It has started...

The Summer has past and the schools have gone back. I have been planning this year for a long time now and it is exciting that it has finally arrived. I have been meticulously organising my time and, for the last 3 days, have been trying to get it all down on paper - calendars, diaries, the works. I have also been sorting out the financial side of it all which has been incredibly tedious but it is something that had to be done. I am now, not entirely but almost entirely, ready.

So, what am I going to be up to? Well, I want to give myself a flavour of several things throughout the year, more than anything so I keep myself busy. That is the secret with a year off I think - keeping yourself busy. You have to be organised and highly disciplined, making sure that you don't try and slip into Summer holiday mode at all.

Music wise I am planning to do TrinityGuildhall Grade 8 Piano in December and ABRSM Grade 8 on the trombone, as well as an Acting Diploma exam in speech and drama. Last year I discovered that I really enjoyed composing music and although there is now unfortunately less opportunity for performance it is most certainly an activity I shall try to continue this year. The Summer has brought forward another 4 new works (not yet written down though! I'll get round to it sometime). In November I'm planning to do a semi charity/ semi raising funds for GAP year recital of modernist piano and accordian music. Also, for later this month I have been asked to play for a few hours at a 50th birthday party (money!). I shall be continuing with some of the ensembles at Ipswich School.

Travel will make up a major part of the year, more particularly after Christmas, but I shall go into more detail regarding all that later.

I have set myself several targets, two of which (well 2 and a 1/2 of which) involve languages. In May next year I shall be setting off on the Trans-Siberian express and so it would be really good if I could grasp some Russian. This is most certainly a major aim (watch this space James!). I shall also be going through China in June so want to know the basics of Mandarin (that's the '1/2' bit). Italian is a language that I would absolutely adore to be able to speak and so a serious aim is to be able to speak and understand as much Italian as possible by this time next year.

One of the more tedious things I'm going to have to be doing soon is sorting out the whole UCAS thing...again! I can't really complain though as I am doing it through choice. However, until I hear back from *** Edexcel about my remarks I can't do much about it. Watch this space though and I'll tell you all as it emerges. I'm fairly definite that I want to go down the history/politics type esque scene though in terms of courses.

Money, unfortunately, doesn't grow on trees and I'm going to have to get it all from somewhere. Very generously my Grandmother has offered to pay for a significant amount of the travelling fees which gives me a big boost financially. However, there will still be a significant amount that I shall have to raise. Thankfully there is a lot of work to do on the farms and so that will form a part of the moneybag. I'm also helping to design a new beer, some of the proceeds of which will also go into the money pot. Speaking of the beer I am going to go on a course in January up near Sunderland that covers brewing, the process of brewing, marketing, accountancy etc (Ingham you finally win! some of you will understand). However, I have come to the conclusion that I'm just going to have to find another job. The problem is that around here there is very little (if anything) on offer. You have to be extremely lucky. The trouble is of course that for the good jobs you need experience and you can't get experience without a job. It's a vicious circle. Anyway, I'll let you know how I do on this front later.

In terms of work experience I have several ideas lined up in the fields of politics, journalism and heritage. The problem is that I honestly don't believe that I have enough time on my hands. Up until Christmas I really should be working in terms of actually getting money in my pocket. January is really the only dead month when nothing at all has been planned. I would like some work experience with ECC, an MEP, MP, a (probably local) newspaper and either the National Trust or English Heritage but I'm not sure if I'm going to have the time. I have the contacts lined up it is simply whether I can logistically hold to securing the experience. I have started writing a novel and am aiming to start up a political blog which I shall post a link to on here once it's up and running.

Right, now, the traveling. I shall put this in a nice simple format but the dates are not set in stone yet so could be subject to change:

SEPTEMBER '08

14th-18th - Basel, Switzerland (COMPLETE)

OCTOBER '08

24th-29th - Ipswich School Chapel Choir Tour to Krakow, Poland

JANUARY '09

late (but possibly early Feb)- skiing in the Alps (France probably) not yet finalised

FEBRUARY '09

MARCH '09

APRIL '09

3rd - leave for 3 1/2 weeks road trip around Scandinavia (I'll put up the proposed itinerary later in the year)

22nd - return from Scandinavia

early (but probably leaving late March) - 10-12 day road trip around Ireland stopping in Dublin, Cork, Dingle, Limerick, Galway, Sligo, Donegal, Londonderry, Belfast, Newry and then back to Dublin again. (NOW PLANNED FOR SUMMER 2010)

MAY '09

1st - leave London for journey along the Trans-Siberian express. Will put up more details later. Planning to stop at St Petersburg, Moscow, Ekaterinburg, Irkutsk, Ulaan Baatur and Beijing.

23rd - arrive Beijing following Trans-Siberian.

24th - leave Beijing for trip down through Tibet on the Trans-Tibetan railway. Stopping at Lhasa, Gyantse, Shigatse, Sakya, Everest Base Camp and Kathmandu

JUNE '09

7th - leave Kathmandu for flight back to London.

JULY/AUGUST/SEPTEMBER '09

Walking the Pennine way (South to North) for charity 'Save the Naze'.



So that's pretty much it. We set off on what will hopefully be a most incredible year. Hopefully you will follow me on the story and see how it all pans out.