In February 2011, me and my boyfriend Nick went on an journey to India, Nepal and Australia that ended up lasting two years. We travelled, worked and learned a lot about each other, other cultures, our passions and the importance of choosing your own destiny. Writing home in Dutch at the time, these stories haven’t travelled further than our closest friends and family. But from now on, you also get the chance to experience what it’s like to leave home in search for adventure… Are you ready?
September 2010
A plan is born
It’s that time again: I’m planning a trip.
Yes, I know I dream of new worlds, strange food and other adventures almost daily (and out loud), but this time I’m serious again. We’re going.
Sorry mum and dad!
Oh how big the world is, and how many possibilities we have. It seems like from the moment you’ve come back from a long trip once before (like I did in 2006 and then again in 2008), every next time the planning get harder.
You want to go away longer and see more places then ever. Less than 3 months doesn’t seem an option anymore, Europe is ‘too close’ and we’d really like to get to know a country instead of racing through it.
So, what is it exactly you’re doing?
So we’re left with the question if we just want to travel, or maybe work too? Do we want to see new countries or see more of a place we’ve already been? Do we set boundaries as to how long we’re going, or do we simply see what life brings us?
I know I cannot speak for the both of us, but it’s quite a big deal.
The last trip we took together, after meeting each other in Sydney 2008 for the first time, was a week in Portugal. Oh, how easy preparations for that holiday were! The only real worry then was how many dresses I could fit into a carry-on. And then again, they pretty much all fitted.
Time to get serious about travel planning
This time it’s not going to be just a holiday. We not only have to decide about ‘there’ now, but about ‘here’ as well.
We know we’re quitting our jobs, but what do we do with our house? Get rid of it and sleep on our parents’ couches when we come back? (eep!), do we get someone to sleep in our bed? (eep!eep!) Where do we store our massive piles of stuff? (ok, my massive piles of stuff, but still…). And who will care for my bonsai tree? You know, the important stuff.
We’re planning on leaving around the end of February. And even though I seem to be more of a dreamer than an actual planner, we cannot wait too long before the plane is fully booked and they run out of visa, so time to get moving!
To be continued…
Meeting each other in Sydney 2008, we knew we had to go back here one day!
The following episode from our lives as expats in Australia will be Sunday, May 12th. Make sure not to miss it!
The post Expat Life Australia – Flashback #1 ‘A Plan Is Born’ appeared first on The Travel Tester.