When you are travelling for quite a while, you realize that with the highs come the lows, and there's nothing for it but to ride them out. It's either that or just stop what you're doing and move on. Today is one of those days. I've been having a few of them recently, and I think I've just gotten stuck in a bit of a rut really.
In order to fund the next leg of Le Grand Voyage, I have had to down tools (or backpack, even) for a while and earn some money. In doing this, the backpacker is faced with a bit of a dilemma. Do you opt for a "proper" job i.e. 9-5, salaried - no fun involved - but lots of saving potential? OR.... Do you head for the nearest backpacker's hub, get a mix of odd jobs (barwork, waitressing, fruitpicking) with minimum commitment - guaranteed fun - but earn just enough to keep the party going.
On arriving in Auckland last August , there wasn't shortage of jobs, and before I knew it really I was back behind a desk without having even really considered what I really want to do. At the time, I was optimistic about my saving power, and thought that by April I could have put away enough to fund the Asia leg, allowing me to head down south to Queenstown for the next ski season. Unfortunately, things didn't work out that way, and now I have a choice. I could throw caution to the wind, wave goodbye to my horrible desk job, pack my things and go south for the winter, ultimately arriving back to Ireland up to my earlobes in DEBT! OR.....I can slog it out here (13 weeks to go), save as much as I can, plan my four months in Asia, and arrive back in Ireland in the black.
It's a tough one people.
The problem with this kind of lifestyle, and the reason why I think so many people find it hard to settle down to normality again, is that you get addicted to having fun. I've been on a gradual come down from South America, and right now I think I'm at the bottom. I'm giddy at the thought of getting back on the road again. I've decided to revise the itinerary a bit and added another month on. I've 13 weeks to go and this is what I have to look forward to:
- Sydney
- Singapore
- Malaysia
- Borneo & Brunei
- Thailand
- Myanmar
- Laos
- Cambodia
- Vietnam
- China
- Tibet
- Hong Kong
The calendar on my desk is the focal point of my day. When you say 13 weeks, it doesn't sound like much. 3 MONTHS sounds like forever!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment