When people go travelling it is so easy to boast about it nowadays. Social media has given all of us a platform to post that βperfect philosophicalβ sunset pic, that βjust woken upβ selfie and the βIβm having the time of my lifeβ jumping photo. Not to mention that you can just click to check-in and tell people you are in this awesome pool bar in paradise or got a free upgrade at your swanky hotel. Boasting is easy and so many of us do it. Donβt we all crave that stamp in our passport just for the bragging rights that come with it?
When I speak to people who have just been travelling (and yes I am guilty of this myself) they never ever tell you about the bad bits, the uncomfortable nights with no sleep, the dodgy tums, the strange mozzie bites. You’ll only hear about the things you’ll be jealous of. But here it is Ladies and Gentsβ¦Travelling isnβt all sunshine and rainbows! There are 5 things that I say are big points that people just donβt tell you about.
Travel is stressful!
When you go on aΒ 2 week cruise round the Greek Islands or an all inclusive trip to Bora Bora I expect that the main desire of this holiday is to relax. Travelling isnβt very relaxing. In fact I am a firm believer of taking a holiday within your holiday. On my first Backpacking stint I spent 2 weeks in Hawaii as my holiday in my holiday and when I went to South America I went to the Galapagos Islands! The thing is with travelling you have to organise where to stay next, ask yourself ‘can I afford that ice cream in my budget?’, how do I get back from this bar, how am I going to get from A to B… Travelling is not relaxing. However it is the most rewarding thing you can do and part of the fun of travelling is learning how to look after yourself and travel independently. You learn an excessive amount about yourself and grow massively as a person. Before I went travelling I could hardly even walk into a bar on my own now Iβve done four major backpacking trips by myself!
You will get Homesick
I often think I donβt get homesick and being on the road for 7 years on and off (yes I have been home lots of times in the 7 years) I have to finally admit that I do. You might not see it coming, itβll creep up on you in the dead of night or on your birthday or perhaps Christmas but trust me itβs going come if it hasnβt already! Most people think that homesickness means youβre crying in bed, curled up in the foetal position on the phone to your mum. It isnβt always this. Mine gets me when Iβm craving gravy on my chips, or my friends organising a night out on whats app, I even get homesick when I canβt find the mascara I like over here. I donβt go and eat a whole tub of ice cream and start Googling flights home, I just get on with it. I keep myself busy and then I donβt have a chance to think of home or what Iβm missing. When you first land and you want to go home in the first few days, promise me this – You will power through! Trust me when I say itβs worth it and youβll forget about how you felt as fast as it started when you begin to experience everything!
You have to be an adultβ¦sort of.
This is quite a abstract point. I am potentially one of the worst βadultsβ out there. What I mean is you have to be mature sometimes. So donβt get that drunken tattoo of your hostel’s logo or think you can cliff dive where no locals are. Perhaps I should call this one: You have to use common sense. If you have to catch a bus that you paid $230 for which leaves at 4:30am, donβt party all nightβ¦Mum isnβt there to wake you up anymore. I first went travelling when I was 18 and this whole using your common sense thing was hard because I wanted to go crazy. I partied so hard and did all these crazy things and sometimes wonder how the hell I survived or at least returned with all my arms and legs. Iβm not saying have a shit time and stay in and wrap yourself in bubble wrap, Iβm saying that one of the best things about travelling is fending for yourself in the big wide world and for some itβs like the first time they have really left their mothers womb. But please be cautious and do things within reason then you wonβt fuck up and end up in hospital or worseβ¦have to go home!
Travel is exhausting
People donβt tell how exhausting travelling is! Because travel is stressful (see point 1!) it makes it tiring. Again this goes back to have a holiday within your holiday! But seriously donβt forget to sit back and stop a little while. Not only does it give you a chance to catch up and rest but also to appreciate what you are doing. It’s easy to want to cram everything in with so much to see and do and so much fun to be had but you donβt have to be doing an activity all day everyday! Sometimes you need a day chilling on the beach, reading a book in the park or pigging out in front of Netflix. Reward yourself with sleep as there is not much better in life than a damn good nights sleep. If someone does come back from traveling without taking some days off here and there they will, no joke, sleep for a week.
Travel is addictive.
Plain and simple. Honestly itβs a much healthier addiction than smoking or drugs but it still catches. You go to one place and experience a crazy amount of culture, stunning landscapes and eat incredible food and that’s it, you want to go to the next place. When I was a kid I had all these dreams of things I wanted to do and zero of them have been accomplished (mainly because my plans have changed now, for the better). Once you go and make all these amazing friends and unforgettable experiences its hard not to plan the next trip and the next and the nextβ¦before you know it youβre 45 living out of a suitcase with only $3 to your name but itβs ok because youβve got a passport full of stamps!Β Thinking of going travelling? Do it! Just be prepared to never be able to settle in one place after!
So there it is, the harsh truth about travelling. Itβs only 5 small points and there’s no denying theΒ negativesΒ are well and truly worth it for that perfect sunset moment. I would do it all again just to swim with penguins once more! I mean come onβ¦its just all about boasting and bragging isnβt it and I have plenty to brag about!
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Hey Guys,
Usually by the welcome drinks in Side bar on the first night you can start to see some good friendships forming. Quite a few people usually find each other online before they get here using our βMeet your groupβ service, so a lot of people will have already spoken a lot online or even met up back home before they come out here. In every group thereβs always a few shy or nervous people who take a little longer to relax and get speaking to people. I totally relate to these guys!! I mean, youβre in a brand new country, on your own, and youβre thrown into a large group of people from all over the world!! Iβve been there myself, and it IS terrifying!! This is where we step in. As group leaders we want everyone to have a good time and not worry about anything. Sometimes people just need a little longer to feel at ease but normally after a few conversations people are happy to open up and get chatting to the rest of the group.
When we get to our accommodation at Basecamp it feels like home!! I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of being at here, cuddling Josie (the resident and adorable kangaroo) and relaxing in the Aussie bush! I love seeing peoples faces when they first get here – it’s hard to explain but it’s just got such a great feeling about it and for most people it’s the first time they’ve seen the Aussie bush. It makes such a difference to the hustle and bustle of Sydney (however much we love it!) One of the things I love most about Basecamp is how everyone gets chatting to each other! Until this point in the week people will have made one or two friends in the group.. but at Basecamp, these friend circles expand massively!! I love seeing the quietest person in the group really come out of their shell and make a good bunch of friends.
In the evening, itβs the party night, the bar crawl!! It’s so much fun and even though I don’t have to go for ‘work’, I still go every week! Itβs the perfect opportunity to have fun with the group. I love the end of the week when people who, at the start of the week were nervous to talk to people, have now made a great bunch of friends who theyβre partying with and making plans with for the rest of their time here.
I always think that if everyone in my group leaves the week having had a great time, with at least one or two good friends, then Iβve done my job right. I tend to keep in touch with people I’ve met in the groups too- they’re part of the Ultimate family now and meeting new people is one of the best things about the job!
