To Eastern Europe...

Tomorrow, M and I leave for our two week long trip around Eastern Europe. We've been planning this for quite some time; the same time as I took a second job as an ice monitor at the Winter Wonderland festival this winter. I took the part-time work because I wanted to save up some cash to be able to travel this year...do something big, for a few weeks, instead of the usual long weekend trips. The hours worked out so that I could work my 9-5 and start at the rink from 5-830/9. And work every Saturday...

We originally thought about a tour, but decided against it because it would be too rigid. And we didn't want to take the chance of getting stuck with a group of frat kids. We thought about Poland and Slovakia, then thought instead of going south. Then: first stop Prague, Czech for three nights. Second, Vienna, Austria for three nights. Next, Ljubljana, Slovenia for three nights. Lastly, Zadar, Croatia for four nights. M really wanted Prague, and I really wanted some sun and sand in Croatia. There just *happened* to be a lot of interesting places in between.

So then, this trip is the reward for those evenings I left work in the dark to lace up and skate outside for 3+ hours. For the cold, rainy Scottish nights when co-workers asked each other (way more than once) 'Who decided to build an *outdoor* rink knowing Scottish weather'? For the Saturdays I would have rather have slept in, but instead had to spend 9 hours on the ice telling people to slow down, get off their phones, and stop throwing snowballs. For learning how to skate with hockey skates (which I found out I like so much more than figure skates) and then breaking in a new pair. Cold, sore feet. RAIN. Bratty chav kids. Shovelling the rink (by hand with plastic children's shovels) after every shift. Too few breaks. 55+ hour weeks. And most importantly, for New Years Day when the rest of the world stayed home with their hangovers and I had to lace up for an 8 1/2 hour shift.

But for the next two weeks off to foreign lands, it was so worth it.