and grabbed a cab. Lesson 1 in my Espanol no es muy bueno. He told me that everything I knew about where I was headed (not much), everything I said in his language, everything I did really and everything the traffic did was not wrong (equivicado) but very dificil. This was his favorite word. "Necesito a la Hostal de Rambla de Catalunya" "Sabes el fir?" "no se" "Oye dificil" and so began my odyssey. I rolled in at midnight and the internet was vroking so they had to go in the back pull a file look me up not find me make me pay then show me the room and tell me to check back later. Flustered. I wish to continue but is not much more. Also I need to book for this weekend...if I can...oh nvm. Um yeah well it´s very nice here. hmmmm... I will be in Holland in a week and hopefully speaking English... to people..not myself. Alright that was a joke I´m not that lonely!

Ciao

Part 2

London...ahhh London. I thought maybe it was a cold and windy desolation but tomight we met Andy (the bartender) and David and Marcos. It is actually quite nice I see now. The conversations that Conrad, Catarina, and Lada have in our room (in German), the eight ball downstairs and Andy's improvised drinks like Flower Power have gicen me hope for this town. Just down the streeet are many competing chicken huts and further along is Edwards and Monsoon two very tasty bakeries I would suggest highly for any truip tp Brent! I am having teourble typing. This is amusing and surprising given I thougyht I had had less tro drink than to hjave this many errors! Two last things 1. if in NW London (Brent) please stayat the No.8 and 2. Scrumpy Jackis the best cider in the UK. Druida and the cheapies also dont have that nasty nose smell but Scrumpy also doesn't have that alcoholic bitew that the cheapies have! Also try Arabic coke. I love coke in glass. And the Arabic makes it nicer. Albaiet (love that mispelled word too) I've only had a Cap'n and Pepsi...tasty...at that bar near Mornington with the goth theme a'ragin I must proc\laim fort the Arabic Coke bottles. Also Apple Hookah (thats for me to remember) and hmmmm... I think Dave's on gotta bounce. Goodness this is an embarrasing message! I'll be home in two weeks. Grandm,a tell Dad that. Only money for 2 weeks. I'll be like mom'e b-day present then home sweet home. Anyone on island I am looking for work so... well Cheers Then!

Caerdydd, Cymru, UK part 1:

We made it to Wales! The whole day was spent on the move. A mislabeled DART bus misadventure which eventually led to Dun Laoghaire (doonleery). I have no idea who's idea that pronunciation was but I hate them. Once at the port the ferry ride was quite excellent. I accidentally booked us the super mega lounge and after a few cups of complementary coffee I was jumping outta my seat watching Argentina-Scotland highlights. I then read a paper, a whole one. We arrived and Erica the Ill tottered uneasily off the boat and I hopped and skipped around till I found the ticket office and we waited for the train. The train was forever in length (four hours) and we got to Cardiff as the light faded and the christmas lights came on. I had read another paper on the train and so I was buzzin with thought as I crossed the busy street. It was like out of a kung fu movie! I am glad to be alive and frankly quite surprised. The walk up to, down and over, around, around again, past, and near the hostel we got a taxi at a pub and arrived to a KFC night. I'm full. The last days in Dublin were full of new people and stuff. I considered erasing here and doing this later cause I just got way sleepy. But consider this part one. to be continued...

Holy Smokes What Day is It?

No it's fine I'm just friggin' starving to death. I'll remedy that problem as soon as I'm done here. Well I once again did not check to see what I wrote last. I know I haven't posted since maybe before Galway...? Well that city was fun again as we expected and I'm going to miss the gang from the Westside (the guys and gals we stayed with). I am going back to get my towel cause my new one is not nearly as cool. So you guys gotta put it somewhere safe for a year. We had the longest bus ride in recorded history back to Dublin and I didnt sleep a wink because Erica kept me up with her persistent snores. It's very nice being back in the big city especially now that we are comfortable with it and savvy of all the best places to go. Big news: We went to the brewery! It was as necessary as everyone said. You walk into the basement and get jacked up watching the best commercials I've honestly ever scene while waiting in line. Then it's upstairs into the bottom of "the world's biggest pint glass" which takes some imagination and an eye for the abstract to appreciate especially the idea that it could hol like 170,000,000 pints or something crazy. But inside you're surrounded by settling Guiness on a massive wall-to-wall and a lovely voice tells you about how Arthur Guiness is a God and the lease is for 9,000 years and how old the factory is, how it's the first steel beamed structure of it's kind in Western Europe and how it was a p.o.s. when God bought it. Very interesting stuff. Then you walk to the gift shop to rule them all and naturally we each bought bottle openers. Then it's up for a 6 or 7? story walk through "brewing for dummies" with artifacts, tools and visual displays the whole way. Near the top is a memorabilia place and at the top is a free bar. You get one pint. Which I found out at the "it's your choice" exhibit is two beers. We were standing in line and this little old lady comes in way hot and cuts me in line. Then a young bride swings in to cut off Erica. We give the bartender a look and he catches it while pooring many a Guiness and does nothing anyway...jackass. So the two cutters reach him and ask for sprites. What-the-heck? Who does that? Honestly? The worst part is the bartender has to dance over to the soda fountain and poor them which takes him way too long. Once served we enjoy the view of the entire city but can't seem to find a seat. This is when "we need a reward" kicks in with our travel instincts. We go downstairs and have a lovely meal. We're now booked through the UK and will only really see London sadly. That does not make me any less pumped to go! I may be over excited about the ferry ride...I just love ferries. Last night(real quick I got 5) was not koo. We did finally grab a pint at the other Temple Bar in Temple Bar and it was great! Sing-alongs, ice cream after and the very entertaining bicycle hustler! But then I got well, this morning has been a little shaky. Hope to eat lots of vedge! Best of luck to all! Cheers!

Corey James out.

The Misinformation Mission

This post begins in Sligo City a largish town in northern Connacht. I had free internet at one of the hostels so I figured I would make reservations for the day after next. The second I began to do just that the hostel manager came in hot and told me my time was up and that checkout was fifteen minutes previous. I tried to point out that being packed and in the common room totally by myself seemed checked out enough and asked for a few minutes to finish the booking. In those few minutes I managed to waste many hours. So after booking a spot at Green Door Hostel in Drogheda (Droe-hey-da), a place I had heard a lot about but was not available through either of the major sites, I skimmed through the directions and hustled out the door with Erica and the grumpy German manager in tow. We stayed that night at a hostel down the street where they had had a bad experience with grease fires???? and therefore had only microwaves. This provided an opportunity for discovering very creative ways to prepare eggs. None of which are worth mentioning. The next morning after exploring Sligo Abbey we hopped on the mother of all bus rides. Ok they got nothin on Jeevon but 4 hours is a while for me. Once in Drogheda it was about 9:30 and we were a bit tired. We got off the bus and looked for the little brown signs that most cities of relatively ok size have pointing to hostels. This had none. We then check a map which didnt have it listed. It was nowhere to be found. So we wandered a bit till we found where the taxi drivers rest. These guys are pros you walk past two times and your shadow will wake them. We ask one of these guys for directions and head off...no hostel. We hale a cab and ask again...same spot but I see a Green Door! Posted in the adacent window is a sign that the building is no longer a hostel. great. We go back to sleepingtaxiland and ask around they all think it must be there. One of them is happy to help us find an alternative in a town with two hotels and two B&Bs. We roll up to the B&B at half ten and fell immediately asleep in our massive super comfy beds and awake to a delicious Irish Breakfast with granola and juice! Now refreshed we leave for Dublin and eventually Cork where I email them about there nonexistence. Turns out they closed that location four years ago and are just up the street. They tell me they have a strict policy (which I did read) on refunds I just don't cut it. They also make it sound as if they have made every citizen in Co. Louth aware of their location change and inform me that the taxi drivers I met must be retarded. "If you knew the lengths we'd gone to to inform of our location change you woould question the IQs of those you asked for directions" really really almost direct quote. We are now in Cashel, home of the rock of Cashel. And I highly recommend it. We did not visit Blarney Castle while in Cork but we will visit Connemara when we reach Galway! I can't decide if I like Munster (SW Ireland) or Connacht (the remainder of Western Ireland) better but Leinster has proven highly irritating (except Dublin of course). Best wishes to all we're off to a Chinese dinner (big treat)...