Staying in hostels means that at least once a day a get asked "How long have you been travelling?" So I've gotten so used to reciting my continuously extending journey:
"I started in Indonesia, decided I wanted to see more of Asia, went to Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Thailand again, then Cambodia, and returned to Indonesia before moving to Australia."
And yet, October 2019 seems to have crept up on me so suddenly, that now I am forced to realise that I have been away for an entire year!
It was October 2018 when I uprooted my life, left my job, moved out of London, filled just a backpack with what I would take with me, (I've lost count of how many times I've re-packed that bag now) and boarded a one-way flight to Jakarta, Indonesia. I can still remember that (very long) day like it was yesterday. I remember those intense feelings of excitement, expectation, anxiety, doubt and freedom. However, the person who sat alone on the plane, waiting for the adventure to begin, feels, almost, a complete stranger to me now.
Because the adventure did indeed take off (pun intended) and despite how easily I recite the simple version of my travels it really has been anything but. The travels within each of these 6 countries have given me many stories to tell, there have been hospital visits, road accidents, lost luggage, tropical storms and more and it all changed me. Even physically, I've cut my hair, got a tattoo and accumulated a bunch of scars, all with their own story to tell. But I'm not talking about just my appearance, I feel different. I'll spare you the bullshit line that "I found myself by travelling" because it's not true, in fact along this journey I've often felt more lost than ever before. But what it has given me is a chance to be more at peace with who I am and learn to listen and accept how I am feeling.
It is a constant challenging road with new experiences teaching and pushing me to grow in ways I hadn't imagined. I've faced fears, developed skills and shattered my own mis-conceptions. That's not to say I haven't made mistakes, trust me, there have been plenty! When I left a year ago, I don't think I was prepared to face the reality of what "beyond your comfort zone" actually entails, or to brave the challenges of what it is to travel solo, particularly as a woman. But as I look back now, and re-read some of my journal entries from the last year, I am proud of how far I've come.
It's strange, a year can seem like a long time, especially when I think of my loved ones that I haven't hugged in so long, but it can also seem like no time at all. Because, although it is painful being away from those I love, there has entered into my life, such wonderful people. People, that have made such a massive impact in my life, who I didn't know existed this time last year! It reminds me of one of my favourite quotes, one of my reasons for embarking on this trip:
"I'm in love with people I've never met and places I've never been."
It's far from over! I don't have any return flights booked yet, and I'm looking forward to what might happen next. This journey has been far from expected so anything is possible.
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