The light bulb moment.

Ok so we want to travel and we want to do it now. No working in Morrison's, no living with mum and no moping about for a year first. When I speak to my friends about it and say that we want to travel asap with next to no savings, they look at me as if I'm a mad woman saying that I want to do a shark dive, minus the cage. "Well, we would get a job there", I tell them, "as long as we've got money for flights and setting up we'l be fine, we'l live on what we earn while we're there". Still blank stares. Man, am I trying to convince them or myself? I'm sure there's plenty of jobs out there for foreigners, even if it is only hospitality or agriculture work. I'm still just thinking about what jobs there were in Australia, there must be different jobs in other countries...

Wait...what about the holy grail of work abroad options, teaching English?! The light bulb switches on. Yes teaching English, why didn't I think of it before?! It seems so obvious now. Research tells us you can do it anywhere, any country, in fact most Asian countries are crying out for English teachers; some of the countries actually offer really good competitive pay and benefits like reimbursed flights or accommodation included.  The teaching jobs in most countries require a degree, so I won't feel like I'm taking a step back after uni. It's something we will be able to talk about proudly in job interviews when we get back. The more and more we look into this, the more brightly the light bulb shines.

Australia?

My first instinct was that I should go to Australia, the backpackers paradise sure it's a bit of a gap year cliché but that many people can't be wrong, right? I spent months getting excited, looking at pretty pictures, creating a kick ass itinerary and planning all the different things that I wanted to experience, skydiving, surfing and the cage of death to name but a few. I even bought the lonely planet guide, now that's a commitment!

 But then came the time to look at the practicalities.... Damn!!! How much was this all going to cost?! Turns out one the most popular travel destinations is also the one of the most expensive. I was naive enough to think that if I got a working visa and worked while I was there it would be enough to cover the majority of the costs but one look at the forums told me that that isn't the case. I would need £3000 start up money, bare minimum, in fact even that's pushing it. Maybe I could still go, if I worked for a good while before I went to save and then got a job straight away when I got there?.... When I spoke to my boyfriend about it, the conversation went something like this:

"Well, I'm not coming with you."
"What? Why not? I thought you wanted to travel after uni too and you know it's amazing, it's got everything you could want for travelling."
"Yeh but it's ridiculously expensive to do anything, why don't we go to somewhere like Thailand where you can get a meal for like less than £1. Also, I don't want to work in a bar for a year, what does that look like when I come back and want a proper job or a PhD? 'So I see you've been working a bar, sitting on a beach getting wasted and pissing about for year, that's great Mr Brown, very productive, nice professional development, you're hired!"

Hmmm maybe he had a point. I've worked in bars/restaurants/customer service before and during university, the thought of having to do it again for a year wasn't a pleasant one. Does it look lazy when I come back that I've gone to a country where I don't have to learn the language or the culture?

I definitely still want to go to Australia but as a super skint graduate maybe it's not the best option. Ok Australia, I'm popping a pin in you but don't worry I won't forget about you!

Never mind "What now?" The question now is "Where now?" I want to go everywhere! The more I think about it, the more options are piling up in my head...Monday I'm envisioning myself on a beach in Phi Phi island, Tuesday hot air ballooning over the African savannah , Wednesday trekking the Inca trail in Peru, Thursday  on top of the Empire State building, Friday bungee jumping in Brisbane. Whittling this down to just once continent is going to be difficult never mind one country.

What now?

Now we've finally graduated University there is one question poised on everybody's lips... "What now?"
I've never been able to answer that question and I have a sneaking suspicion that I never really will be able to answer it properly. For some people it seems almost obvious, they have a great idea, a passion or a talent that they can follow into a career that's right for them, be it a doctor, a vet, a scientist, a writer, an artist, a lawyer or a dancer. But what if you've never had a great talent or indeed any talent, there's no one hobby or career that fills you with passion and your mind is empty when it comes to thinking of        the future? What then?

When asked "What do you want to do?" the first thing that comes to mind isn't a job, it's travel.

I love to travel. I love everything about travel, the crazy people you meet, the strange foods you try, the bewildering sights of every type be it from the top of a skyscraper or the top of a mountain.

So, what now? Now I'm going to travel and I'l find a way to make it into a job even if it's only for a little while...