So after getting really sick and ending up with a chest infection I thought England had broken me, I was at the stage I had enough of the cold. I didn't want to play anymore I wanted to go home to my comfy bed, warm sunny weather and get better. This UK winter stuff is really hard, the temperature sometimes stay below zero for days on end. Coming from a girl born in Darwin and moving to Brisbane my exposure to 'winter' has been mild to say the least. I have since finished the course of antibiotics and have changed my mind about going home but I am still not feeling 100% again yet. On Monday I headed back to London and stayed at the Astor Hostel in Hyde Park. Great hostel, cheaper than a lot of the other London hostels but lacking none of the comforts. I hired a bicycle and went riding through the park. You may not forget how to ride a bike, but you forget how hard it can be. Sore legs being the only down side the rest of the experience was great. I met some Aussies in the hostel, we went out for dinner and a few drinks. I even spent some time with a few french guys who were telling me about where they live. Although its nice to meet people it can be awkward when you've had enough and want to hang by yourself for a bit. I like being by myself and soaking up the experience. This Aussie is still lost, finding my feet by myself over here is difficult but not impossible. A lot of the time I could be talking to people but find it easier to do it by myself. My exposure so far to the backpacker population has lead me to the generalisation that they are very straight lace. Almost geeky & seemly very sheltered. I don't mind geeks, they can be fun to hang around with. But I feel like such a black sheep around these backpackers. I listen to alternative, punk & rock. I didn't go to a private school or study in college. I don't follow politics. I have my lip pierced & have a tattoo. I'm wanting to know where people like me go? As I have not seen or met anyone similar yet. Does the Occa Aussie backpack in the UK? Where do you find them? Laid back Aussies with a bit of bogan appeal, rough around the edges. I value my friends back home even more, a bunch of bogans compared to the backpacking world but my type of people. You can take the girl away from Logan but you can't take the bogan out of the girl. Enjoying the sights and sounds of Manchester and London while contemplating if my want for backpacking solitude is due to a lack of connection, an intolerance to others lack of exposure or a deep seeded psychological hermit tendency?