Where I've been...

Hello again my friends. I have been MIA the last couple of months but with good reason!! Having returned from London (more to come on that soon!) at the beginning of July, I had all of two days to recover from my jetlag before I was the fresh face in a new work place. After 3 weeks of fulltime training and the last 3 weeks of settling in, I am now a qualified travel agent. Am I enjoying it? Yes. Do I love it? Am I going to be doing this for the rest of my life? Ask me again in a year or so and I might be able to answer that. But in the meantime, I am happy. I am now playing an active role in helping people plan their own trips and it is making me happy. I am loving the opportunity to meet new people, forge new relationships and follow this new and exciting path. What it will bring, I don't know yet but I now have a whole lot of new doors open for me.

While I settle into my new routine and new job, I will not be posting as much but I still have a lot too share with you about my recent trip to London and I currently have 3 Bali trips to look forward to in the next year! I can't wait to be back on the beautiful island, where my heart and head are both content and in harmony. In the meantime, I promise I'll be back with you soon with photos and recommendations for London:)

Posted with Blogsy

London Bound!!

Today is the day! Well technically it's tomorrow but 1:30 Sunday morning still counts as Saturday night, right?

I have finally gotten around to packing after procrastinating all week, my documents have been printed, everything has been organised. Saying I'm excited is an understatement. I cannot wait to explore a new country, new city and embark on a new adventure. Life is good.

Posted with Blogsy

World of Wanderlust

Have you heard of World of Wanderlust? Brooke Saward? No? Well neither had I until a couple of months ago. Since discovering WOW and Brooke, I've become obsessed. Let me explain why:

Brooke is a Tasmanian girl, 22 years old that is currently making a living off travelling the world and sharing her adventures with her loyal followers via her blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube channel. She is currently 5 months into her 12 month solo trip. She has been to over 40 countries with more to come. Why have I become obsessed? To start with, Brooke is the same age as me and as an aspiring travel writer, she is truly an inspiration. Not just to people that dream about one day making some amount of money from writing about their travels, but to anyone that dreams of seeing the world. She takes amazing photos that take you on the journey with her. She has a beautiful writing style but more than anything, she's quirky and she lets you see her the way she is. She has worked hard, she has put herself out there and at just 22 years old, she has achieved some amazing things and she's not stopping there. With one E-Book already released, another on the way and a WOW app just around the corner, she is becoming more and more popular and well known. She is the perfect example of what you can do if you work hard for it.

As I mentioned, Brooke is getting paid to travel and to share all her tips and opinions of everything she does. Let me tell you, being a blogger is hard work. Sure, it's a fun hobby but that doesn't mean it's easy. It involved late nights, early mornings and thinking objectively about everything. Every moment that I'm travelling and sharing my own adventures, I am constantly taking everything in and thinking "how can I put this experience into words so others can feel like they're here with me?". As Lonely Planet have said in their Guide To Travel Writing:

"When you are on the road, travelling as a travel writer will force you to pay attention. You will look more closely, listen more clearly, taste more carefully and continually reflect on what you're experiencing. As a result, your travels will be deeper and richer."

I take my hat off to Brooke for doing it full-time. She may be living a dream (getting paid to travel!) but that doesn't make what she's doing easy. She has left her family and friends behind and gone on this amazing adventure by herself. She's spent countless days and nights alone, I have no doubt she would have felt lonely and homesick numerous times. But she's still there which I think is incredible. I can only hope that I one day have the chance to meet her and take my hat off to her in person (if I happen to be wearing one).

So do yourself a favour and go check out Brooke's blog; World of Wanderlust. Drool over her photos like I do day after day and read all about her travels and tips. I can't promise it won't leave you dying to book a trip to some amazing part of the world.

Photos courtesy of World of Wanderlust

 

Posted with Blogsy

I'm Going To London!!

Weeeeee I'm so excited!! Like jump and down screaming excited. London has always been on my list of places to go and now I'M GOING!! It's going to be a bit of a whirlwind trip, but hey, a trip to London is a trip to London!

I can't wait to see my sister again, who moved over there at the end of March and go exploring with her. I love experiencing new cities and losing myself in it and London has so much to offer. I'm sure it's going to be a jam packed 11 days but I'll be squeezing every moment out of it, you can be sure of that!

It's time to get my planning hat on again - a hat that I love - research like crazy, make lots of lists and plan what my sister and I are going to be doing like biking around Hyde Park, touring the Cotswolds, Stonehenge, Oxford and Windsor, seeing the Matilda production as well as the typical touristy things like the London Eye, Buckingham Palace and Tower of London. YAY!! Please feel free to through any suggestions my way!

 

Posted with Blogsy

Highlights of Travelling in Australia

I recently returned from a trip through some of Australia's Eastern states. I had eleven nights visiting family and friends in Canberra, Melbourne and lastly Tasmania. Domestic travel is definitely more expensive than going to Bali but I find such pleasure in exploring my own backyard. Australia is a beautiful country with diverse landscapes, tourist attractions and cultures and I enjoyed every moment of my explorations. Here are some highlights from my trip.

Canberra

The Telstra Tower in Canberra to see a 360 degree view of the city.

It was very windy!!

I got to spend some quality time with my best friend.

In the suburb of Manuka at a restaurant called Urban Pantry I had the best hot chocolate I've ever had and some delicious polenta chips and carrot and coriander soup. The next day, I went back with my friend for breakfast.

Melbourne

 

I explored and lost myself in the city. I loved the laneways, arcades, architecture, atmosphere, street art. Melbourne is a beautiful city.

 

 

As I always do, I ate some delicious food.

 

And summoned my inner tourist.

Tasmania

I fell in love with a new city. There's something so special about exploring a city you've never been to before.

I explored beautiful Port Arthur and immersed myself in its history.

 

 

Roadtripped back to Hobart and enjoyed the sights along the way.

 

 

Saw the most amazing view of Hobart from the top of Mount Wellington...

 

 

Where it was REALLY windy.

 

 

Visited the historic town of Richmond which felt like the English countryside

 

 

Went on a daytrip to Tasmania's Bruny Island and went on their adventure cruise where I was lucky enough to see a rare Blue Whale, seals AND dolphins as well as the beautiful rugged coastline.

 

And finally, I spent some time wandering through the city, once again enjoying the likeness to England and the beautiful autumn trees.

Oh and more food...

 

Explore your backyard everyone. It's a beautiful place.

 

 

Posted with Blogsy