Casting Stones

Chapter XXI

Summer was in full swing, and the pub crawl was pumping. Every night, we ran two full groups. It was fun but busy.

Nir and Steven even started up a second crawl in the Red Light District. It was more mellow, replacing dancing and body shots with drinking games and chats. It was aimed at a mature crowd looking for something more chilled-out.

Still a new product, this pub crawl required finesse to ensure it caught on, so it became Steven's baby. He ran the Red Light crawl, and he was good at it. Man, he was good at everything. You name it: talking, dancing, cooking, party games, guitar. And the ladies loved him! One lass even started calling him Angel Eyes one night, a name I made sure stuck around for as long as I did.

Steven was doing a great job, and the Red Light crawl was going well, which made Nir excited to expand even more. "Krakow doesn't have a pub crawl yet. We're going to start one there and I want you guys to get it going for me."

Being suddenly asked to move to Poland caught Chevy and I off guard, but we were also intrigued. Nir went on to explain his connections there and how it would work.

Most major European cities offer free walking tours run by the same company. However, the free part is questionable since a minimum tip of five Euros is expected instead of a fee.

Nir was friends with the guy running the Walking Tours in Krakow, who would help promote the pub crawl as a partnership. "Once we get through the summer, I want you guys to go to Krakow and get started. I'll help you with everything. What do you think?"

This was the beginning of countless meetings with Nir about expanding his company and going into business with him. Chevy was already set to head to the US to work at a summer camp before returning to Australia and wasn't overly keen to change plans and move to Poland. He was interested, however, in starting a pub crawl in Australia.

That sparked further expansion discussions. Nir suggested Sydney, but Chevy pushed for Melbourne, closer to where he called home.

Having lived in Sydney and Melbourne, I knew what to expect from both and backed Chev's choice. Sydney never did much for me, but Melbs brought back fond memories, especially during my time living with Haydo.

Nir agreed on Melbourne and said he'd front the cash to kick things off. "Marketing is very important. It's the one area of a company where you can't cheap out. I'll put in thirty thousand euros to get started, and part of the first year's profits can pay me back. We need a good marketing strategy, and that should be enough to cover it."

Back in 2006, I only intended to stay in Australia for three months. The plan was to explore the country, visit some friends, and then head to New Zealand. I'd met plenty of Kiwis at the ski hills in Canada, and they were really fun.

I dreamed of moving to Wanaka and living a similar life to the one I lived in the Canadian Rockies, bartending at night and skiing during the day. However, Bill Bryson's book 'Down Under' changed my plans, intriguing me enough to put my NZ dream on hold and see out my one-year working holiday visa in Aussie.

That plan resurfaced as discussions with Nir progressed, taking up substantial real estate in my mind. I missed the ski bum life and couldn't shake it, no matter what. The idea of going back to a big city I'd already spent plenty of time in became less and less appealing as I daydreamed of bartops, ski bunnies, and fresh snow.

One day, I couldn't hold back anymore. "Nir, how about New Zealand?"

The difference between a neurotypical and a neurodivergent mind has a lot to do with speed. Imagine a pedestrian street full of people casually strolling along, going about their day with ease. Their pace varies slightly, but not enough to stand out. It's pretty uniform, and everyone effortlessly blends into the crowd.

Suddenly, like a bat out of hell, comes a guy on a bicycle. And not any bike, but some suped-up, slick-looking ride you'd see in the Tour de France. Clearly out of his league on the fancy speed machine, he weaves this way and that at top speed as stunned onlookers stand wondering where this maniac came from and what he's doing cycling through a street designed for walkers.

Shouting apologies over a dinging bell, the out-of-control cyclist eventually screeches to a halt, dismounts the shiny chariot of chaos, and attempts to casually fit in where he doesn't belong, eyes cast to the ground to avoid meeting the shocked stares after his unintended disruption.

That's the difference. It's an inability to regulate and, therefore, fit into a society designed for people who can. Ignorant of having ADHD in those days and the severity to which I have it, I always felt like I was on a bicycle that I didn't know how to operate. I was out of control, my impulsivity leading me through life in a flurry of split-second decisions and blurted-out ideas. I was oblivious and just rolled with it.

I also had no idea that when I finally learned how to ride that bike, I'd travel further and faster than I could have ever imagined. But at the time, I was just a hyperactive dude with random, spontaneous ideas that I'd present with such contagious passion and enthusiasm that it was easy to sell them to others before I'd even convinced myself.

The room fell silent as my velocipede of impulsivity crashed through our discussion. Accustomed to blank stares in response to my random proposals, I used the silence as a runway to continue launching my new epiphany.

"Queenstown is a tourist mecca. It's an adventure hub for skiing, bungee jumping, all sorts. And with all that stoke from action-packed days, what are they going to do at night? Party, that's what! It's the perfect place, Man!"

None of us had ever been there, but my idea certainly sparked some interest.

"Do they have a crawl there already?" Chev had a point, and I had no clue what the answer was.

I looked at Chev, then Nir, and then smiled. "Does it matter? They don't have Ultimate Party, right? Even if there is a pub crawl in Queenstown already, we'll start one anyway and it'll be better. This is us we're talking about here boys! Nobody knows how to throw a fucking party better than us."

We all laughed with chests puffed out, nodding in agreement. But, despite our eyes glazed over by the euphoria of possibility, this was all just talk. And Nir was a businessman.

His face quickly became serious. "Another thing that's really important to remember is not to spread yourself too thin. It's better to focus on one thing at a time. Once you build a strong foundation, you can expand. If you do it too early, you can find yourself in trouble."

It made sense. Nir had achieved a lot already and knew what he was talking about, so Chev and I were all ears.

"Chevy, when you get back to Melbourne, start researching right away. Mike, after summer, you and I will go to Krakow. You'll learn how to start a pub crawl from scratch there first, then go to Melbourne to start one up with Chevy. After one year, if Melbourne is successful, you can start another one in Queenstown. That's the smart way to do it."

We agreed and headed out to the street.

Photo by Jakayla Toney on Unsplash

"If we're going to do this, Mate, I'm going to ease off the booze. We can make a lot of money setting up pub crawls, especially with Nir involved. But I don't want to drink, eat and stay out late like this for a living. For the first little while, okay, but not forever. I want a healthier life."

Unbeknownst to either of us, the first stone of doubt had been cast.

I agreed, "Yeah Man, there has to be a way to make the business work without this crazy lifestyle. And I don't want to be stuck in the city all the time surrounded by concrete either. I want to ski and surf. We have to be able to get out and do shit, not just work and live a city life."

And there was the second stone.

After weeks of meetings, brainstorming and developing a structure for our new business venture with Nir, we finally had a plan. Only a plan in its infancy, before any action has been taken, is fragile, like a thin pane of glass. And not more than three minutes after coming to an agreement, ours was already beginning to crack.