2805 minutes to go...

The sum of my European wealth. It's not a lot, but it'll get me through the time it takes me to find a cash machine to withdraw money from my Travel Money Card.

It isn't long now till I leave Preston for seven weeks and head over to France to start as an Activity Instructor for PGL at their Camping les Tamaris centre. Over the last few days I have been going through a mix of emotions; one minute I'll be reluctant to be leaving and then the next I can't wait to be in foreign climes. I suppose with it being such a big change to my everyday routine I am right to have some anxiety over what I am doing. However this should not hold me back and I am just going to have to overcome all these worries, get on with life and get settled in at the centre. It will feel like home after a week. Well it is going to be home for seven weeks so I suppose it will have to feel somewhat homely.

Since I last posted, Tuesday, I have been getting my head in some books so that I am prepared, to a degree, for this afternoon's Business Studies exam. In fact once I've clicked 'Publish Post' I'll be heading to the kitchen and then upstairs with a coffee to do some last minute cramming. Yesterday allowed me to get my finances in order before I set sail at 15:30 on Saturday as well as sort out some travel insurance for the 59 days I'll be away. Last night one of my best boating buddies came round for a chat over some coffee. It was good to catch up before I leave and it will be a shame I won't be able to share any boating missions with this particular paddler in the near future. In fact it is upsetting to think that I won't be having any more boating missions with the people I have come to respect and enjoy the company of on the water in the last four years. What is maybe even more upsetting is that I won't be on a river for a considerable time as my centre is on the French coast meaning I won't be able to have any river adventures with the French locals - that will have to wait till New Zealand. Obviously I won't be having any adventures with French locals there, it'll be Kiwi's, unless there are some French people over there.

I may just have to go and watch all my LVM DVD's before I leave for France just to get my fix of white water paddling before I settle down to some hard core sit-on-top work.

Good lines, stay safe and see you on the wet stuff...
Iain