There is a huge distinction between the way people travel on their ‘once a year’ holidays, compared to the type of travelling that I always dreamt of. I’ve had arguments over this before, even fallen out of relationships because of it. So let me lay this difference out as clearly as I can.

I remember once, I said to my parents “I don’t think I’m ever going to have a house when I grow up”. It’s safe to say they were shocked, and definitely didn’t understand what I meant by it. They would ask, and I’d reply, “I’m going to travel the world”. It was a young girls dream, yes, but also I knew somewhere deep in my soul that this is what I wanted to do with my life.

So, as I’ve grown up, I have started “travelling”. And at first it was little holidays, not once a year, but rather as many times a year as I could possibly afford, and I loved it.

You arrive in a new place, sunbathe, explore, get hassled by local scammers, follow the hoards of tourists from one pretty sight to the next, soak up as much sun as you possibly can before you either get sunburnt or it comes to an end. Brilliant. Then after two months in Asia at 19, I had well and truly caught the travel bug – this is when my idea of travelling changed.

The little trips here and there, an escape for a week, then to return to the monotony of a full time job and bills to pay, was no longer enough to satiate the utter craving for more. I’d had a taste of what it was like to be on the road for weeks at a time, for my biggest worry to be whether I had enough suncream on or not. To be meeting new people every other day and to be actually experiencing other cultures rather than just reading about them in books or seeing them on the TV. And rather than the little pocket of culture you get from a tourist hotspot.

One of the girls I met in India was at the second stop of two years of travelling! She’d come into some inheritance money so had a huge trip planned, exploring 5 different continents, all on her own. I admired her courage. One guy I met in Bali was working remotely, I’m not sure doing what exactly but it allowed him to make his living anywhere in the world, so that’s what he did. Suddenly, a new world of possibilities had opened up for me.

I read this quote the other day that sums it up perfectly:

“The reason I love travelling is because it forces you realise that your current way of life is not the only possible one.”

So now when I thought of travelling it was to be on the road nonstop, to be hopping from country to country, maybe working, maybe not. The thought of not having a house in any one place is exciting to me, the freedom to make my home wherever I am, and to make my living in the sun. Late mornings where I don’t have to rush because I’m not running late for anything. Changing plans because I’ve fallen in love with a place and want to stay just a little bit longer. Meeting amazing people and hearing their stories. Stopping to breathe, because no one can tell me not to. Who wouldn’t want that?

I think when I would talk about my future plans to travel, people thought it was just something I was saying. Like how everyone wants to travel when they’re young but rarely ever do. I’ve never been shy about the fact I want to travel, that Australia was next on the list and then New Zealand, then back to Asia. For whatever reason it’s rarely taken seriously. People think it’s a fairytale that I’ll grow out of or a phase I’m “going through”.

I don’t want to settle.

I don’t see myself ever living a “white picket fence” life.

I don’t see myself staying in one place for more than a year at a time.

And I don’t see myself ever growing out of this adventurous, wanderlust spirit.

I tried going to uni and didn’t like it one bit, I’ve worked in the same company for 3 years and eventually tired of the corporate politics. That life is for some, but it’s definitely not for others – and that is more than ok. Life really is what YOU make of it, and it’s equally important to not let anyone else decide that for you.

If you ask me what the next few years looks like to me now, I’d tell you: I’ll be in Aus for another year (mostly living in my car!) then once I’ve sold my car I’ll go to New Zealand. Travel down from north to south then work a ski season near Queenstown. Save enough money to make it to Asia (and be earning money from my writing by this point) then I’ll follow the rest of the wanderlust 20-somethings and backpack through. The next few years looks like a dream and I’m about to take a huge leap towards it.

You see, it’s quite never-ending and to some, may sound exhausting. To me, what sounds exhausting is waiting for “the right time”, working for someone else and not putting myself out there to chase a dream I’ve always had.

It is absolutely terrifying don’t get me wrong. As of 3 days ago (8th march 2026) I am officially unemployed and as of tomorrow I will officially be living in my car.

The closer it all gets the more nervous I am but I also realise it would be strange to not be nervous. I have to remind myself daily that these are normal human emotions, and I have to hold on to the thought of 16 yr old me fantasising about what I’m about to embark on.

Dreams can only become a reality if you dare to let them.

So I dare you.