2008 Living & Travel Arrangements - Questions & Comments

[EuroMetetron]

Okay, so it is about the time of the year where I need to start thinking more concretely about where I am going to live next year. I have already decided to leave Argentina this December (though I am definitely returning) and check out something new.

For a while Thailand was looking interesting, but the recent thread about the whole poker/jail thing has made me decide otherwise. Going to have to find something to fill that void.

Here is what my new (and likely to change since I just created them) plans for next year look like:

Jan 4th - May 2nd: Live in Sydney, Australia (probably Bondi Beach) while taking trips to New Zealand & possibly undecided parts of Asia.
May 3rd - May 10th: Party Poker Million VI Cruise from Istanbul, Turkey to Bari, Italy; Olympia/Katakolon, Greece; Izmir, Turkey; and Dubrovnik, Croatia before returning to Istanbul.
May 11th - 19th: Vacation in Istanbul, Turkey
May 20th - August 14th: Live in Barcelona, Spain while taking side trips to France, Portugal, & Italy.
August 15th - November 13th: Live in London, United Kingdom while taking a side trips to Ireland & the rest of Britain.
November 14th - December 1st: Visit Reykjavík, Iceland; Copenhagen, Denmark; & Oslo, Norway.
December 2nd - December 18th: Visit Eastern Europe (destinations unknown as of yet).
December 19th - Jan 6th: Return to the USA for Christmas.

I am going to break each of these parts down in the future and get into more detail about them and what sort of arrangements I have made and am looking for. I am going to start with London as I am here right now, but I'd appreciate comments about any part of this plan as I am sure things will change many times before I settle on something concrete. I took 10 minutes to make these plans so feel free to blow holes in them; I already notice that visiting the Nordic countries in winter is probably not a good idea, so I will be trying to find some way to rework that.

Here are some basic info on each place:

<u>Sydney, Australia</u>

Visa: Tourist visa which was fairly easy to obtain online. Lasts for 12 months, but each entry is only good for 3 months. Unlimited entries. Basically, have to leave to New Zealand half way through and return to renew the visa. Not a problem at all.

Housing: I haven't quite yet found anything specific that I'd like to rent but it appears that vacation rentals can be had for about AUS$1500-2000 per month ($1250-$1700 USD) in the beach cities for a 1-2 bedroom. I wouldn't mind finding a roommate here in the unlikely event I find something staying the same length as me, but I also would be okay with living alone.

Internet: Going to attempt to get the internet included with the apartment as that would probably be easiest. Anyone with knowledge of Wifi or mobile internet availability in Sydney, I'd very much appreciate you sharing with me.

Other: I am interested in taking surfing lessons here. I have found thi school in Bondi Beach which is where I think I want to live. They have an introductory 5 x 2 hr course for approx. $250 US including board and wet suit rental. They also have intermediate classes available as well as board/wetsuit sales. I am not sure how feasible it is, but I plan to buy a board/wetsuit (used board if possible) and sell it back when I leave. I've sent them an email asking about this, so we will see.

Budget: I figure $1,300 - $2,000 US per month will cover my rent, internet, and surfing equipment. I'm not sure of costs down there, but another $1,000-$2,000 per month should cover my food and entertainment. Definitely shouldn't go over $4,000 per month and it is possible I could live on as little as $2,5000 per month.


I'm running out of internet time here, so I need to get going. More later. Thanks for your comments.