Well thats it in terms of watching the mighty CAFC for a year. Off on my travels tuesday week and can't make the Colchester game as having my leaving drinks!!
Can't believe that the one year I decide to go away, all access of Charlton on the internet, radio and basically TV have gone. Typical eh!
How do you guys abroad do it? And do you stay up ridiculously late due to time differences? Could be a long old sunday every now and then after being awake at 3am in the morning to find that we lost 2-1 to Hull City!
My mate and I have got 2 charlton tops in the rucksack. Got some lettering done on the back:
1 with:
GOING
20
As we are 19 going on 20 it makes sence
1 with:
TRAVELLING
07
Standing next to each other reads GOING TRAVELLING 2007. Will have to upload a picture of it sometime soon.
CAFC
0
Comments
I can't believe how quickly that has gone! good luck, be good to have mini reports of how you're getting on with the lack of charlton information and whether you miss the games and the valley!
I went away for two years (SE Asia, Aus, NZ, etc) when I was 22 to "get it out of my system".
5 years after getting back, the itch became too much (travelling itch that is!!!) and I find myself in Canada this time, bought a campervan and going to travel through the states and into Mexico after this next ski season in Whistler.
You'll have the time of your life...
The good thing about Travelling is I haven't heard one bad story about it. Everyone seems to have something positive to say on the topic. (If you do have some bad stories lets just leave them aside for now!)
I'm off to Tokyo on Tuesday and will wear my Charlton shirt out there at some stage. When I land I can find out the Charlton Naaaaarwich score and hopefully have a nice Japanese beer to celebrate!
Tel
Well friday morning I will be returning to thee mighty Sidcup, which I still can't quite grasp. I return home with the same best mate, not one arguement or disagrement and to make things better he is Charlton through and through.
One year away and so many fantastic experiences and memories. This won't be my last trip.
I thought i'd share a little about my trip for those that are either bored, jealous or genuineley interested..
Australia really is a great country. Hot weather, beautiful beaches and friendly people (you get the odd one or two but better than england!) I spent 8 months out there and went everywhere apart from Darwin. Spent 4 weeks working on a diary farm. 7 days a week, 14 hours a day. Looking back the work was alwful but as somebody said in a previous post 'a bad experience just adds to the travelling experience' and it was something that I never imagined doing a year ago. I spent 6 weeks in a campervan travelling Victoria and South Australia, spent New Years in a small park area with 100 other people, drinking from 11am until being smashed and watching the fireworks on sydney harbour bridge. I got arrested on my birthday in cairns for winning the dancing competiton with the 'coyote girls' and not putting my shirt back on... (long story) I skydived over a beach and got in the Charlton programme for it. Met a number of great people, from all nationalities. Learnt to cook 3 times a day for myself, done my own laundry and lived independently with no worries atall. I'm only 20 afterall.
South East Asia was brilliant. I done two trips there in my year away. The first was at the start of my travels, we just went to Thailand where I spent a week staying with Steve who posts on here as a name I can't remember (Hi steve if your reading, hope the summer season went well for you). We saw places that at the time we thought were spectacular but after a year away i'd say they were just 'beautiful'. After being away 6 months we returned to Asia as we felt we could experience it more as travellers rather than being in holiday mode. I had an amazing time here, ended up seeing Loas, Vietnam and Cambodia aswell. I would like to go back here as I know that within 5 years Thailand will be like Spain and Vietnam/Cambodia etc will start becoming like Thailand. I went back to Australia where I done labouring work for 6 weeks in perth. Here I found the town IMO which boasts the most beautiful ozzie chicks ever. Claremont.
I'm ending my trip in New Zealand which is a beautiful country. I find it hard to believe that such a small place can have so many different climates and natural features happening. I done the Nevis bungy which I would have bet my life savings on before I came away that I couldn't do it. Climbed Franz Josef Glacier with an 80's rock star wig on and a massive hangover. Skiied for 3 days at Coronet peak and spent two thousand quid in a month (debt alert, but worth every penny)
Anyway, I don't want to blabber on about my travels. Just wanted to say that everyone who has done it understands what it is about.. and anyone that is thinking of doing it, then just read this to stop thinking about it and just do it.
My only worry now is that i'm coming home. Back to the UK with no money ($43 to be precise), no car, no real career line or job lined up, the country is in a resession, i'm going to be staying in the same house, with the same people, going to the same places, drinking with the same friends... HOLD UP with a different CHARLTON : - )
Tom
ps anyone that wants to look at our website
www.getjealous.com/tombakerwisely
Sounds an amazing trip Tom. Memories live forever (Alzheimer's exepted!).
Glad you had a good trip. What happened to the third mate of yours who gave up after three weeks? Was my hospitality really that bad? Or is it just that Arsenal fans don't have any staying power?
Not the best time to be going back to England. Hope you can bring CAFC a bit of luck. I saw both the home wins whilst in England a few weeks ago (plus the Yeovil game!).
Don't forget to recommend us to any CAFC fans visiting Thailand. We are going to need all the custom we can get this coming season.
N.B. I didn't know they grew diaries in Australia. Are you sure it wasn't a date farm?
Now get a job !