I have been considering creating a blog to document my travels for some time now, even though I’ve been journaling every single experience, thought, and feeling, they aren't something I’m currently willing to share in the raw form. After all, that would be giving you an uncensored ‘in’ to my mind. I don’t know many people willing to do that. Though I do want this blog to be real, authentic and offer a true insight into the world of backpacking, there are too many online resources that glamourise the entire experience essentially only sharing the highlights. I mean, it's an experience with wonderful highs and pinch me moments, extreme lows and things that go so wrong but there's also the small moments that will take your breath away, inspire you and force you to live in the now; I like to call these my “this is what I’m travelling for” moments.
During our (I'm travelling with my long-time friend Shannon) first two days of travel, something Dad said stuck with me and I find myself reflecting on it when things aren’t going to plan, I guess you could say it’s a kind of comfort blanket
“Even shit hotels and stinky jumpers are experience, I don’t just want to see the nice parts”.
I love this. Travel, particularly backpacking, isn't all picturesque moments. I was so grateful to hear this so early on because all of it, the good and the bad are experiences that will shape this trip, and shape me. I'm starting this blog with this in mind, sharing my reality of backpacking.
Let’s take a step back to just before it was time to embark on 3 months of travel…
I’m not going to lie, just before jetting off on the trip of a lifetime, my documented thoughts were
“Flights are booked but the step is yet to be taken
What if I miss out on things happening at home? What if I give everything up and end up coming home to nothing? Missed job opportunities, a degree wasted? What if everything changes? What if I don’t enjoy it? What if things go wrong? What if I run out of money? What if it’s the wrong decision?
Thoughts. What ifs. Always there. Always doubting.
Booking the flight is essentially the easy part (if you get a travel agent to book the logistics like I did), it’s having the courage to go through with the plans that is the hard part.
Do you have a burning desire to travel but also love the life you’re currently living? That’s me. I fell in love with the life I was fortunate to live this summer (my flights were booked long before this), now I’m hesitant to go. How so entitled and unappreciative.”
Okay, we’re now 7 weeks in (totally flown in but it also feels like forever??), so let me catch you up. It took us two days to get from Dublin to our first destination: Bali. Since then, we have been to The Gili Islands (Gili Trawangan and Gili Air), Vietnam and now, Thailand.
I’ll document my experiences travelling these countries one by one by combining excerpts from my journal entries, captured moments and reflecting from today.
It’s only right that I start with departing for Bali, but until then, well, you’ll just have to wait.
Chloe
An collection of photos to keep you going:
As long as your are dry And fed, nothing else matters.
Live in the moment!
Awesome Chloe! Enjoying your Facebook updates and looking forward to your next blog. Praying f0r y0u every night kiddo! Billy.
Really enjoying this Chloe! Thank you so much xxx
Love it! Especially that it's the real experience not just the best bits... Really looking forward to reading more 😀
Love it!! Can’t wait for the next one.