My Great Adventure: The Beginning

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My First Blog by Hollie aged 23 and 1/4.

After months of wistful dreaming and not a lot of planning I am just a few hours away from beginning my Great Adventure. I am setting off to Japan to feed my curiosity, to Australia to fulfil a life's wish and to New Zealand to take in the view.

I first went travelling in 2006. After finishing my three year degree at Cardiff University and wasting the following summer watching daytime television and internet surfing, I set off for five weeks with my good friend Lindsay. With our inter-rail tickets in hand we spent an amazing time visiting cities across Western Europe. For me the travel bug was well and truly hatched.

The plan of moving out of the family home and getting a proper career (dum dum dum) quickly flew out of the window! A temporary Christmas stint at a book store and a year as a receptionist in a local mechanics later I had enough money saved to explore more of the world.

So the backpack has been dragged out of the garage, bringing with it all that backpacks do: the knowledge that soon I will be out on the road again, experiencing, living, but also the memories of completely hating that bloody heavy thing!

I have had the farewell lunches, dinners and night out. I have said the hard goodbyes to my friends and family. Now I'm off! And I can't wait.

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Photos

This is me now
Wrapped up warm at the beach, a few days before Christmas.

The family
My mum, dad, three brothers and sausage dog Tess at one of Devon's beautiful beaches on Boxing Day.

The place that hatched the bug
Budapest: probably the most beautiful place I have seen.

Trevi Fountain
My favourite tourist spot: This is Lindsay and I in the midst of our European Adventure.

So long, farewell...
The girls rally around to say goodbye

Comments

[Bob]

Bob
Bob is nice. Bob is strange. Bob the Australian is weird! You're famous on Google! Just googling you brought up your travel blog! Whoopie! Think I'll start my own