I'm going to somewhere beginning with C...

OK, it's not Chicago. Or Coney Island. It's...

Cardiff

Maybe not the most thrilling destination in the world, but it has been one place that I've always wanted to go to. I've never been to Wales properly before - a daytrip to Rhyl and Llandudno when I was 10 doesn't count - which is a bit of a shame seeing as I'm now 27 (eurgh). I haven't been to Scotland either but we'll ignore that for now.

Anyways I've got a week off work next so thought I'd do something useful with my time and go somewhere. Last time I really went anywhere was in 2010 when I went to New York, God that's seems a long time ago now. OK its not as if I've not left the north of England since then (at least I can't remember anywhere else I've been since then), but still think it'd be good to somewhere now.

More to come!

Where are you going?

Greetings infrequent readers and a Happy New Year to one and all (yes we're about 40 days into 2012, but this is my first entry of the year).

2011 was an odd one namely as for the first time in a good few years I didn't go abroad. At all. Feck.

2012 will be different. Not that I'm sure where/when/how long I will go for just yet. More then likely the US and by extension almost certainly back to New York. There's so many places in the Five Boroughs that I didn't go to and things I didn't do there the first time - on the list is having a stupid-ass size burger, going to the top of a really tall skyscraper and seeing a band (it can be anyone really, it doesn't matter it's the fact its in New York that counts), among others.

But there's so many other places in that country I want to go to there - Chicago, Portland (in Oregon, not the one in Maine), Chapel Hill, North Carolina - home to my favourite college basketball team the UNC Tar Heels, Boston, LA. I could go on. I'm not sure if the prospect of travelling across coast to coast via Greyhound is a little too much though. It's hardly akin to getting the National Express from Manchester to London.

Other countries I'd love to go to include New Zealand, India and maybe Australia (everyone else seems to be there).

Recently the idea of going to a random temple or monastery in somewhere like China or Vietnam to learn about meditation and ancient eastern philosophy for a few weeks really appeals to me. That's probably a better idea in my head then how it could actually turn out.

I'm not sure what this entry was really supposed to be about. I could end up doing all, some or neither of these things or doing something totally different. I think I suffer from indecision a tad.

One thing is for certain though, I need to go somewhere different at some point this year, even if it is just Cardiff or Edinburgh (despite being British I am yet to properly visit two-thirds of the main parts of the British Isles) for 3 days or so.

Wherever and whenever it is I know not to count too much on other people to make my travel aspirations a reality. As tough as it sounds, sometimes you can only rely on yourself.

Until next time good sirs and madams.

This time last year...

I was in New York. More than likely in Bed-stuy Post Office or on the subway or sat in my great aunt's house. Now I'm in Failsworth. Fail indeed. This time next year who knows where I'll be. Hopefully not sat at home watching the TV series of Batman from the 1960s...

Not giving up (yet)

I haven't given up on this thing believe me, although you'd be forgiven for thinking otherwise.

Maybe its time I grew up and booked something (its not like I don't have the brochures or anything).

Check this out. It's hilarious.

Building, breaking, rebuilding

Damn, I don't update this as much as I should do. Prior to my previous post I failed to go much of anywhere during my time off last month or even since then. Though I am moving next week, which is kinda exciting. Same town albeit, but closer to The City (Manchester) and far better then the area we're in now. So long childhood home/neighbourhood. Moving is a right pain mind. Travelling around the US is still a vague goal, the list of places to go currently includes New York, Chicago, Portland, LA, San Antonio, Boston and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, among countless others.

I've just started reading the book version of this. I've been wanting to read it for ages, its pretty killer.

A trip to the cinema is sorely needed.

Anyhow, I best be off. It's lunch-time, I'm hungry and I've actually got work to do.

As an aside, Milwaukee has never been a place I've really considered going to but after reading this it quite appeals now.

Make Big Plans (Make No Small Plans)

So the holiday ain't happening which is a bit of a bugger to say the least. I've got six days off work still in a bit. I was thinking of going somewhere by myself but I can't really afford it, partially because I've paid for four tickets for Creamfields and now a bit short on cash. So I may go away for a day maybe to Liverpool or somewhere to mix it up from being at home for a full week.

It'll give me the chance to do a lot of reading and stuff which I always want to do but never get round to doing (I hope).

So on the face of it for the first time in about 4 years I won't be going abroad this year. Of course this change, as this time last year I didn't think I was going to go to New York but then I grew a pair and just went for it. This time round though there's a few things blocking making definite plans to go away for any extended period of time at some point this year, none of which I really want to discuss here.

But it's cool, it's now about 2012. I'll make my own (big) travel plans which I may or may not reveal at a time when I feel it is right. I'll be 27 next year too which I do believe is the ideal time to die in a plane crash.

At the minute I have a total fascination with Chicago (the city, not the musical).

That is all.

C's up.

Thanks a bunch!

Well I guess those pictures have turned out popular. Kinda weird to think people around the world have been seeing the pictures I took from New York on my crappy phone which is sat next to me. Wish there was more pictures and that they were better quality but I guess that couldn't be helped at the time. Hope you like them all.

I really, really want to go to New York again (and Boston, Chicago and about a hundred other places) but flights to the USA seem really expensive, about £100 above what I paid last year. But that's not to say I'm not going to go anywhere this year. There may or may not be a guys' holiday this summer, I've booked the time off work at least in early June, but if it doesn't happen I'll go somewhere anyway by myself. Clearly the obvious choice would be the USA but I think I'd be pushing it in terms of having to fill out an ESTA form (I'll probs only know about if I am going away or not until about two or three weeks before), so probably somewhere domestic - Edinburgh perhaps - or a short-haul destination in Europe.

Where do you think I should go? Suggestions please.

And it should go without saying but if anyone nicks my pictures from 'the state itself becomes a super whatnot' I'll break your legs. Srsly.

The state itself becomes a super whatnot

Told you I went to New York. Took these on the camera on my phone after my digital camera failed, any pics that I did have on there have now being wiped somehow so apart from a tonne of memories and some killer stuff this is what I've left my trip with.

Good times. I still can't decide where to go next time. Its most likely either back to New York, Boston or Chicago, though today I had a sudden desire to go to Toronto. I'd love to visit North Carolina too. A quick look at Opodo today at prices has got me thinking that May would be a good time in terms of price of flights. If not then it'll probably be September/October when (though that should be 'if' I guess) I go.

Back to Brooklyn?

Contrary to how it appears, I haven't forgotten about this thing.

Keen readers (though I'm not sure how keen you could possibly be about this blog) are probably wondering why I've not uploaded any of the pictures I've taken from New York, not that there's loads. I will do, at some point soon, honest. This is supposed to be my Year of the Upgrade and except from hitting the gym I guess I've not done too much in that regard.

This will change.

Unsurprisingly I'm keen to go back to America this year. Its more than likely a choice between these three cities.

Boston
Chicago
New York (again)

New York the first time round wasn't quite everything I hoped it would be for a myriad of reasons none of which I'm at pains to discuss right now, so I'd love to do it again. Of course Boston and Chicago (and about a billion other places in that country) have the appeal of me never being there before. Hmm. Hard choice between just those three and I could easily throw Philadelphia, Portland and North Carolina into the mix.

I reckon I'll be looking to go in early autumn (or fall as they say over there) so August to mid-October, hopefully the weather will be decent like it was last time. I wish flights weren't so bloody expensive mind, they're way dearer than last year and direct routes just don't seem to exist.

Anyway more news on this front as we (or I) get it.

You can take away the nights with sights with bright lights

So it probably feels like I've abandoned this thing. I've been to New York and come back (believe me when I say I'm going back pretty soon) and I've not really done much of the arty writing stuff I thought I was going to do.

I haven't even told you about the few places I went to. Until now. I randomly found this place before I walked over the Brooklyn Bridge, I didn't mean to namedrop that I've walked over the Brooklyn Bridge just then honest. It's in DUMBO, Brooklyn and is kinda like Magma in Manchester. It was full of arty, really expensive stuff, though I did pick up this pretty cool book about New York - Adventures in the City by Ian Frazier. The girl who served me was immensely cool and I more or less had an instant crush on her, you could tell she was some kind of artist/musician. I asked her randomly about where was good to go for a coffee and she directed me to this cafe round the block, it was pretty good coffee and the cakes they baked looked amazing, the name of it currently escapes me though.

So yeah that was one thing that happened. Hopefully I'll the few pictures I managed to take up here and/or on the Facebook, not that I'm even sure too many people read this thing.

I need to go to bed now.