Hostelworld.com

This past year I had the opportunity to work in Ireland and travel a number of different European countries by being a SWAP participant (www.swap.ca). SWAP allowed me to make my own choices about where I wanted to work and live, while giving me detailed explanations about the "red tape" stuff (tax credits, filing with the police, good areas to live, etc.) I ended up choosing to live in Dublin, Ireland. There I found the perfect job, found a place to live and had some of the most memorable times running around that city with new friends I had made. While basing myself in Dublin, I was able to travel many diverse European countries and do a two-month backpacking trip throughout the Mediterranean myself. The experiences and profound moments that I had on this journey, taught me a lot about independence, the world and life. Also, I learned a few things about myself along the way.

A day after I arrived, I attended the new arrivals orientation at SWAP's Irish equivalent USITNOW. The informative session helped me understand better the way the city worked. Things like how one street has a new name every block, or having to use (1) for Dublin phone numbers but not while in Dublin and the importance of having a mobile. Things like this are second nature to locals but are a lot to learn to for someone new in town.

After taking my first few days upon arrival to travel Ireland on a backpacker bus tour, I decided on making Dublin my home away from home. Dublin is like no other city. It is ALIVE. The old style buildings, mixed with the new age coffee houses, Internet cafes and pubs gives Dublin such an eclectic, electrified atmosphere. From the music acts on Grafton Street to the happy pedestrians enjoying the cultural treasures of the purely food, music and fun area know as Temple Bar. All of it makes you think, "Why don't all cities work like this?". However what really gives Dublin that something special is the people. The Irish way is so welcoming and free spirited that it is almost impossible to not adopt that way of life as your own.

I completely lucked out when looking for a job. I happen to be using the Internet at Global Internet Cafe on O'Connell Street in Dublin (www.globalcafe.ie) and saw that they were looking for staff. So I asked one of the guys behind the counter if I could hand in a resume. It turned out that they were so desperate for staff that the manager came out to talk to me about 15 minutes later and she offered me a trail shift for the next day. Well that trial shift turned into a full time, team leader position and that guy behind the counter ended up becoming my best mate. Next I needed a place to live. That was the more trying task because accommodation can be hard to find in Dublin. About two weeks after I arrived I moved into a nice house with three Spanish guys and I shared my room with an English girl. We met at Jacob's Inn, (www.hosteldublin.com to find out more about hostelling in Dublin) and I begged her to be my roommate so we could move out of the hostel and settle in Dublin.

So I had a fantastic job (loads of backpackers, travelers and locals to meet there and the free internet access for employees helped me save money with keeping in touch back home) and I had a great place to live (the five of us made a lively bunch), now all I needed to do was figure out what I wanted to accomplish with my year.

I decided to make the most of my proximity to the rest of Europe. I wanted to travel as much of Europe as I could. I made a few arrangements with the management and explained what I wanted to accomplish. Due to the unbelievably flexible workplace, I was able to visit Paris, London, Berlin, Oslo, Bergen, Stockholm and Paris again. I also was able to visit family in Ireland and research my family history. I did all this and was able to keep my job and accommodation in Dublin. Then at the beginning of March I left my job, found someone to rent out my room, strapped on the backpack and traveled Mediterranean Europe for 2 months. During that trip I was in Venice, Verona, Florence, Rome, Sorrento, Amalfi, Capri, Pompeii, Athens, Ios, Nice & Barcelona.

The times I had in all of these places were unimaginable. I never thought I experience these things. Some favourites are watching the sunset in Norway on a cold winter's day. Sunbathing in Spain. Driving a scooter throughout the Greek island of Ios. Hiking up the volcano Mt. Vesuvio in Pompeii. Attending Easter Sunday mass at the Vatican. Watching fireworks at the Eiffel Tower in Paris on Bastille Day. Waking up to my two best mates with 6 bouquets for roses on my birthday. Meeting a cousin of mine who is nearly 100 years old. Salsa dancing along the River Liffey in Dublin. Walking home in the rain. And laughing more times than I can count. I had the time of my life.

Now I'm back home in Canada with my family and friends and back in my architecture program in college. Even though it took some time to realize this, I am happy to be with the people that believed I could do this right from the start. For anyone who has gone abroad, sometimes going back to reality can be a shock to the system. I was warned a lot about the "hard" times of being back home by many mates. This is because you've changed so much and home hasn't. However since I had such a network of support from my life long friends I'm able to hold the past year as a great learning experience and look forward to new adventures awaiting me.

So in the end, my advice to anyone who is considering doing something like this is DO IT!!! Don’t overanalyze it, don't postpone it, do it now. We are only young once and these opportunities can change your life forever. There is nothing like moving to foreign countries, starting fresh and seeing where life takes you. There is so much truth in the statement "You never know what's going to happen next".... I never expected this, and now, I have no regrets.