18 years ago, when I was younger, stubborner, self-proclaimed wiser, and slightly richer; I grabbed a backpack and a tent and joined some friends on a little adventure. I thought a three-month trip through Africa was insane and wondered if I would get bored. To be honest, I only joined the trip because my friends were going and I was afraid of missing out.
Little did I know that addiction was about to set in. Three months stretched to six. And our group dwindled from ten to six to four to me. The others all returned to “real life” and flush toilets. I, having had my mind blown by a little corner of the globe, was salivating for more.
I followed a friend to London and hopped between “squat” home bases, random European adventures, and jobs. I still planned on heading “home,” but the more of the world I saw, the more curious I became.
“Do you want to drive to Mongolia?”
I had no idea where Mongolia was, but I agreed to join my baby brother on a little adventure, which turned out to be an 18 923.2 KM drive. The car, or at least what was left of it, went to charity and my brother went back to work.
I was (f)unemployed and China was just next door. Seeing as they only gave me a two-week visa, I was spat out in South East Asia; a playground for backpackers. It’s safe. It’s delicious. It’s colourful. And everything is possible. If you aren’t sure if things are possible or not, you simply try (and hope to survive – this is also how I confirmed that you can’t die when you have travel insurance*).
In Australia, the impracticality of flightless travel on organised transport and the quest for more adventure led me to try solo hitchhiking. It was so much more fun than public transport! There’s no schedule and you are never quite sure where you will end up. The best part is that you meet some of the coolest people. You do sometimes also meet the worst, so I do need to remind you to trust your guts; otherwise, you may end up in the middle of the desert with a psychopath on the run.
My friends didn’t think that it was safe to leave Australia alone, so they bought me “Teddy” to keep me company. Some other friends had the same idea and bought me “Goat” (a giant unicorn), unfortunately, he was white and looked like a gay polar bear, so he was sacrificed into a volcano in Java. But Teddy, 14 years later, is still going strong!
Hitchhiking has since carried us across Europe, China, Africa, and half of the US, amongst other adventures. And while my mother always warned me about staying clear of strangers, even she is an advocate for it now! If you are brave enough, try it, but remember that whole following your gut thing!
There were the campervan chapters. There were motorbike chapters. There was a horse chapter. And then a new addiction arrived: Cycle touring! I didn’t feel great about hitchhiking alone (Teddy doesn’t count) in Northern Vietnam. I tried to convince every non-shady character I met to hitchhike with me. There was only one person who didn’t think I was crazy, but he had just bought a bicycle. He talked me into doing the same.
It was hell. You sweat enough in South East Asia by just existing. And the mountains that make Laos so mesmerising were not designed for bicycles (or, so I thought). I also thought I had made a huge mistake! That’s when Rohan taught me how to use gears. And, after a few weeks, my butt moulded to the saddle, my fitness increased, and with every revolution of the pedal, my soul soared! I even made it to the wedding in the south of Thailand in time. (Fortunately, it was not my own).
Cycling became a passion. And later in life, Teddy and I opted to do a barefoot cycle across Australia for the amazing charity, Bikes 4 Life. We also cycled across Europe in most directions and even braved the bears and trucks in the US. It is by far one of the most remarkable ways to see the world, and everyone wanting to minimise their carbon footprint should definitely give it a try! It’s also a great excuse to eat EVERYTHING; food is the fuel of the cyclist.
Once again, trying to avoid public transport, I convinced some friends to build a raft and sail to Thailand. Things didn’t go quite as planned and we may have shipwrecked on a deserted island, but I did realise that I needed to learn how to sail. It’s another epic, environmentally friendly way to traverse the earth. And, seeing I can’t yet walk on water, it’s a necessary addition to flightless travel.
Fiddler was the first ‘real’ sailing boat that drifted my way. And after throwing up most of my internal organs, it too became an addiction. (Thank you Neried, Yoldia, Renahara, Sjostrom, Rewa, Yacare, Morwenna, Papillon, Grande Ourse, Turia, Pacific Pearl, Beaver, and all the others!) Even if there were storms and pirates and losing rigging and being stuck adrift, and some minor mutinies. For the most part, the close quarters of the vessel have been the perfect environment to make life-long friends!
And suddenly life sped up and the years were won in sailing and cycling and hitchhiking the world. Always learning new skills. Always growing. Always moving. Always meeting cool humans. (Somehow always surviving.)
I was spat out in Lagos (Portugal, not Nigeria) enough times to know that the magnetism wanted me to stay here, so I set up a base. And the adventures have continued without me having to lug everything I own everywhere I go. And, I get to build community with awesome people that I know for longer than the duration of an adventure. It’s also a great place for all the adventure buddies of old to visit!
After 18 years as a Part-Time Professional Gypsy, I can officially say I’m now “legal to travel.” I haven’t seen it all, but I am so grateful for so many epic adventures! Thank you to every single person who hitched, sailed and cycled with me. Thank you to those who stopped to pick me up (especially those who did not try and murder me). Thank you to every person who took me in for a night (or months). To those I laughed with and beered with and had 4-hour breakfasts with, thank you! And, to those who chased waterfalls with me (and all the other things we tend not to find), thank you. Thank you to those who prayed for my survival, and those who employed me (a little money is needed sometimes). Thank you all, now that I’m “legal,” it’s time to take the adventures up a notch!
Travelling changes you. Adventure transforms you. And life needs a little bit of everything. No matter what you do, never grow boring!
*Please don’t test this though! What worked for me might not work for you!
