THE TIME IS HERE, FINALLY
I am a big planning guy.
Over the years I must have made countless plans. Two year plans, five year plans, fitness plans, nutrition plans, business plans… Name a type of plan and I have written it.
For the most part, I do start them with the best intentions, but for one reason or another, I move on without completion a lot of the time.
When I wrote a two-year life plan back in March 2020 to transition my life to one dedicated to seeing the world, one would expect it would just be that weeks fad and nothing would really come of it. But something else happened. It felt like I hit a nerve. A genuine light bulb moment.
I stayed up all night, mapping out what a life of travel could look like (for me). Not a fairytale life; one that was realistic to me. One I genuinely felt like I could (and can) achieve.
I wrote out a two-year plan, that included changing my career from one in sports management, to a career I feel, could lead me to seeing and connecting with a lot of the worlds people and cultures.
In a nutshell, the two year plan included: starting and finishing a Masters of International Community Development, gaining work experience in community development and improving my financial situation to give me the best possible chance of transitioning to this new life.
The results of chasing this two year plan were amazing.
Masters degree complete at distinction level.
Two years of community development experience achieved. This included work in the areas of disability access and inclusion, and pre-employment (supporting long-term unemployed people to find work).
I cleared all my debts, and built up a savings that will afford me a 12-18 month travel runway to find work internationally and make travelling sustainable.
At the time of writing this, I am two years into the plan and two weeks off embarking on this journey. It’s safe to say this plan lit a fire under me. The question was, with all the plans I had written in the past, why did this plan work?
A SPIRITUAL WAR
I’m not entirely sure why this plan stuck.
I believe the catalyst for this plan and this change, was having a genuine, vulnerable conversation with my self, in my head.
The questions I was asking myself were along the lines of; are you happy with what your life looks like? if you could change your life, how would you want it to look? what does the next chapter of your life look like?
Travel, travel, travel.
I kept circling back to a life dedicated to seeing the world.
This wasn’t groundbreaking. If you asked me these questions anytime since my first Europe trip in 2015 you would have got a similar answer.
What came next was the catalyst.
Why not go for it.
I mean sure, I had a really stable, well paying job. In my families eyes I had achieved a lot and was heading along a traditional trajectory of what I imagine a ‘successful’ life probably looked like in their eyes.
This wasn’t for me though. As grateful as I am for the life I’d had so far, I wasn’t excited by what was to come.
As long as I can remember, all around, there is the message of chase your dreams. You hear it at school, from grand parents, in music – everywhere.
So I asked myself ‘why the f*ck not go for it?’
This was the catalyst. I decided to jump all in and have a crack at forging a life filled with passion, excitement and adventure.
If on July 8th, I take that first flight to Borneo and after a while it doesn’t work out, so be it. I will be forever proud for having a go, regardless of the outcome. Not to mention the confidence of getting myself to this point. I now genuinely feel like anything is achievable with enough commitment and the right vision!
BEYOND THE TWO YEAR PLAN:
PLAN FOR THE NEXT 3 MONTHS
The plan for the next three months is to backpack South East Asia solo.
The countries I am focusing on are Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. Before spending a month with my partner in Nepal over September/October.
This period really is a reward for the last two years hard work.
Expect to see a lot of different forms of content as I look to share this experience with you and I guess find my feet backpacking again – it’s been a few years since my last backpacking journey!
After spending time with my partner in Nepal I will try to find my first bit of work overseas.
WHAT I’M EXCITED ABOUT
I haven’t been unemployed since I was 14 years old. That’s 15 years ago now. Although I am sure my anxiety is going to go through the roof without seeing a steady income come in. I am equally excited by the freedom I am about to experience. (at least until the money runs out)
Mostly, I am excited by the prospect of travelling slowly. Anyone who has followed my travels over the years know I have been the epitome of fast paced travel. Cramming in as much as possible into each day on the road. Slow travel I feel is going to be super rewarding, being able to immerse myself in each location and culture, and not feel rushed all the time. Bring it on!
MY LOVED ONES
By far the biggest challenge I’ve faced in the months leading up to this trip has definitely been accepting the fact I am not going to see my friends and family for quite a while.
Honestly, I thought I would be savage, taking the emotion away and saving a lot more money the closer my departure date came. But I have seriously struggled with this.
I haven’t been able to say no whenever mate wants to catch up, purely because of how much I am going to miss them. Friends, family and my partner. It’s going to be tough. You’re all amazing people and I love you dearly.
And to my late Grandfather – I wish I could’ve told you about this trip. I know you would have loved to hear about my plans. And I know you’ll be watching a long from above.
