Life is short...

". . .life is short and the world is wide."

Simon Raven

I’m off to Corfu in 4 weeks for a mini adventure despite still thinking about what to do about a big adventure. I know where I want to go I’m just not sure I am brave enough to book it yet. I’m hoping getting away from my everyday life and actually getting some time to relax and think about what I want will help me decide.

I’ve been considering a working holiday for about 2 years now, I’ve never really mentioned it to anyone it has just floated about my mind popping to and from my thoughts every now and again. As I said in my first post I have always wanted to see the world and as I get older I see a working holiday as a great opportunity to do so. When I think working holiday I think of Australia. It is about as far from the UK as you can get and about as different I imagine as you can get, much better weather to start with.

I work as a hairstylist for a living and I have developed my career in my hometown to pretty much a level I can’t increase on without moving to London or living between London and home so I can start trying my hand photo shoots and fashion shows. There is obviously more to this story but it would take me a while to elaborate. I am hoping though that my profession will come in handy if I go to Australia as I think they are still lacking in skilled trades, at one point I think they would pretty much give hairdressers Visas as they had huge waiting lists for appointments.

I think that using somewhere like Australia as a base while I work and travel would hopefully give me the opportunity to explore the surrounding areas too such as New Zealand and the South Pacific all while knowing I can work to earn money to keep me going while I am out there. Unfortunately talking with my parents doesn’t help me because they just point out all that could go wrong and the money it will cost. I just wonder with all these people that do go out there every year if it would go wrong for me?

If you have been out yourself please get in touch and let me know how the experience went for you and what I should be looking out for.

The Reluctant Blogger

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”

-          Helen Keller

I have always wanted to travel. I’m not really sure why I haven’t done more.  Ever since I was a teen I would picture far off places and imagine what it would be like to visit. What would it smell like, what would the culture be like and what would the buildings look like? I remember at 16 leaving school thinking ‘one day I’ll go travelling’. One day turned into a job and dreams changed to a career but honestly it has felt more like a distraction from what I feel like I should be doing.

Over the last 3 years the pull has gotten stronger and stronger only to be ebbed buy occasional holidays to places I have never been, foods I have never tasted and seas I have never swum in. I try to convince myself that going to work and buying a house is what I want, maybe it is, but not right now.

I have come to the scary conclusion that to really see some far off places I would have to give up my job and all the securities it affords me and have a truly great adventure. So last December I decided I would go, I wouldn’t be in my job by Christmas 2014 and I would see some of the wondrous planet. I made a hit list and started daydreaming.

Daydreams turned to worries. Will I find a job when I get home? What if I come home bankrupt? What if something bad happens to me while I’m out there? What if something bad happens back home while I’m out there and I can’t get home in time? And then I weighed up all the ‘what ifs’ with one more  question ‘Will I regret it more if I go or if I stay?’

I’m still incredible nervous and excited, travelling so far from home by myself is not how I thought I would see the world but it will get my out of my comfort zone and hopefully allow me to grow in new ways.