About a year and a half ago, I woke up one day and decided it was time to go back to Australia. If you’ve been living vicariously through me for the last 6 months, then you know it’s the best decision I’ve ever made it my life. It was also the scariest, craziest, most incredible, uncomfortable, rewarding thing I’ve ever done, which is saying a lot.

I absolutely love talking about my trip, but the most annoying question I get from people is, “So, what’s your next adventure?” My initial thought is, “I just got home from a debt inducing, trip of a lifetime. The next adventure is going back to the real world.” These are some of the same people that wondered silently and sometimes not so silently when I was going to “do something with my life.” My laundry list of adventures (even before this) resembles the neverending pile of laundry my cousin, Jess, does for her family of six, but I take this trip and now you finally see it???

I will never stop having adventures or seeing as much of this world as I can manage, but for now, I have to go back to work.

With that said, along the way I tried to write down any advice I had for anyone thinking about taking on a backpacking trip. It is certainly an incomplete list and I encourage anyone I met along the way, that happens to be reading this, to add any advice they may have in the comments section.

-Don’t plan everything beforehand. Attempting to plan this trip was overwhelming. I ended up just reading my travel guides and highlighting anything I thought I wanted to see/do. Not having a plan that I had to stick to was one of the best things that could have happened. Literally hours before booking a flight back to Sydney from Adelaide, Didi and Katja talked me into going on a 6 day tour from Adelaide to Alice Springs with them and it was the best thing I did the entire trip. Have a general idea, but not a strict schedule.

-Remember you’re on vacation, but don’t spend like it’s a vacation. People splurge on vacation. Money became an issue at the end of my trip and I promise you those expensive dinners aren’t worth missing out on other experiences.
-Stop every so often and think about how crazy what you’re doing is and just appreciate that for a few minutes. Sometimes you forget.
-Living in hostels is not usually fun. Don’t stay in chain hostels (like YHA’s), smaller hostels are often cheaper, nicer and less crowded. Figure out what your needs are: wifi, free breakfast, party or non-party environment, etc. Read the reviews to see if your needs will be met.
-Don’t be the asshole with a huge plug on your charger that makes it so nobody can use the outlet next to yours. Outlets were one of my big needs. Some hostels have one for each bed. A power strip is handy if you have room to pack one.
-Talk to people. I’m not the best at meeting new people. It’s outside my comfort zone and I had to do it every few days. Some of the people I met along the way shaped my entire trip though.
-Don’t be afraid to go outside of your comfort zone. I spent most of my trip outside of my comfort zone. It’s how you learn things about yourself and grow as a person.
-Spend the money to do some guided tours. It’s nice to just be along for the ride sometimes. Tours are also where I met most of the people that I now call friends.
-If you have to make budget choices, eat cheap rather than skipping experiences. You can have a $30 dinner at home, spend it on something you can’t do back home. Remember how to eat like a poor college kid. I ate out too often, but it was usually fast food. I also ate a lot of Ramen Noodles.
-Keep a journal, you’ll want it when you go through your pictures and wonder where the hell you were that day.
-Get a good camera and learn how to use it. I often thought my pictures weren’t doing justice to what I was seeing.
-Use credit cards for almost everything and pay them off every month. Taking out cash is often expensive (it usually cost me about $10 to use an atm). You can get a card with no international transaction fees and earn rewards the whole time too.

-The most important advice I can give you is if you’ve ever considered doing something like this, JUST DO IT!!! Save your money, quit your job, sell your house, take out a loan. Short of putting your kids up for adoption, do whatever it takes. You aren’t getting any younger and tomorrow isn’t promised to anyone. You’re never going to lay on your death bed and think, “Man, I wish I traveled less and worked more.”

Now, I want to share with you the most important advice that I got before my trip. It was a text message from my amazing, astonishing, seemingly fearless, inspirational cousin, Kimmie, who had previously spent a year driving around the U.S. in a van playing her music.

“Hi Greg,
I was going to try to write you a letter before you left, but haven’t had a chance yet. If there is anywhere I can send you a letter along your way, let me know. If not, I hope you have an amazing journey. I know you will. I imagine it will be one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences you could have. I hope the good days help you find your bliss and your inspiration, and the bad days help you find your strength in vulnerability. I hope you feel all the feels and find your own path, your own truth, your own heart and soul and healing along the way. Don’t be afraid to reach out to strangers and ask for help. Don’t be afraid to reach inward and explore on your own. Don’t be discouraged by the times that don’t feel nearly as romantic or glorious as you imagined. Appreciate every second of the ones that surpass your wildest dreams. Do everything you can to keep an open heart and an open mind always and be present in each moment. I am so psyched for you and proud that you are taking on this dream. Do it for you and nobody else. Go for that something “more,” that something “bigger” that you desire. Be open to it however it shows up. I love you so much. Safe journeys. 🤗”

I read this text so many times over the last 6 months, including almost every single day for the first month of my trip when I was really struggling. I honestly do not know if I would have stayed the entire time without her words. Thanks again, Kim. Love you!!

The other question I get a lot is, “Was it everything you thought it would be?” My answer is, “It was absolutely nothing that I thought it would be, but in the best possible way.”

This will probably be my last written post, but between my digital camera, skydiving and the Cage of Death, I have about 2,300 pictures that I haven’t shared so once I’ve gone through them and picked out the good ones, there will be some picture posts with captions.

I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to read and experience my journey with me, as it has made the countless hours of writing worth it. As of my last post, I had written 45 posts and had over 7,200 views, from 1,300 people in 20 different countries, so seriously thank you!!

“A wiseman travels to discover himself.”-  James Russell Lowell

I think it’s going to take some time to settle back into life to see what I’ve learned about myself and I do not know what my next journey in life will be, but I can promise you it will be anything but ordinary. I just can’t be that.