Back with a bump and other injuries...

Crack for fantasy geeks

Hello everyone!  I'm back from my trip across America and am currently penning the whole three week journey to post as a blog on here, but you're going to have to wait a little while longer for that, both because there's a lot to get through and so it'll most likely be in three parts and because I have a lot of tv to catch up with and I am the worlds biggest procrastinator without the lure of Season 2 of Game of Thrones and all five seasons of Six Feet Under to get through!

I did learn a few things from my trip that I wanted to share with you guys though; these are things that may or may not show up in the trip blog but have been going through my head since I got back.  So I'm just gonna waffle on about them here for a bit and hopefully at least be slightly entertaining while I do!  As always, no promises though!

America - It's fucking big and cheaper than Tokyo!

First and foremost, I learned that I had been wrong to dismiss America as a place to travel to.  I had never had any real interest in going there before I booked on the trek and I only booked on the trek because it was going to a few cool places and was cheaper than a week in Tokyo!  How wrong I was though; turns out that America is amazing and the people (for the most part) are really friendly!  Although I have to say that the drinking age laws are quite frankly ridiculous!!

Secondly, I learned that age doesn't have to be a barrier when it comes to relating to other people.  Anyone who's my age (34 at the time of writing) who says that they can't relate to the younger generations (by which I mean those people aged 18-25) isn't trying hard enough or just doesn't want to.  For my part, I had a blast spending three weeks going across the US with a bunch of 19-25 year olds!  Yes, at times they didn't always get where I was coming from and I reckon I came across as stuffy, weird and just plain creepy more than once but mostly it was cool and I consider it an honour to have spent time amongst such talented and interesting people all of whom have amazing potential to go far in life!  I'm sorry if you find any of this condescending Trek guys, it's not meant to be, you are all truly amazing people!

Lancashire Dialect - Profound

Third, I learned that having a Lancashire accent is the biggest barrier ever when trying to make yourself understood around anyone who isn't from Lancashire.  My accent is broad, putting it mildly, and it was equal parts amusing and frustrating when I was talking with my Trek group.  We were an eclectic bunch, made up of a good few nationalities but even the English speakers in the group sometimes had a hard time trying to understand what I was going on about.  Of course, as anyone who's heard one of us try can attest, asking a northerner to speak like the rest of England does is just asking for more hilarity and mis-interpretation.  Balancing this out though is the enjoyment found in everybody trying to mimic my accent.  Pretty much all of them failed, with hilarious results!  Just another thing that made my presence on this Trek unique!

So in conclusion, the Trek was awesome, you will hear about it on this blog soon and I made some great friends over there!  In fact, right at this moment when everyone back home is asking about the trip, I feel a little like a war veteran and keep wanting to say in dramatic fashion "You don't know man!  You weren't there!!"  Although that could just be me getting a bit melodramatic, but it is pretty hard to explain those three weeks without the 13 (ish) other people I spent them with to help me!  Wherever those guys are in the world right now, I have no doubt that each and every one of them is being awesome!

Keep it up guys!

'nuff said!

That's What She Said!! ;-)


Kenny!