Exploring Wanderlust

What a difference a year makes!

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I still haven't found what I'm looking for

I just had a look at my Facebook profile and in the news feed the ‘on this day’ section popped up and reminded me that one year ago I booked my ticket to Saigon from Berlin. How time flies when you are having fun! Quite a lot has indeed taken place in those 12 months. Leaving a steady job in cold and grey Berlin for a hot and sweaty metropolis in South-East Asia was quite a switch.

A year on and I don’t regret a thing. Life in Berlin seemed to be going nowhere and although it was a great place to live and things were good it seemed to be a bit monotonous and felt a bit like killing time. Something told me that there should be more to life than running down a sentence. Some people fall into a pattern and a warm fuzzy comfort zone where they might never leave and I suppose I’d reached that stage. I’d always wanted to go to Perth to visit my friends and maybe even live for a bit, but the fear of the unknown or the ties to certain things had always held me back.

I had been mulling over giving up my Berlin life for a period travelling or at least a change of scenery and country. I can’t say for sure if I’d have up and left of my own accord but once my significant other at the time got fired from her job I sensed an opportunity to propose a shift for both of us. It seemed like a golden opportunity had presented itself and although it was hard to walk into work and hand in my notice, once I had done that I felt like a weight was taken off my shoulders.

Without too much planning on my part it was a case of letting people know about my plans and also trying to sort out as many injections and last minute things to pack as possible. Some worthwhile items where a dry bag, some freezer bags to separate medicine etc and a day pack, or what most people would refer to as a backpack. Stick all the necessary clothing in a large rucksack and you’re ready to roll! Off I set on my travel with dreams of foreign lands and tunnels in Vietnam!

Now even a year on I’m not sure if I’m much wiser but I am a year older. As U2 said I still haven’t found what I’m looking for, but I at least have a few stories for the grandchildren!

 

One thought on “What a difference a year makes!

  1. Vivian

    Enjoy Australia Donal. I’m excited about your stories and will sit next to your grandchildren to listen to all the great memories.
    Just do whatever makes you happy! As you could see, we definitely meet each other again. Maybe next time in Japan, 2019 😉

     

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