Walkabout

So I went for a walk today. Left at two-ish, got home about four and a half hours later. One would think that I would have learned my lesson about long walks, but no. And this was a long walk. Longer than any I've gone on of late. See, I decided, in my boredom and in the prevention of madness, to text Karl to see if he was busy. He was not, so we went to the park.

Now, I don't normally exercise. That's a bit of an understatement. If I have nothing to do, most of the time I'm sitting down at my laptop like a loner without any friends. So, walking for so long... well, it's left me a little bit tired (Sleep Paul is Sleepy). Anyway, at least it was a lonely four and a half hours. Only the walk to and from the park was lonely. And even then, I wasn't down in the dumps about it.

Karl and I had a long discussion, ranging from college life and how we were both settling in to it, old friends from secondary school, new friends we'd made (okay, so I did a lot of talking about that one), the ways in which people have to know what's going on (subsequently, this related to something Liam was telling me last night - people where he's from are always asking him "What are you doing with yourself?" They just have to know!), work and money, very cool types of friendships and future plans. It was a great conversation, and my only regret is that I didn't have a bottle of water with me.

Back in the day, Karl was the person I trusted with a lot of stuff. I told him what had gone on in my past, because frankly someone had to be told, and he helped me get through it all. And Karl was the first person to read Meet Sam, which we also talked about in some detail. And sure, didn't I have a copy of it with me? Meant I could check up on things he referred to - he was right about them, too. It was one of his favourite parts in the book, so naturally he'd remember.

I also told Karl about something I announced to my Twitter followers earlier today: The Rules of Adventureland. So, here we are, then:

1. Adventureland is anywhere and anywhen that fun can be had – don’t ignore it!

2. Don’t do anything you might regret – if you think you might regret it, you’re worrying too much
3. Don’t worry about anything but how you’ll get home – the when is a different matter altogether

4. If you don’t find yourself having a good time, you’re not doing it right
5. Adventureland is a place for friends – if you’re alone, grab a friend and fix the problem
6. Keep plenty of memories – the stories will make up for the World Suck that lurks around every Corner of Boredom
7. Never attempt to ruin Adventureland for another person – your duty is to create the most happiness for everyone involved
8. Don’t be afraid to try something at least once – personal choice is one thing, but fear is no excuse
9. Adventureland never ends – it only takes a short break

10. Agreed secrets of Adventureland remain secrets of Adventureland