Seeking shelter part 1

My next big question that needs to be answered is where I'm going to be staying. There's actually two parts to this question: 1) what town/area I'm going to be in and 2) what type of accommodations I'll have.

Let's talk point 2 first, as the answer to that may determine the need (or lack thereof) to answer point 1.

The first choice is to just go nomadic. I set my initial budget for housing by multiplying out what it'd cost to stay in lower-to-mid range Bed & Breakfasts every night of the trip. I figure if I were to average out a few hostels, or low-rent spots to counter act some times in pricier B&Bs or hotels, this should work out about right as a worst-reasonable-case scenario pricewise.

Advantages:
- complete geographic flexibility
- worries about paying for two places at once.
Disadvantages:
- cost
- potentially a lack of social network and stability

The next choice, which is overall more appealing, is to rent or sublet an apartment or house. I like the idea of having a "home base" of sorts, and this should be able to be arranged much cheaper. Whether to have a roomate or not is another tough subquestion, though it may not be up to me. If I'm in Galway, one bedroom apartments are said to be rare, so a shared accommodation will probably be necessary. It'd be good to have a basing point for some social interaction, though, but of course it depends on the being with whom you're being social. Could be a huge plus or minus, so we'll call it a push.

Advantages:
- cost
- will feel more settled and permanent
- kitchen to prepare food
- place to keep stuff while on side treks
- roomate?
Disadvantages:
- may be difficult to find
- will be paying for two places at once anytime I'm trekking elsewhere
- roomate?

Really, I don't think its much of a question. Finding a semi-permanent place is going to be about the only really feasible and practical approach. I just need to figure out exactly how much will be a reasonable amount to spend, keeping in mind the amount that I'm going to end up spending on B&Bs and hotels anyway. I should also mention that I don't plan on having a car while I'm there (unless I manage to extend the trip beyond 90 days with a work permit), so that has to figure in.

I was going to write about the first part of the question, but that's the far more interesting question and I'm getting too tired to really put creative thoughts together, as the rest of this post indicates, so I'll save that for tomorrow.

Next week on Seeking shelter: Galway, Clare, Mayo, or possibly other west coast locations.

To be continued...