As were drawing close to the end of 2010 I am reminiscing on the year that it was… and boy, was it an eventful year!
It all begun in Northern Western Australia where I spent the first few months working as a cleaner in the mines. Yes, I so desperately needed travel money that I spent some of the most important days of my life cleaning shitters and making beds. Not my idea of fun. BUT, it did get me exactly what I wanted…
By June I was well and truly “toileted” out so I planned my escape… a 5 month round the world trip. Now, that was more like it!
I began in Bali, Indonesia where my friend Ebony and I managed to pick up the lovely Dengue fever… Nasty stuff.
I spent a week bed-ridden in Athens and Santorini Island, Greece and discovered vodka was my only cure. Hooray!
I took a 3 day train trip to Belgrade, Serbia where I lived last year and caught up with all of my lovely Serbian friends. I managed to have all of my bankcards and ID robbed by a taxi driver on a crazy night out on the town so spent 3 weeks crashing at my friend Stefan’s hostel, waiting for new plastic to arrive before I could leave.
The day my plastic gold came in the mail I headed off bound for Poland… I didn’t quite make it. Once in Budapest I realised my plastic gold wasn’t gold unless you had the pin number for it!
So I spent another week stuck in Budapest at an amazing hostel in a loft. I ended up going to Sziget festival and partying my life away for 24 hours with some amazing fellow travellers, Tom and Felix. The 3 day hangover that followed was nasty enough to make me miss my next 2 buses out of there.
Eventually I made it to Krakow, Poland where I hung out with the amazing Anna. After a big night on the town we both somehow managed to end up with a dot tattooed on each of our wrists. Yes, a dot. Hmmm?
I hurried through Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia not remembering a whole lot, but missing another 3 buses consecutively. This was becoming quite the habit.
You see with Dengue fever you are supposed to rest and sleep. Well, I clearly wasn’t resting and the rest of the time I was more in a coma than actual sleeping.
I headed on over to the amazing Finland, where I spent 3 days in a detox-like state, hiding away from the cold.
I flew on over to London where I spent a week catching up with some incredible friends, Lucy, Lauren and Kathy and the kids. My last night there was so big that I actually didn’t know if the airline would let me on the plane.
Off I went to Ireland where I stayed with the craziest Irish woman you’ll ever meet, Georgina.
After Europe was over I spent a week at home in the cold farewelling my friend Lauren in her country town Timboon.
Then I was off to Hawaii. Aloha, Hawaii! Deciding I wanted to learn to surf I took lessons everyday with the crazy Willie on the biggest surf board you’ve ever seen.
Can I now surf? No. I spent the final lesson being pounded in the head by the board and slicing my leg open on the reef. Not cool.
Next stop Viva Las Vegas! It was just how it was the year before, only better. I drank my way around the strip and partied at VIP club Bank in the Bellagio! Thanks Taylor & Rachel 😉
Requiring another detox I set off for the beautiful Fiji Islands, which turned out to be paradise just like the photos make you believe.
After 4 days in paradise I headed to the desert to visit my home town Alice Springs, Australia. A very eventful 3 weeks left me with 2 broken teeth and another story to tell.
Back to Fiji I went where I spent 6 weeks living on the mainland and truly getting to know the Fijian life.
As I near my last days before we welcome in 2011 I am hanging out in Brisbane, Australia where I am planning my next escape to see me off on a world trip again. Oh, but for the very last day of 2011? I will be on my way to Fiji to spend the New Years celebration in the country that I love!
So, although I managed to damage my body in countless ways (Dengue fever, tattoos, surfing scars, broken teeth), I have come out alive and better than ever! I saw myself around 17 countries over 4 continents, met some life long friends and took home with me some memories you could never put a price on!
Happy New Year and may 2011 be full of travel, exploration and great stories to tell!!
