Wanderlust

With the absolutely rubbish summer that we've had over here this year, I must confess that true to form, my feet are getting itchy again. I think it must be a combination of things that are pushing me to pick up my passport and my traveling backpack and get on a plane to who knows where.

For a start, as of... well, as of last year actually, Ireland is now the place I have lived in longest since I was 17 years old. Now in my mid-to-late 20s I have close friends who have not known me to be anything other than a vagabond... wandering around the world on a whim. In my own defense though, I should point out that most places I go to LIVE, rather than just to travel for the sake of traveling. Although I've done my fair share of that as well.

The second "push factor" is my current employment situation - namely, I'm almost due to be made redundant, which means either an unlimited "vacation" or at the very least a couple months' holiday before making the smooth transition into another job. So either way, I'd be looking to go traveling. :)

I've managed to save up a fairly respectable amount of money which I can't even use to buy a house or anything (not being an Irish citizen or permanent resident I'm not allowed a mortgage), so I figure why not?

The problem is that I want to go somewhere different. I recently came across a company called Wild Frontiers, who specialise in small group tours to obscure destinations. What appeals to me is that they give a decent percentage of their profits to the local communities - so, for example, a local driver will make enough money in one 16-day trip to send 2 children to school for a year and feed his family for 4 months. I like that.

My top destinations? Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Yes... they'll take me there. Brilliant. Where's my passport?