Travels of Shepp

One of my favourite things about prepping before a trip is packing. I know, I think it's weird too. But there's just something about getting ready for your trip, no matter how big or small, imagining everything you might need, and putting it all together as your trip draws ever closer. If you are packing, it means your trip is imminent. So I think that's why I like it so much. Packing for this trip has been a bigger challenge than when I've packed previously. As I'm going for an extended period, I've had to think about what I might need in the further future, as well as packing clothes that I'll be washing and wearing again and again. I've had to think of outfits that all more or less go together and that are both practical and feel good, as I've got limited space in my backpack. One of the best things I've bought for this trip are packing cubes. They separate all of your stuff and keep everything organised, rather than just strewn in the bag nev...

  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...

The History society was a big part of my time at uni, and the short city breaks they hosted in different European cities were unmissable. It was such a great chance to see some beautiful parts of the world that I would have never ordinarily thought of, as well as making unforgettable memories with my amazing course friends. I feel very lucky to have gotten the opportunity to go on a tour for all three years. For me, each tour accurately reflected how I felt about each of my years at university. Whilst I loved every single one, I certainly had my favourites for many different reasons. So, here’s a run-down of my experience of every tour. First Year- Berlin City- 8/10 Weather- 4/10 Booziness- 8/10 Berlin was a fantastic place to go for my first ever uni trip. I had never even been to Germany and, as many people do, I fell in love with Berlin from the start. There’s something for everyone, and the lively nightlife kept us busy for our 4-day trip, especially...

I’ve recently heard a very cheesy quote that I cannot stop thinking about. ‘A ship is safe in the harbour, but that’s not what ships are for.’ It sounded so dumb at first, but then I read it again. You can take the easy route, stay in the slow lane, stay in your comfort zone- but that’s not what you were made for. You were made for much bigger things than that. You’ve got to branch out in life, go and do things that scare you, because that’s where great things are found and amazing discoveries are made. Nothing incredible was ever done by sitting around doing nothing. Plus, even if you are fairly happy where you are sat around doing nothing, how could you ever know for sure without trying something new? I can see how people get stuck in doing the same thing for a long time. It’s easy, it’s a routine, and you get good at what you do. But even if you think you’re doing ok, what if you could be doing fantastically? What if there is more to life than working and dying? As much ...

(Totally unrelated but pretty photo of Krakow) I feel like telling you guys the story of my next step in planning for my big trip: applying for a working holiday visa. This allows me to work and travel around Australia for up to one year. My experience getting my working holiday visa was somewhat daunting. I’ve heard it can be quite confusing, and if you don’t do your application correctly the first time and it gets cancelled then you can never apply for a WHV again. Not like the stakes were high then. There are a lot of eligibility requirements you have to meet in order to apply for a WHV, including having sufficient funds in your account in order to be able to get a flight back to your home country. This was the main thing I was worried about as I’ve been saving as much as I can, but with constant car troubles and other unexpected pay-outs, it’s been a bit of an uphill battle. Time has not been on my side either; the Australian Government website recommends that you leave at ...