Ready, Set, Jet

one solo trip to the other side of the world with the best strangers

Friends for a fleeting second, a minute or a few days - let strangers transform your experiences

Last year I took over 40 flights chasing the dream of freedom, experience and adventure. I am highly aware of my travel addiction and have no desire to stop. To end off the year I decided to take a solo three-week backpacking trip to the other side of the world. I had done a couple solo stints between meeting up with groups or friends, but never before completely alone for an extended period of time. I strategically packed myself into a carry-on backpack and boarded a plane to Bali then headed down the east coast of Australia. I stayed in a mixture of single room hostels, Airbnb’s and hotel and pieced together the trip as I went. ‘Travel me’ is very different than ‘day-to-day me’ where I usually plan, schedule and organize down to the minute - this may be why I love travelling so much!

The highlights were too many to count and words could never do the experience justice. However, amongst the indescribable sights of the great barrier reef, beautiful beaches, sporting events and street art, nothing compares to the people I met. I didn’t expect the best part of my trip to be the strangers of all age, shape and size. They kindly let me into their life for a couple minutes to a couple of days. I had a classic ‘find yourself’ cliché moment at the end of my trip while sitting on a rock overlooking the ocean – pure bliss, gratitude and joy. I’m a realist RED and I didn’t believe these kinds of moments happen in real life to regular people when you least expect it. Amongst the hustle and bustle of a daily routine I find it difficult to be truly present, but travelling allows me to step away and take the time to appreciate the little moments, experiences and surroundings.

I was sitting on a boat frozen in fear with the knowledge that I would have to submerge my entire body into the vast ocean if I wanted to see the Great Barrier Reef and it’s wonders. I was also hoping my gravity sickness patch was in full force and I wouldn’t vomit before we got to our destination. I must have looked panicked because a Canadian couple engaged with me and let me spend the day with them. They offered to share their time and experience with me and together we battled my fear of water and saw some of most incredible wildlife I have ever seen.

I like a challenge and want to experience all that a country has to offer, so I signed up for group surf lessons in Byron Bay. For almost an hour I battled the current and didn’t make it out into the water toward our instructor. With frustration levels at an all-time high, a mother who was in our group noticed my struggle. She immediately dropped her own surfboard, grabbed mine and declared we were going out into the water together. She coached and managed my fears as any mother would. After standing up on the board the first try, she announced we were going to continue to try a few more times together. Afterward, I lunched with her and her 16 year old daughter at a café where we chatted about life, high school and travel.

While I was in Melbourne, I decided to take a break from cooking at my Airbnb and head out for dinner. After I was turned away from several full restaurants, I followed a random group of three friends from Sydney into an unassuming alleyway with a hidden Italian restaurant. I took a seat at the bar and struck up a conversation. I ended up joining them for dinner, sharing appetizers, laughs and stories of the city. When the end-of-the-evening discussion turned to the high prized lottery draw happening that night, we all agreed to split the winnings if one of us won.

In my day-to-day life around the city, routine and rushing are standard practices. I don’t think twice to stop and talk to the solo travellers on the train, or invite the individual behind me in line to dine with me. Each incredible sight or activity I participated in during the trip was made even more memorable by random human interactions. Whether it was the family with high school-aged daughters that showed me how to eat Vegemite properly, or the woman on the tram giving me directions while telling stories of her granddaughter, or the 18-year old besties that let me eat BBQ with them at the hostel, or the elderly wine tour group that took their first ‘Boomerang’ with me – all of these interactions and connections made this trip one of the best.