Goodbye the Hof

May 1st

What's new? I've finally left The Hof and all the antics that I had there; snowboarding, seshing and #squadgoals. Until next year! (Watch this space). The next destination from the Alps was to Wolfsberg, just south of Graz. Aka the other side of the country. Now- you know what i'm like when it comes to spending unnecessary $£€ (especially when I'm unemployed and just had the couple weeks I've had) so backpack packed and I was on my way- round 1 of hitchhiking had begun.

These rides weren't as characterized as my 400-something KM one in Cambodia/Thailand at the end of last year. The epic millionaire/monk/back of a policeman's moto/ pick up truck combo I had going on would take a lot to beat, but I did have some nice people. Got a guy who worked in one of the bars, who I had a load of mutuals with, a friendly Serbian trucker, an Austrian Logger (complete with accordion tunes on the stereo) the only thing he needed was laidenhoses and a Schnitzel and the stereotype would've been complete. The last guy was really nice, Ivan, and he picked me up just before Germany and took me over 100km to the A9 road to Graz.

So at this time I've done maybe 300 miles...now that's not bad considering the night before was the last night in Mayrhofen and it was a beer pong tournament. Ivan dropped me at a service station and as I waved goodbye and watched  him hit the highway I had a feeling I'd forgotten something
...

Only my travel companion for the past 5 years- Bob! Ladybob! Bob the bug! My pillow pet I picked up in Aus for $2 in 2014. He's come everywhere with me. From camping in Cornwall, to Cambodian jungle to cruising the pacific. Every story I've got- Bobs been there (or at least waiting on my bed for me). But now he's gone his separate way for his new adventures across Europe with Ivan.
Unfortunately for me my adventure didn't get much better.

After 90 minutes of waiting with no luck and the sun fading, I decided to creep into the service station and set up camp...in the Wild Bean Cafe. Was it warm and dry? Yes. Was it free? Yes. Was it comfy? Absolutely not.

But the next day, the sun was out and the posi vibes were back on! Up at sunrise to catch some truckers heading south. By 7am- nothing. 8am- nothing. 9am- finally! A girl, similar age to me, says she's not going Graz but can take me a bit of the way and to a better place for picking up a ride....bullshit!

When I get there, not only has she dropped me in a terrible place, with nowhere to stop OR people going in my direction- BITCH JUST DROVE ME 30KM IN THE WRONG DIRECTION AKA THE WAY I JUST CAME.

After 3h, at 12pm, still 200km from my destination I decided to redirect my thumb to the nearest Banhof (train station) and begrudgingly coughed up the €14 to get me from Linz to Graz and get Bong Dennis to pick me up from there.

But what a reunion! Now- not sure how much I've spoke about Big D on my blog (not so big now, he's lost 30kg since I last saw him!) But he's my absolute bro from Cambo. Next door neighbor, fire spinning, bad influencing, happy cookie chomping, alcoholic, triclops adventurer and the co-creator of the cursed room. To summerise our friendship in a quote from the legend Mitchy Mitch:

"I can barely handle either of you when you're sober...but the two of you when you're drunk...?!?"

So of course, the first night said Auf Wiedersehen to a crate of beer and hallo to a 5am splash in his pool. The next five days saw us outdoor adventuring, city exploring, helping mama Dennis stock up her new bar (and taste the cocktails) and a spot of relaxing in the hot tub.

But the adventure must go on (until I come back on the weekend haha) so I am currently enroute to Budapest with my new mate Sam from Blablacar (didn't fancy hitching in this rain). A few days in Hungary, a few €1 beers and a bit more time spent exploring before I'm back to work next month.

The Beginning Of The End

23/04/19

Usually the beginning will be the best place to start... in this case the present makes a much more exciting opener. I am currently sat homeless, jobless on the floor of my friends one-roomed apartment, broken but the 100% happy.

The events which have lead up to this are as follows-

1.) Snowbombing

The End

I have a previous entry that I never connected my laptop to the internet to post (so it's going online about 3 seconds before this one to give you a comparison). So previous to this current moment right now, I had been having a great and sober time gallivanting about the mountains on my snowboard, finally picking up enough speed to not be the last in the group, finally landing some 180's, been getting great feedback at work. Mum even came out to visit, which deserves a paragraph by itself. Things were going nicely, just what I wanted from this season.  Less booze, more board. UNTIL Snowbombing festival arrived.

Mumsi came to visit, and did we have a good time? Yes we did. Did I almost kill her? Yes I did. She she crash into the ONLY other person on the slope after I told her she wouldn't? Yes she did. But we had an amazing time, a few wines, a few beers, some mountain time...we just don't mention that incident on the chair lift and the lucky guy who had her sitting on his lap...

Hitting the beginning of April we had Altitude comedy festival and I ended up the center of a few laughs one day for sure after shredding some snow up the Ahorn...I had shredded something up my Ahorn too... my salopettes. Here I am thinking "wow, I'm so fit, look at me and a the weight I've lost finally I can fit into my 2016/17 pants..." spoke too soon cause I made a massive rip in them. Then danced. Sober. To Cotten Eyed Joe...On my own. Then continued to wear them until 3am, center of the party me!

#GirsWhoShred

RIGHT NOW IS WHERE IT GETS JUICY AND BACK TO PARTY B.

So, since I left Koh Rong I've been really good/ in control of my drinking. No blackout nights, really well behaved for me- right. Taking it easy, going out snowboardng, showing up on time for work and actually adulting. I thought I'd reached a milestone in my life... WELL. You can take the gir out the party- but you know the saying. 

Snowbombing kicked off on the 8th, so naturally I get my Saturday night fever on and head out with some new friends . But, I'm an adult I decide to turn in for the night at 4am- despite being wide awake, and moderately sober. Knowing I'd need my lateness trump card for later in the week when the bars close at 6am and I start work at 6.30am...well guess who's alarm didn't go off? Strike done. Late for work (only 45mins...) 

So I am having THE BEST TIME at Snowbombing. I go chairlift speed dating, dance on some tables, finally land some 180's on my snowboard, get my dance on, have bout 12hours sleep across the week. Now, on the Tuesday I get carried away on the party vibes after watching Fatboy Slim SLAY the stage 30 seconds walk from my house and I invite a couple people back for some drinks before we go out to see the next DJ. Long story short, my housemate didn't appreciate that and I got reported to work for an "apartment violation" and got put under investigation, that in a combination of me being late (again) the next day. 

All of this commotion resulted in one decision. Be fired after the weekend, or hand in my notice for the next day and enjoy the jungle rhythms of Chase and Status... you can imagine from there hat my decision was. I've been trying to do this thing for a little while now or not necessarily doing what I think the best decision is, but trusting my gut. Sometimes it hasn't been the right decision but it's been my decision. This was one of those times...and holy crap did I make the right one. Not only did I dance my little (size 42) socks off, I didn't have to get up for work the next day! 

Been couch surfing with a friend, had some BBQ's, some movie nights, survived some Via Ferrata, had the SICKEST bluebird powder day (AKA the most perfect weather you could ever get) and the list goes on. So I'm on full holiday mode right now.  In the past 2 weeks I've made so many lifelong friends, created some amazing memories and had one of the best times of my life. Best decision I could've made. 10/10. Quit your jobs and become a skibum.

Raisens Are Dried Grapes, I've Forgotten How My Feet Work and Other Stories from the Alps.

March 11th 2019

 Another year, another country! Bringing me to March and my 3rd new country of the year and my 5th new language I'll make a poor attempt to pick up in the next couple months. I've found myself saying gutentag and gluewine a lot over the past two and a half weeks because I am now currently based out of Mayrhofen, Austria ("The Hof" to many, or as we like to call Male-hofen due to the high boy:girl ratio...).

 After waiting for a job in the alps for what felt like an eternity back at home (and 4kg later) I got offered three in the same weekend.

1. The first was a 60 person hotel in the same resort as the notorious dance festival "the glasto of the alps" Snowbombing.
2. The second- a 5* silver service chalet where I'd be driving around France in a £90k Merc (very me, I know) 
3. The third, a 6-8 person chalet in the Three Valleys, FR , but for not very much cashola.

Long story short, I picked 3 because it fitted what I wanted the most and almost immediately regretted my decision upon finding I had to pay £95 for uniform (but don't worry, I got to keep it at the end..) so grovelled back to 1.)... and here I am! Three weeks away from this mental festival I've wanted to go to since watching a video on my flight home from Australia back in 2015 of Chase and Status' set...I couldn't even snowboard back then!

What's new then? What's the job? So I'm basically doing what I did in Peisey a couple years back but I work with a team of ten and I'm basically a waitress. And I get to go snowboarding everyday.

After finding out I had a nice little apartment, and a room to myself I immediately invited Craig, the bro, out to come visit. So we had a few entertaining days...mostly for me laughing at his dramatic falling and aching body...but for him too learning some classic Austrian Apres tunes.

So far I've been fairly sober (who AM I?!) thus not too many crazy anecdotes as of yet...no megabeds, air ambulances or having to be walked home by my manager. But with 6 weeks still left...who knows! But for right now, I'm doing what I came here to do, relax, enjoy, and shred some snow.

Amster-damnn

The 11th of February has put me in a place I never thought I'd be two years ago, 6 months ago, 2 weeks ago or even yesterday... still in the grey confides of my bedroom in Crawley. Alas, I am still here and awaiting a winter placement (if one ever shows up).

But it has meant that I've finally (almost) cleared everything from my family home, got to spend some quality time with the family, pop over to the Netherlands for the weekend and see my old favourite band play a venue about 20 times the capacity that I'm used to.


My phone call that is my ticket to slopes, snowboarding, and scenery still hasn't come through. So me and my Dad went to watch some football together. Fair to say he was more excited about the game than I was (Psst, we won 5-0) but I was just happy for the social. And helping Dad to not fall in the road after a couple of 7.5% ciders ;)

After getting home on Saturday night I realised it was my first birthday since my 18th (6 years ago!) that I've spent in the UK so needed to change that so convinced Mama to book a last minute day off work and come on a 3 day break to Amsterdam with me, leaving home at 6am the next day.

So that we did, packed our overnight bags, booked a Botel (it's a hotel on a converted boat, geddit??) and attempted to catch our flight...only to realise I'd actually booked it for November 2019. Well it's always been on my bucketlist to show up at the airport and book the next flight...

We ended up doing a fair bit when we were over there, my personal favourite was my birthday unlimited-pancake cruise. But after walking every ounce of them over the weekend (not weekend) we covered the whole city (in the sleet) by foot, we met up with a Koh Rong friend, Ilana, on her native territory and she showed us the best food place ever. The pictures speak for themselves. 

 

 

mum sized car


Other ventures out of my house this week have seen me and my, uglier, sibling discover my new favourite band in London (and a few bevvies with Natalie Webb) with Estrons and seeing my old fav band Don Broco finally headlining Wembley (and getting in for free... score!)