How I Started Travelling

‘We travel not to escape life, but for life not escape us’

- Robyn Yong

I set off for my very first solo adventure back in 2015 and looking back now, I’m still surprised that I actually did it!

Anybody that knows me would tell you I’m not the most confident of people, or at least I certainly wasn’t back then. I was the very last person you’d think of to disappear off to the other side of the world, all by herself. I’d dream about it, sure, but I wasn’t the type to just leave.

I wasn’t the kind of person to forget about responsibility and head out into the big wide world. 

That is until I realised that I had no responsibility. I lived at home with my parents (practically rent-free), I had a very safe, very easy job that held no promise in growth and I was waking up to the same routine day in and day out.

I needed more. 

I’d been dreaming about visiting New Zealand for years. It was the number one place I wanted to go to and it had absolutely nothing to do with Lord of the Rings! It had more to do with the breath-taking landscapes, the remarkable mountain peaks, majestic mirrored lakes, boundless rolling hills and the promise of untouched wilderness.

It was all screaming out to me. 

At first, I’d heard Australia was the place to be. There were several backpacking accounts of Australia all over the internet but not half as many written about New Zealand, especially by solo female travellers, which made me want to go even more. 

So after much procrastination, I just decided to go for it.

I had no reason not to.

I told my parents what I’d planned to do, bought my Working Holiday Visa for 1 year then booked a flight.

Between the time of the flight and the time of leaving, I had roughly 1 month to get my act together. I hadn’t been saving for this trip, it was quite a spontaneous decision, so I didn’t have stacks of cash in the bank and I figured I’d sort out a bank account and all the other necessary bits once I’d arrived. I just needed a place to stay once I’d arrived in the country then I assumed everything else would just fall into place.

If I could give you one tip, it would be to not do as I did and actually do your research, it’ll save you a hell of a lot of headaches believe me!

Come to think of it, I’m not even sure I said goodbye to many people. I tried to slip away as quietly as possible because, for all I knew, I’d be back in a few months anyway so it wouldn’t matter. Obviously, this wasn’t the case! 

I guess what I’m trying to say, in a roundabout way, in answer to how I started travelling is simply this - I just took the chance.

I decided on a place, I researched what I would need for the visa documentation then without letting any doubts seep in or any reasons why I shouldn’t live my dream, I got my debit card out, bought the visa and then to further cement it, the flight.

I simply trusted myself to follow through and managed to quieten any negative thoughts that would pop up. 

I think that’s the key, really.

Staying positive, doing the research and making the leap. Before you know it, you’ll end up somewhere you didn’t plan on ever visiting. That happened to me when I found myself on a plane to Thailand stuck next to an over-affectionate newlywed couple. Yeah… a story for another time I think!

But for now, this is how I initially started travelling, by finally getting a grip on my life and just doing it!