The Beginning of a New Chapter

My desire to travel to Europe started 5 years ago, when two of my best mates saved enough money to travel around Europe and asked me to come along. This was the time when both of them were already working and I was still doing my teaching degree, with a  miserable bank balance standing between me and a potentially awesome holiday...
I then remember them coming back from the six week trip and sharing their highlights and all the mischief they got up to. I really did regret giving up on a life time trip with them :(


Move forward to 2009.  By this time, I have already saved enough money to travel. But with different priorities in life, Europe was placed on hold. I gave myself the same excuses for 2010, but 2011 was finally a wake up call for me.


This year has been such a big learning curve for me in all aspects of my life. I thought that moving back to Perth after two long and hardworking years in the country was going to be a positive start for the year, but it wasn't. So much has happened this year both with work and personal things (Sometimes I regret coming back to Perth). Being overwhelmed was an understatement. Although there has been highlights this year, the negative aspects have caused me to overlook things that I should have appreciated. With all that has happened, I finally made a brave and selfish decision to take time off work so that I can travel to the other side of the globe for a year!


Going overseas for the year is not simply just for having fun and travelling anymore as I once dreamt of. It is more to do with leaving all my problems behind me and starting fresh. I guess it is an excuse for me to not face my problems temporarily and to chicken out from it. But I do know that I really do need to leave here for a while and to give me time to clear my head. I'm going to use this time to gain some life experiences and hopefully have a sense of direction in what I want to do for the rest of my life.


I remember there was a moment in time when I thought to myself that I would give up this trip to stay back for someone. That was a stupid thought and I'm glad I never did it for that person. As people say: when one door closes, another one opens for you. Going overseas is the door that God has opened for me and I hope he will continue opening up other doors for me along the way.


Here I am now with just three weeks left before I venture off to my first destination: Japan. After that, it will be to Malaysia for a wedding, before my final stop: London.  This will be the beginning of new  sights and experiences for me, and a chance for me to see all that Europe has to offer!
With airfares to all destinations booked, working visa sorted and only some minor things to organise, I can now count down to the big day when I'm ready for a really big and hopefully positive new chapter in my life!