Australia - The Beginning

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A month and a half ago I set out on a journey of a lifetime. A spur of the moment, jump in the deep end sort of journey, totally unplanned with really not much thought going into it.
Originally I had my place confirmed at Southampton University to study English Literature and History, something I felt I was doing for the sake of doing it. My summer 2012 was the most enjoyable of my life, having traveled to Greece with school friends, Spain to the Pamplona Bull festival (and no, I did not run and will never run), then Italy with the family, followed by a flight back to Greece for a bit of Island hopping, alone, and finally Berlin, just to travel some more. All this traveling was very unplanned which is what made it all the more exciting and adventurous, and is probably the main cause of my sudden interest in taking a gap year. After receiving my A Level results I suddenly felt no need in attending University, I wanted to see the world, get away (and actually, I wanted to be different). I think so many schools push their students to go to University without giving their pupils enough time to really think about all the options. Everyone I knew was going to Uni, and most of them going only to study further into the subjects they'd done at A Level, because that was the easiest thing. That's the only reason I'd chosen to study English and History, because I didn't know what other course to do.
So with my sudden curiosity to travel and the feeling of doubt in my mind I deferred my entry in order to give myself time to think. Now, as soon as it was confirmed that I'd deferred my entry I felt a sense of relief and a freedom that I'd never really felt before having been studying for the majority of my life. So that was it, the beginning of my freedom to do whatever I want, whenever I want. With my Dad's life moto in mind: Do what you want to do, and fuck the rest of them, I booked a flight to Australia.
A week and a half later I was on a flight, feeling slightly anxious, but surprisingly calm. I think for most of the journey I was in shock and possibly too numb to even feel any sort of fear, but there I was, venturing out into the unknown, on a journey of a lifetime, alone.

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