Lesson Three

Lesson Three - The World Is not So Big

So, You're setting off on your first adventure across the seas. Getting your first taste of what it's like to live out of a backpack,away from home being unsure as to when you might get a taste of your mums best home cooked dishes or when you might grab a beer in the local pub with your best buddies. All you do know is that when you do you'll have seen a little more of the world.

My first trip away from home, without my family or friends was to Greece when I was 19. I remember at the time thinking how long three months seemed. I also remember not enjoying it that much in the first few weeks. It was too hot, the food tasted strange and I didn't speak the language. It was when I got a week off for a holiday that I began to realise what it was all about. I started to check out all the local towns and get a feel for the culture. I was only a few hours from the City of Thessaloniki...
It had all the things I loved, the windy streets, the skyscraper buildings, little cafes in the square and of course the old, rustic almost ruin buildings that gave it the character and charm I wanted to see.
On my return back to the UK I forgot my pursuit of the world and all its glorious hideaways. I made the mistake of getting into a dangerous frame of mind for a traveler... 'The World Is Too Big'. My home comforts and Tetley Tea bags got the better of me and I packed my backpack away for almost three years, not even venturing abroad for a two week holiday.

Now of course I'm travelling again, trying to make up for lost time. And while I'm in one spot, I'm daydreaming and planning how to get to the next place. My love for Pinterest helps me on the way, which is how I came to realise that the world is not too big. Like many others on Pinterest I had a Travel Board, featuring all things travelly.

The VolksWagen Campervan, the Mountain views, The beaches. All these breathtaking places I want to see. Now I've begun to think of how I'll make it happen. A few months ago, I wasn't sure what was next, with regards to heading home for a break from traveling or staying put. My main reason for having to consider this change was because of my Visa. You have to re-evaluate your plans on occasions such as this. I had decided that if I was to make my way home that I would do it via several stop offs. Which included:  Japan, Thailand, China, Dubai, Italy and France. I figured if I planned each one carefully I could do the trip in two or three months and manage it relatively cheaply. Because we all know that Air Fares can be quite pricey. That is unless you know where to look and how to plan the journey. My aim was (and is) to start with the nearest country. Planning your travels logically and avoiding 'backtracking' as much as possible is very handy. Of course, sometimes it can't be helped and I guess if you end up somewhere twice the benefit is that you could get to see it in an entirely different light the second time around. Knowing the cheapest ways to get around really helps too. As the most part of my plan was covering Asia, the cheapest way for me to fly would have been to use www.AirAsia.com  with the best prices both internally and from my starting location of Australia. 

 Plus, with the internet's ability to post photos of distant countries all on one page, it's hard to believe that world truly is that big these days. One minute you're looking at a photo of The Eiffel Tower in Paris and the next you're being inspired by the palm trees of Hawaii or Bali. They key is not to be overwhelmed by the Daydream. Understanding that those thoughts aren't merely a fantasy that 'might be a nice adventure one day'. The key is believing that the world and your dreams are no bigger than you. I mean, imagine the smile that those photos put on your face. Now double triple, just times it by 100. That's how incredible the feeling would be if you were there, able to take that picture for yourself and see it for real. Let go of the misconception that people still have and take a leap, jump on a plane and go somewhere you've always wanted to. After all, what 25 hours in the air compared to the sense of wonder that goes with it? Maybe you've never left your home country, maybe you took a break and abandoned all those plans you had when you took your Gap Year. Just pick it back up again and start again. Pinpoint your must see destinations and plan from your current one. If you want to go around the world, figure out where the nearest place is on your list, pack a few essentials and some suntan lotion into your backpack and get on your way. 

It's not until you start that you realise you can't stop. 

So go ahead, find your passion and discover all the treasures in the world. 

 

 

Lesson Two

Lesson Two - Reasons to Travel

It seems as a society these days we all need a reason for doing something. A reason to get up in the morning, a reason to go to work, a reason to put on actual clothing and leave the house.

I've noticed that many people ask me my reason in travelling. As much as seeing the world has become more common-place in recent times, there are still people who are unsure. Why would you leave the comfort of your surroundings? What made you come out all this way? I even had one person telling me my reason must've been because of a man, that's the only logical reason that anybody would move thousands of miles away and leave everything behind. In some aspects they were right I guess, but not in the way they had expected.

I decided on this after plenty of contemplation, and nudgings from my dear parents and older sister (she already lives in Australia and has seen a fair chunk of the world over the past 10 plus years) It took me a good year to decide that yes I was definitely doing this. It then took me a further six months to 'definitely do this'. I had to weigh up the pros and cons to going and staying. I then had to realise that the pros to leaving were far greater than the pros to staying. I knew I had the support of all my family and friends to get on and do this, so that really wasn't an issue. Even though it still continued to be even months after I began my journey. I've since come to terms with the fact that homesickness happens. It's natural. Going from seeing your loved ones everyday to barely making contact with them once a month can take its toll, but as soon as you realise nothing really changes, that's when the fun begins.

It was Teddy who gave me the final push. After months of saying I was going to Australia and then not doing so, One day, Teddy tells me he thinks I'll never go. He'd gotten fed up of my 'all talk no action' stance. I don't know if he knew that by challenging me, or at least telling me I wouldn't go, would be the way to make me go. But with that sentence I knew I had to prove him wrong.

So already you can see a few of my reasons.

• The desire to prove somebody wrong
• Getting away and starting afresh, leaving certain memories and distance between something best left alone
• Parental/Sibling Pressure

So there you go,I left the country with those reasons on my mind. Maybe a little bit feeble, but it got me on a plane. At the time that was good enough. Still when I arrived there were things holding me back. I hadn't relaxed into the lifestyle because part of me was still too involved in the lifestyle I had left behind. It took me a long while to feel like I wasn't missing out on what my friends were doing. I left just before summer was really beginning in the UK. That's the time I was most fond of, BBQ's, Suntrap beer gardens, public holidays and smiley faces. It took me about nine months before I was letting go of all that. I began checking Facebook and seeing that those BBQs and beach days were also the highlight of most of my friends lives. Which is great, I'm glad it makes them happy. But I had just opened my eyes and looked at the bigger picture. One that included Dingoes roaming wild and Koala bears chilling in the tree not more than 12 meters above me. I woke up. I wasn't going to see things like that if I was at home. My reasons broadened.I began wanting to travel because I wanted to, not because people had told me it would be good for me. I have to started to believe that it is good for me. I'm looking out right now at the beach watching people enjoying a free playground with surfboards and waves. 

Every time I talk to somebody new, my travel list gets longer. I'm now at a stage where I know I'm not ready for this journey to stop. I don't just want to look out at the waves of Victoria, Western Australia or Queensland. I want to check them out in California, Bali, New Zealand. And I want to experience the powdery snow tracks in Colarado, Switzerland and Japan. 

The more time I spend travelling the more reasons I get to continue. I see why when you travel you become a different person. Why you never want it to stop. Why it gets frustrating when you hit a point where you're unable to move on to the next destination. The truth is, you're never missing out on anything when you travel, in fact it's quite the opposite. Its when you stay at home, day dreaming about travelling that you miss out.

Reasons to Travel;

• Making a dream a reality
• Becoming rich in experience
• Meeting people from different walks of life
• Changes in opinions and outlooks
• Expanding your goals and dreams
• Understanding ways of life in all different forms
• Understanding yourself

Lesson One

Today is another new start for me. At the start of the week I was totally unsure as to whether I would be staying in Australia or having to fly home to the UK and not being prepared for the latter at all. I had a huge panic. With my possessions being dotted across the borders of Victoria and New South Wales, I knew that I would have no time to arrange my things and pack and go home. Part of that was knowing that I didn't really want to do that. But I had been leaving things to the last minute, meaning that I hadn't applied for my second year Visa yet and time was running out.

As some of you may know, the Visa applications over here can be a little tricky at times. You have to stick to the guidelines and do what you're told. One of those guidelines states that you must be in the country you were in at the time of application, when your visa is granted. Which is why I was panicking. Did i go home and apply for the visa there, or risk the potential three week waiting time for paperwork to be processed and apply here in Australia. This dilemma niggled at me for a few days. Then after a few tantrums and a trip to Melbourne later, I applied on Wednesday morning. In about ten minutes, easy peasy.

Then for the waiting game. The sick feeling and thoughts of rejection running through my head. It was not fun. Then of course realisiation dawned that I STILL hadn't packed for my flight. Which I was determined not to take. besides, I couldn't leave the country now. It wasn't the most pleasant 12 hours I had experienced. The next morning, I checked my Emails. And there it was, my Grant for an extra twelve months.

The feelings I had were not dissimilar to the ones I had experienced around this time last year, when I had applied for my first year. I had to check it, and double check it, then double check it a few more times. You might say I was in disbelief. In less than a day my Visa had been granted. All my panic was unnecessary. My shock continued most of the day. I joked to my sister about not getting it, that the Immigration wanted me to go in for an interview, because of a few problems they had encountered. It was a little cruel but still funny. (Sorry Lou-Lou)...

But this morning I'm in the stage of excitement. Working out where to go next, what I'm going to see. I'm still in Lorne right now. Its a pretty little town, but the rain has begun to set in. Winter is coming. I would be happy for winter if there was a chance of going to the snow, but I have no work just yet, so once I've earnt some money, I think I will chase the sunshine. Head to the coasts and stick to the beaches., after all, I can't come all this way without at least trying to surf, can I?

But a piece of advice to anybody wanting to travel, make sure you are completely organised. I'm not saying plans have to be set in stone, you never know where the mood will take you, who you will meet or what you'll love doing the most. But when it comes to paperwork, flights, and all the 'boring' stuff, never leave it to the last minute.