Travels of Shepp

  This time next week this will be my view! It's a week until my big adventure finally starts. I've been banging on about this for the last year and a half, since the end of second year in June 2018 when I decided to go on a big solo trip across the other side of the world. At this stage it feels really surreal; I've been planning this trip for so long I can't believe it's finally here. I feel simultaneously very ready due to months of preparation and completely unprepared. I haven't packed but I have written a million packing lists and got all my stuff in a horrendous pile on the floor of my room. I still haven't bought many of the things I need and I still haven't said goodbye to most people yet. There's a lot to do. I couldn't be more excited to start this adventure. But as it draws closer, I am starting to feel those nerves kick in now. I've got a lot of expectations for this trip, which could be easily shattered. I'm real...

               A fun hostel in Budapest People are sometimes concerned to hear that I will probably be spending most of my time on my big trip staying in hostels.  They have a bad rep; often they are avoided for fear of being dirty, run-down, and full of loud and inconsiderate backpackers. They could never be as luxurious as hotels. While all of these stereotypes can be true, I've found that they are generally better than people expect them to be, (often even better than hotels) and they are a fantastic option for the budget-friendly traveller. Another common misconception about hostels is that there is absolutely no privacy with hostels. This may be true in the case of some huge 10-bed mixed dorms, however you can in fact book private single rooms in hostels that are very similar to hotel rooms at a fraction of the price. For dorms, some hostels have privacy screens or curtains across the beds. Capsule hotels are particularly pop...

Often when people find out I’m going on a big solo trip, one of the first things they say is ‘Oh how brave!’. I don’t agree with this sentiment at all, and to be honest I don’t love it when people say that either. I know they mean well, but I just don’t think it’s particularly brave to just do what you want, and let’s face it I’m just going on holiday for as long as possible. What’s brave about that? Saying that, I certainly have a level of anxiety around this trip. It is a big deal, and my brain sometimes gets to thinking about all the things that could go wrong. What if I get lost? What if I can’t find somewhere to stay one night? What if I lose all my stuff? There are a million and one things that could happen. I’ve also been nervous about being away from my friends and family for so long. I’m a real extrovert and I know I need to be surrounded by friends and people I love, so it will be interesting to see how I deal with them being the other side of the world. I...