On Wanderlust
‘Once the travel bug bites, there is no known antidote, and I know that I shall be happily infected until the end of my life.’ – Michael Palin (the great…).
Deep down, I always knew I had it in me to travel. To live abroad,
experience new cultures and traditions and foods and people, to see the world
in a new light and to make friends with people from all over the globe. It was
a niggling urge within me for many years, coming to light most prominently from
around May 2010, just before I graduated from university.
experience new cultures and traditions and foods and people, to see the world
in a new light and to make friends with people from all over the globe. It was
a niggling urge within me for many years, coming to light most prominently from
around May 2010, just before I graduated from university.
***Confession time / nerd alert***
I like to plan fantasy trips in
countries and continents all over the world. In my virtual life, I have
limitless funds and can go literally anywhere, so my trips can be as outrageous
and downright unrealistic as I like. I tend to plan these trips on my lunch
breaks during work – I’ve done it for several years now and even now, whilst I’m living in
New Zealand, I continue to do it when I can.
countries and continents all over the world. In my virtual life, I have
limitless funds and can go literally anywhere, so my trips can be as outrageous
and downright unrealistic as I like. I tend to plan these trips on my lunch
breaks during work – I’ve done it for several years now and even now, whilst I’m living in
New Zealand, I continue to do it when I can.
In May 2010, I designed my first fantasy trip. I can’t remember the
details – I think it included flying to West Africa and travelling overland up
to the Mediterranean, where I would catch a ferry to Spain and then travel back
to the UK through Spain and France. The idea of the trip filled me with huge
excitement – it didn’t matter that it would be unlikely to come to fruition –
the fact was, the possibility was there and with the possibility came hope.
Hope that one day, I would do that exact trip.
Around the same time, I applied to do an internship with an MP in
London and got accepted, to begin in January 2011. I also started seeing
someone. My plans to travel faded into the distance again, but I clearly
remember writing in my diary the day that my internship got accepted that I
felt sad and like I’d missed out on something amazing. I think the entry went
something like this: ‘Got accepted on my internship. I feel so unhappy.’
London and got accepted, to begin in January 2011. I also started seeing
someone. My plans to travel faded into the distance again, but I clearly
remember writing in my diary the day that my internship got accepted that I
felt sad and like I’d missed out on something amazing. I think the entry went
something like this: ‘Got accepted on my internship. I feel so unhappy.’
It turned out that while the internship itself was really interesting
and a great experience, despite my initial reservations, the six months during
which I did my internship were really difficult for me in my personal life. The
person I’d been seeing broke up with me. Living with my aunt proved hard for me
and I was severely homesick. At the time, I wrote quite a desperate short story
about how I was feeling, how I’d lie awake at night with thoughts and worries
and doubts racing through my head, close to tears. I’d go home on weekends and
cry when I left. I took my emotions out on my family and we all had a bit of a
tough time of it. I remember that I visited a friend one evening and burst into
tears pretty much as soon as she opened her front door to me. It culminated in
her buying me an Indian takeaway and trying to help me sort my life out.
and a great experience, despite my initial reservations, the six months during
which I did my internship were really difficult for me in my personal life. The
person I’d been seeing broke up with me. Living with my aunt proved hard for me
and I was severely homesick. At the time, I wrote quite a desperate short story
about how I was feeling, how I’d lie awake at night with thoughts and worries
and doubts racing through my head, close to tears. I’d go home on weekends and
cry when I left. I took my emotions out on my family and we all had a bit of a
tough time of it. I remember that I visited a friend one evening and burst into
tears pretty much as soon as she opened her front door to me. It culminated in
her buying me an Indian takeaway and trying to help me sort my life out.
My experience definitely held me back over the following few years, in
some respects. It wasn’t that I’d hated living in London, because London is an
amazing city that I love very much. But the combination of things that had
happened in that six months made me nervous to move further away from home
again, even though I knew I could do it – hell, I’d spent 3 years living in
Southampton and loved practically every minute of it. 
some respects. It wasn’t that I’d hated living in London, because London is an
amazing city that I love very much. But the combination of things that had
happened in that six months made me nervous to move further away from home
again, even though I knew I could do it – hell, I’d spent 3 years living in
Southampton and loved practically every minute of it.
From November 2011 to October 2014, I lived six miles from my family
home and worked for the local council. Those that know me will know that the
first job I had with the council, working as an administrator for Children’s
Services, really got to me too, in the end. I left in April 2012 to go to work
for Waste Services, thrilled at the opportunity to finally make use of my
Environmental Science degree and have a role that I could develop and make my
own. For two and a half years, I thrived in that role.
home and worked for the local council. Those that know me will know that the
first job I had with the council, working as an administrator for Children’s
Services, really got to me too, in the end. I left in April 2012 to go to work
for Waste Services, thrilled at the opportunity to finally make use of my
Environmental Science degree and have a role that I could develop and make my
own. For two and a half years, I thrived in that role.
During my time working in Waste Services, I took a few short trips –
to Ghana in October 2012, Barcelona in April 2014, Morocco in June 2014 and
Ireland in October 2014. I also went on weekends away to Bath, Cardiff, London…
All the trips served to fill me with a greater desire to travel, ultimately I
would one day leave Llanwrtyd and see some of the world. However, I was not
motivated enough to save the money I needed to travel and by the end of each
month, I was usually broke, despite earning a good wage and having relatively
cheap living costs.
to Ghana in October 2012, Barcelona in April 2014, Morocco in June 2014 and
Ireland in October 2014. I also went on weekends away to Bath, Cardiff, London…
All the trips served to fill me with a greater desire to travel, ultimately I
would one day leave Llanwrtyd and see some of the world. However, I was not
motivated enough to save the money I needed to travel and by the end of each
month, I was usually broke, despite earning a good wage and having relatively
cheap living costs.
During my lunch breaks in work, I still dreamed up fantasy trips. There
was the road trip around California, from San Francisco to LA through Big Sur
and then onto the Grand Canyon and Yosemite. I dreamed of Mongolia, riding
horses through the steppe. I planned an inter-railing trip through Europe. I
designed impossible trips to the South Pacific, island hopping, on an
eye-wateringly unrealistic budget (a millionaire would have been raising their
eyebrows at the expense). The longing to see the world never abated, but I was
too comfortable and too nervous to take the plunge and just book a ticket
somewhere.
was the road trip around California, from San Francisco to LA through Big Sur
and then onto the Grand Canyon and Yosemite. I dreamed of Mongolia, riding
horses through the steppe. I planned an inter-railing trip through Europe. I
designed impossible trips to the South Pacific, island hopping, on an
eye-wateringly unrealistic budget (a millionaire would have been raising their
eyebrows at the expense). The longing to see the world never abated, but I was
too comfortable and too nervous to take the plunge and just book a ticket
somewhere.
I’ve mentioned it before here, and here about
how New Zealand eventually came about, born from my growing frustrations in
work and my mounting irritations with myself because I just couldn’t bite the
bullet and get out of my rut. My treasured home felt like it became my holding
pen, but only I was to blame. I was holding myself back.
how New Zealand eventually came about, born from my growing frustrations in
work and my mounting irritations with myself because I just couldn’t bite the
bullet and get out of my rut. My treasured home felt like it became my holding
pen, but only I was to blame. I was holding myself back.
Since I announced I was coming to NZ and consequentially left, friends
have come forward to tell me that they did always think I would travel, and
they knew deep down that I’d leave the UK one day, but that I just needed to
realise it within myself, by myself. No amount of outside pressure was going to
change my mind until I myself changed my own mind.
have come forward to tell me that they did always think I would travel, and
they knew deep down that I’d leave the UK one day, but that I just needed to
realise it within myself, by myself. No amount of outside pressure was going to
change my mind until I myself changed my own mind.
I surprised myself and others who knew about my fantasy trip planning
when I planned the bare minimum of my arrival and consequential travel in New
Zealand. I had made the decision to come, to live tens of thousands of miles
from everything and everyone that I knew, and that leap was enough for me. When
it came to reality, I didn’t want to plan my trip out day by day with a fixed
itinerary. Planning was for my dream trips, the ones I knew I wouldn’t be
actually doing (at least, not just then!). When I came to New Zealand, I was
just going to wing it and see what happened. 
when I planned the bare minimum of my arrival and consequential travel in New
Zealand. I had made the decision to come, to live tens of thousands of miles
from everything and everyone that I knew, and that leap was enough for me. When
it came to reality, I didn’t want to plan my trip out day by day with a fixed
itinerary. Planning was for my dream trips, the ones I knew I wouldn’t be
actually doing (at least, not just then!). When I came to New Zealand, I was
just going to wing it and see what happened.
Now that I work here in New Zealand, I have reverted back somewhat to
my old ways. I plan fantasy trip itineraries and make unrealistic plans which I
couldn’t possibly finance whilst on my lunch breaks. But I also make plans for
real trips, such as a trip I have planned this November before I
head home for Christmas. And to my excitement, some of the apparently
unrealistic trips I’ve previously dreamt about might also be happening in the
not too distant future as well… I’m back on Rome2Rio planning a trip at
the moment that I never really expected to happen, but now it might just be
within my grasp, and it will be utterly amazing if it comes about! But until it’s
booked, or at least a firmer reality, I’ll keep those plans private for the
time being…
my old ways. I plan fantasy trip itineraries and make unrealistic plans which I
couldn’t possibly finance whilst on my lunch breaks. But I also make plans for
real trips, such as a trip I have planned this November before I
head home for Christmas. And to my excitement, some of the apparently
unrealistic trips I’ve previously dreamt about might also be happening in the
not too distant future as well… I’m back on Rome2Rio planning a trip at
the moment that I never really expected to happen, but now it might just be
within my grasp, and it will be utterly amazing if it comes about! But until it’s
booked, or at least a firmer reality, I’ll keep those plans private for the
time being…
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