Travels of Shepp

My time I'm Byron is often spent around a lot of people. In fact, as a traveller in general it's rare to have a moment completely to yourself. Meeting new people, communal living spaces and hostels often mean there are so many people around you can't even get any privacy. While I of course love being social, recently I'm finding increasingly more joy in spending time alone. A few days ago I took myself out on a date. This might sound mad to some people, but please don't pity me as the single girl. It's actually really fun and I'd recommend you do it too regardless of your relationship status. I had received some sad family news that day and I wanted to do something nice by myself to cheer myself up. I drove into town and went to a little Asian restaurant. It's so nice not having anyone to compromise for and no arguments over where to go for dinner! I had veggie gyozas and a miso ramen and it was sooo good. ...

I'm now finally settling into my life I'm Byron. Since I got here a month ago, a lot of change has come into my life. I've started new jobs, moved around, and had to adapt to a whole lot of new-ness. I've struggled to write as putting all this into words felt difficult, but I know it's important to share and document my journey. Firstly, I've moved back into my van! I'm living on a campsite with lots of friends where we share the space with three vans, a tent and a roof tent. The best part is we have a gazebo in the middle which acts as our communal living room! When I was staying in hostels, I was nervous to move back into Ian. I felt like I had just spent the past month living out of the van and I was pretty exhausted, so I kind of just wanted the luxury of a bed and air conditioning for a while. But, circumstance and the prices of hostels in Byron at peak time did not make staying in hostels over the N...

As of the 8th, I've been in Australia for a year! It feels so amazing to say this, and I can't believe I've come this far. 2020 was obviously a dumpster fire of a year for the world, but for me personally it's been incredible. The most exciting, terrifying year of my life. I've done so much and I've come so far, and yet some part of me still can't believe I've been here for a whole year. I get homesick when I think about the fact I haven't seen my family or hugged my parents in a year, and I'm looking forward to seeing them again. But for now the challenge isn't over! I've still got so much I want to do and see in Australia. Whenever I move on to the next thing or the next place when travelling, there's a period of integration. For the first few days or even weeks I feel misplaced and at times a bit sad. It's always strange when I move onto the next part of my adventure, as it feels like I'm...