Goodbye Australia – Travel Day 1
Anyone who has met me over the past two years has known that I have wanted, fantasised and planned this trip for a long time. Now, the day has arrived, and as planned, I am at the airport writing this post. I’m sitting at a table watching the planes load up and take off, knowing that in a coupleof hours it will be me heading onto one of those flights.
When I started thinking about my desire to travel, it was merely a fantasy, something that I wanted to do to compensate fo rall the years I felt jealous of others. However life got in the way. Commitments, injuries and jobs (or lack thereof) constantly hindered my dream. Then one day after reading a book about a young backpacker, I realised you are never ready for a world trip, You just have to go. So I decided it was time to ‘fly the coop‘, ‘skip the country‘, make my escape.
Since learning Spanish, I have fallen in love with the language, culture and people who speak it. So I am embarking on a trip of language learning and self discovery. I have packed all I will need for the next 6-9 months in a 55L backpack and other than two suitcases of clothes and ‘life stuff’ as my friend Bec likes to call it, everything else is gone.
Destinations
Spain
My first stop is the mother land of the Spanish language to eat paella and drink wine. I will drop in on some of the friends I have met online and I’m excited to meet them in person. I will arrive in Madrid then I may pop into Salamanca, Toledo, catch up with a friend in Seville, explore Cadiz, dsicover the history of Granada, bask in the beauty of Basque country and dance the night away with a friend in Barcelona.
Mexico
I will start my time in Mexico in the capital, where I will spend time with the family of a very good friend I have made here in Melbourne. I will then see where the wind takes me but there’s no doubt I’ll end up in Cancun and Playa del Carmen, where I will be discovering what the blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico have to offer.
Colombia
After meeting so many Colombian friends in Melbourne, I’m looking forward to seeing them again in their home towns, plus catch up with some great friends I’ve made online. I’m looking forward to some scuba diving in the carribbean and dancing salsa all night in Cali.
Peru
I originally wanted to come to Peru to test my physical abilities on the 4 day Inca Trail trek to Macchu Picchu. Due to long reservation times ths may not be possible, but prefer to go off the beaten track anyway. Besides, I’ve heard their food is award-winning and you can’t keep me away from a good meal!
Chile
I am enamoured with this land of beaches, cities, forests, deserts and glaciers without having even been there yet. I have fallen in love with the people of Chile after making some incredible friends here in Melbourne and even finding love. Chile has a unique culture and an even more unique language. I can’t wait to see if my time here getting used to their different Spanish dialect has paid off.
Argentina
After resting a while in Chile, I will head over to Argentina, that I know I will fall in love with. I grew up dancing tango with my father in ballroom dancing classes so I can’t wait to see the source of this incredibly sumptuous dance. Not to mention the simply gorgeous mixed Latin American/Italian accent – I adore it! Don’t even get me started on the asado…delish!
For me, this trip will be a lesson on how to be cool, calm and collected when ‘shit happens‘. Travel never goes exactly according to your plans, and these are lessons that are well learnt and applied to life in general. I’m generally an organised and planned person, but there needs to be an element of flexibility and spontaneity to any trip, not to mention patience!
My first leg of the journey is to Adelaide, followed by a 4.5 hour wait for my first international flight to Doha, Qatar, where I will connect with my second international flight to Madrid, Spain. In total the journey is 34 hours, one of the disadvantages of living in a country so far from the rest of the world!
Follow me on my instagram channel @wonderswithalicia to see what I’m up to in photos and videos.
Lastly I want to say a huge THANK YOU to all those who have supported me in my preparations. They have made me see that what I am doing is not something that many people can do, and it is because of all of you that I feel strong, smart and ready.
For those of you in Spain, nos vemos en España!
Alicia
