Australia

Where have I been?

It’s been quiet on Wander with Laura for a while. Two months without writing feels a little alien and yet, for the most part, I have managed to put it to the back of my mind.

It would be easy to continue writing about my travels without addressing why I took some time away. Who wants to read something false though? Among the picture perfect days I shared with you, there were also many days where I struggled to hold back tears during the most normal conversations. Where the feeling of being alone was completely overwhelming. The thing about travelling alone is – well, it isn’t for me.Don’t get me wrong, there were great days. I went to places I’ve wanted to visit for years, caught up with close friends thousands of miles from home and met people that I’ll always remember.

But from those hard first few days I talked about in my Leaving for Australia post, the feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach never really went away. Whenever I tried to find work, I couldn’t settle and even seeing my friends over here only put off the sinking feeling for a short while.

Then this article – Going Home by Nomadic Matt – made me think about things differently. Why ignore my gut instincts? I booked a return flight home. I would go back, save some more and get my frazzled emotional state back to its usual cheerfulness. And then, at the end of November, I would come back refreshed.

Travelling with someone this time around, just two months later, feels so much different. It’s someone to share things with. Someone to make plans with. Someone who will take your picture over and over when you can’t stop blinking in the sun! It was really tough that my trip didn’t start out the way I imagined. But even though it wasn’t what I wanted, I’ll never regret travelling alone for those seven weeks. It’s said that you learn a lot about yourself when you’re alone – the good and the bad – and that really is true.