Got my dream job!.. kind of!

So after the ordeal over the last few days where I was literally nearly homeless for a day or two, my new awesome friend Mardy came to my rescue and said I am welcome to stay at his house for a couple of days... win! What a relief that was... to think I nearly ended up sleeping at the airport. Ha!

Come Monday, some good news came my way. So... remember those epic hostel pub crawls that I enjoy so much? The ones that I've had an absolutely amazing time at both of them, and where they host a Paper-Scissors-Rock tournament? Well I made friends with the host during my times there, and I am excited to announce that:

I got a job co-hosting the pub crawl!

Basically I'd lead groups of people from one pub to the next, help out, and judge the Paper-Scissors-Rock games, while drinking and talking to people from all over the world! To get paid at the end!

Dream. Come. True!

I was extremely pumped up for my first 'shift'! Even better was Mardy was to be coming also, and I messaged my friend Phil to come too but he never replied.

The night started at 8pm where I met up with the people from my hostel and after making my introductions we were off to the first pub to meet with people from the other hostels. I handled myself confidently and enthusiastically, having no worries or fears about talking to strangers or groups of people, so that kind of rocked. We arrived at the first pub and I met up with the main host of the night, Jackie, who gave me a little hole-punch tool to mark the Paper-Scissor-Rock cards the players were carrying (so we can mark who won and lost). Sweet.

Being the judge of the Paper-Scissor-Rock games, everyone playing obviously had to come talk to me to get their cards stamped after every game (to mark if they lost or won), so with a beer in one hand and the hole-punch in the other I chatted to everyone single person there, becoming great friends with them all in no time at all. So. Much. Fun! Chatting to people from all over the world was so ridiculously awesome.

Working hard! Cards can't punch holes in themself you know =P

After an hour or so at the first pub it was time to lead everyone to the second. Jackie left the first pub and lead about 25 people to the second pub, but there was about 6 people still finishing drinks so I stayed behind until they finished. Once they had I said for them to follow me, and I started leading them to the next pub... the problem however was that I ... err. I didn't actually know where the next pub was... Ha!

I have been on these pub crawls twice before, but each time I have been drunk and haven't paid any attention at all at where in the city these pubs actually are as I always simply followed the crowd!

The people behind me happily followed along, laughing away, completely obviously to me walking with the map out in front of me trying to figure out where the hell we are meant to be going. I called Jackie and she told me the address... I was at least on one of the roads I needed so that was good. We keep walking, but I just could not find the cross-street I was after... this is bad. I honestly contemplated purposely losing the people who were following me by silently slipping away in a large crowd so I didn't have to turn to them and say "err... yeah... I kind of don't know where we are meant to be going".

As we were standing at yet another set of lights waiting to cross the road with still no hope of finding the next pub in sight, I decided that yep... I have to ditch these people.

There was a large crowd just on the other side of the road that looked perfect for me to silently slip away in without the group following me noticing where I had gone. This wasn't one of my most proudest moments I admit, but it was better than admiting to them that I was lost!

The lights turn green... the group is laughing and chatting away and barely even notice that we are free to walk. Good, with them destracted it will help my escape. I quicken my walking pace to gain some distance away from them... I am just about standing next to the crowd of people I hope to blend in with when suddenly... I bump into my friend Phil!

"Phil! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!? Man am I glad to see you! Do you know where the second pub on the pub crawl is!?" I scream in his face in the space of 0.3 seconds.

"Yeah man that's where I am heading now, I seen your message on Facebook so was going to meet you up with you guys. It's just here."

How relieved I was!

It turns out that I was literally standing on the cross-street I needed and simply needed to turn my head left about 3 stores along and I would have seen where we were meant to go... I was about to walk straight past it without noticing! I followed Phil, and my group behind me followed us both, and we all arrived at the second pub. Phew! Jackie gave me a big thumbs up and a "thank you" for leading the stragglers for her, with everyone (including Jackie and the group of people following me) completely obviously to the fact that I literally just tried to escape them to leave them to their own ha!

The rest of the night was an absolute blast! People bought me beers, I continued to meet some really cool people, and I chatted to Mardy and Phil when I had some free time. Great stuff. I got pretty hammered by the end but did somehow continue to do my job, so that rocked. At my suggestion I even got the crowds to chant to Jackie "Aaron is doing a really awesome job and deserves to work every week!" haha!

At the last club I helped out with the Paper-Scissor-Rock finals, then grabbed some late night pizza with Mardy, and at 2am the club closed its doors and it was time to go home.

Now that was an absolutely legendary night!

And at the end of it all? I got paid! I had just had one of the most fun nights in my entire trip and had actually made money doing it... that's the dream!

Definitely a highlight of the trip for sure.