I have always been a planner. That's what I do. Idea, Plan, Execute. I am also the kind of person who, if I’m not happy with my current circumstances, I will change them. This is not something everyone can do, and when I see people stuck in a rut with no will or way to get out, I am so thankful I am this way. It doesn't however mean that it’s not scary, sometimes I’m not sure I have made the right decision, but only time will tell.
Looking Back...
It has now been a whole year since I left the UK with my good friend Harri to have an adventure. With traveling in my blood, seeing and experiencing something different was really the only plan I had. South East Asia is one of my favourite places in the world, and though many other people think the same, and view it through beer goggles on rubber rings down the Mekong River, I pride myself in the fact I managed to enjoy not only the well travelled roads, but the less travelled ones too.
Working my way down from Thailand to Indonesia, you can't help but bump into the same people along the way. In the Perhentian Islands a good looking lad got a frog out of my backpack, and 1 month later I bumped into him buying water from the 7 Eleven in Bali. I don't much like feeling like you're on the tourist track, but it's the price you pay for being lucky enough to see the beautiful corners of the earth made famous by the travelling revolution we find ourselves in. Finding myself at the end of the major traveling leg of the trip, I kick back and relax on Gili Air, Indonesia. It’s the alternative to partying island Gili Trawangan, and just what I wanted. Fewer people, relaxed bonfires on the beach at night, a place where you feel at home and with family. With a promise that I would return soon, I left, having no idea how much things could change just a few months later. But that is a whole other story!
I was lucky enough to volunteer at The Isara Foundation, an English Language school in Nong Khai, Thailand. We loved it so much, that we sacrificed Vietnam and Cambodia to stay there longer and do something different, and contribute to the country we had grown to love so much. The kids were wonderful, and I made friends for life living there. With Australia looming in the distance, I couldn't conceive of going back to Western Civilization. I was made to live in harem pants, and the thought of wearing jeans and heels again after 4 months of comfort, was not something I was looking forward to.
It didn't take us long to adjust. Especially for Harri, who loves nothing more than shopping for expensive and beautiful clothes. And I’ll be honest; I kind of loved it too. Now all we had to do was get some money. What lasted us 4 months in Asia only sufficed for 6 weeks in Australia. We set about settling down in Sydney, and were lucky enough to have friends around town which made Christmas fun, despite the fact that it really doesn't feel right celebrating it in a bikini on the beach.
The plan kind of stopped there. We'd made it to the final destination, all we needed was to earn some money and figure out whether we wanted to stay here for the year or not. I hadn't really considered Australia as a place to settle down, and all of a sudden found myself wondering how I got here. It’s the epitome of the road well travelled. Every English man and his dog seem to be here. I was unfortunate enough to experience the egotistical and racists part of Australia, apart from my new friends of course, who all happened to be English or Kiwi. The cultural character of a country is important to me, and if I’m going to uproot myself, surely it has to be to live in a place that I like?
Ok I may be being a little harsh. It's a lot of fun, and it’s so much about the people you're with, and I was with amazing people. So I can deal with it. I go with the flow. And man, did the alcohol flow. Good times. I land myself in a job that I saw as a sales role, but that's ok, because it’s only temporary. Meanwhile Harri decides she wants to go home for the summer, and I think, why not?
Looking Forward...
Well, work starts to go well, and I’m now thinking going back to the UK where the economy is bad and it's no doubt the same as when I left it isn't such a good idea. I feel happy here now, with good friends around me, the bad parts of the country pale in significance. I have made the decision to stay here for a while longer. I think it’s the right decision, Marcus Evans is giving me fantastic training, and I have serious prospects in what I no longer think of as a sales role. I'm learning how to be a business woman, and although it was never part of the plan, it's a good change of course for me. And if all goes well, I’ll get to travel with my job, all expenses paid! It’s a challenge every day, there is so much to learn, but I’m learning to lead, and as an Aries that can only be a good thing. I think I have finally learned to go with the flow, and take opportunities where they arise, and only now do I know that was the whole point of coming away. So much is out of your control in this life, the one thing that isn't is your power to make decisions and do what makes you feel good. They ask me at work what my 5 and 10 year plans are, I have no idea. But I feel like I am on the right track, and that feels pretty damn good.
