Travel Blog:

3 days to go….

Stress isn’t even the word. I don’t know what I’m feeling right now, but it definitely isn’t excitement, there are no butterflies in my tummy. WHY?!

I have just finished trying to pack my backpack. (Emphasis on trying).  There’s just no way everything I need is going to fit. I don’t even think it’s the clothes that are the problem, it’s the toiletries. They are never ending. But surely I need them ALL?!  I definitely need sun lotion, after sun, insect repllent, deodorant, baby wipes, bathroom essentials and make up.  And that is my attempt at packing light.  I don’t know how these female travellers do it. I’ve been reading all their blogs, there are even some girls who don’t do checked in baggage at all.  They have a tiny, carry on board rucksack for travelling the world. I take my hat off to them I really do (let’s not mention hats I’m going to have to wear my huge floppy sun hat on every flight as there is no way on earth that is fitting in any backpack).  I honestly thought I was one of those girls who could do this no problem, I’m not exactly high maintenance.  For example, when I tell most of my female friends I’m not taking a suitcase, but a backpack, they nearly have a fit.  Here is a conversation I had with my friend the other day:

“What are you going to do in Australia….I mean, they have no fashion over there!”

To which I replied, “That’s the point.”

I’m sure they do have fashion in Aus, it’s by far a fashionless third world country, but she was trying to say all they wear are shorts and t-shirts 24/7.  (Slightly cliché but hey, neither of us have been before! I’ll let you know).  Well I, for one, can’t wait to get into that lifestyle.  I am so sick of this country and the never ending consumerism that is bound to it.  We’re all the same – we see an item of clothing, we HAVE to have it, then as soon as we’ve bought it we catch a glimpse of the next latest fashion and we buy that too.  It’s an everlasting, depressing cycle and I am so sick of feeling this constant need for more.  I am going to love having to not care about what I look like, what I’m wearing, or if the locals think I’m trendy.  Because none of that is going to matter.  Those everyday thoughts I used to have will seem so insignificant to what I will be seeing and experiencing.

Having said that, I am obviously not parting with my mac make up.  A girl has needs.  So I need to find a way to fit it all in! I am doing quite well with the traveller sacrifices, I’ve surrendered my ghd’s.  Give me some credit please! Au natural hair….not looking forward to that.  No doubt I’ll be posting frequent updates about my Monica frizz, on a scale of 1-10.

My next post will be from Thailand! x

Travel Blog:

TWO WEEKS TO GO!!

So in case you haven’t heard (how could you not know, where have you been?!!) I am embarking on a travel adventure in two weeks’ time.  Welcome to the first post of my new Travel Blog! My boyfriend Rik and I have had the trip planned for a good few months, and I thought it would never arrive.  But all of a sudden, time is rushing past faster than that guy who jumped from space, and before I know it we will be halfway across the world.

It’s not unusual at all these days for people to go travelling for a long period of time.  Especially for graduates, [like me and Rik] who are completely unable to fulfill their potential in this failing country.  To be honest, I graduated a year and a half ago and feel totally de-motivated by the type of work I’ve had to do.  Nothing I was doing in my minimum wage jobs was constructive and I feel like my brain has been placed in a mouldy jar and is slowly rotting.  So, apart from always wanting to see as much of the globe as possible, I feel that travelling the world and understanding other cultures will be far more constructive than what I have been doing recently.  My facebook news feed expands daily with friends’ exotic photographs from all corners of the earth, and I trawl through them with amazement/envy.  I still can’t really believe that now it is my turn.

We’re not exactly doing a whole round the world trip – our main destination is Australia, so we’ve just added some other countries along the way.  We are doing a pit stop tour of Dubai, three weeks in Thailand, 11 days in New Zealand and then on to Aus. The most exciting (or daunting) fact is that we haven’t booked our return flight. We’re being spontaneous, seeing how it goes and coming home when we actually want to.  Now if you know me personally you will know this is extremely out of character for me, but it actually feels nice to know that nothing is certain, anything can happen.  After spending much of my life organising and planning down to every last detail, I feel I really need to take a backseat and enjoy the adventure day by day.

It is also important to explain to those who haven’t known me since primary school the significance of our key destination, Australia.  For some reason, from a small child I have had an obsession with this nation, despite the fact no one in my family has ever been there even for a holiday.  It all started with koalas; they were the chosen subject for all my ‘school projects’, I had hundreds of small grey teddies, and my parents bought my birthday and Christmas presents from an Australian charity’s website that helped the endangered species.  Then, aged eleven I began to write my first novel…..titled ‘Ayers Rock – UNTOLD!’  It is unfinished, but I still have it in my possession and it proves a truly amusing read.  Maybe when I see it in reality I will be inspired to finish it…

I just can’t believe that soon enough I will be living these childhood dreams – watching the sunset behind Uluru, holding a live koala, diving in the Great Barrier Reef.  And this is not even mentioning witnessing the spectacular landscapes of New Zealand, and visiting the Hobbiton LOTR set.  Add to that a few weeks in paradise sleeping in beach bungalows and riding elephants, and it’s fair to say I am a VERY lucky girl.  So I am going to try my best to update this blog as I go along, so please keep reading about my journey!  Even if we don’t get internet connection everywhere, I will write on paper everyday and upload when I can.  And who knows, I may even let Rik write a line or two….OK probably not. But I’ll include the funny shit he says.