My Unexpected Travel Journey!

It’s so fascinating to be able to explore this amazing world that we live in. Travelling is my passion. I LOVE IT! I feel as though whenever I am travelling, that’s when I am truly living my life to the fullest. I get a buzz catching a train in a new city and love wandering on some new streets as I figure my route.

I love that sensation when I’m relaxing on a balcony, sipping on a cocktail, and admiring all the lights from the skyline at this new town that I’m in. I get a thrill of excitement rushing through my body as I’m in wonder to discover what new memories this destination will grant me.

Throughout my travel experiences, I have realised that travelling is not only about taking pictures at famous tourist attractions. It’s about food, people, culture, how a destination makes you feel, and all the memories that you make along the way.

Although I may not have travelled everywhere but, from where I have travelled, I will be talking about one of my favourite destinations. The one and only: Australia (S’tralia).

I went to Australia in August 2013, and it was pretty much love at first sight! Before going to Australia, I was working at a university in the U.K. I’d catch the metro to work and do admin work all day. Then, as soon as I’d get home, I would make my lunch for the following day. I’d then spend the rest of the evening watching TV and would later go to sleep. On the weekends, I’d catch up with friends by going to a restaurant or cinema. I had a very simple life, but I’ve never really been that keen on simplicity. I liked my life; I just didn’t love it.

I felt as though people around me were simply living their lives as though they were ticking off items from some kind of shopping list. I found it difficult to connect with people, as the majority of them were simply concerned about making money. Of course, money is important; it just isn’t everything.

My contract was due to come to an end. Rather than finding another job and doing the usual 9-to-5 routine, I wanted something else from life. I was surrounded by people who were basically obeying the work, home, eat, and sleep schedule. I wanted to get away as far as possible from the streets that I was born on and leave my footprints elsewhere.

I had previously imagined that at that age I too would have achieved a similar lifestyle because, I guess, you could say that was the norm. I imagined myself having a graduate job, living in my own apartment, being engaged, and driving my own car. Guess what? I had none of that, and yet I knew that there was so much more to life than achieving these common principles. I had no passion or motivation to follow a norm and do what everybody else was doing. I wanted to do something that would satisfy my soul, not society. This is my life. I wanted to live in the present and make each moment count. I followed my heart and decided to create my own shopping list that was full of spice, adventure, and a ticket aboard!

I had already spent a year in America and was keen on going back there; however, life had other plans for me, and instead I went to Australia. It was one heck of an experience that was filled with fun, food, and friends. I can honestly say it was by far one of the best experiences of my life and this article will tell you why.

I was offered a job on the breath-taking Hayman Island at the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland:

Now, as flattering as all of these pictures are, you really need to be there in person to experience the real beauty of this place. Even I was gobsmacked when I saw that I would be working here. It did however take me almost 3 days to get there.

Whenever I have arrived at any other destination, just like anyone else, the first thing that I would do as I come out of the airport is to get a taxi, but this was not the case here. I arrived at Hamilton Island Airport, which is the only airport that is based at the Great Barrier Reef. I would then need to make my way to Hayman Island via a yacht!

As soon as I got out of the airport and stood at the dock, the first thing that I noticed was all the deep blue shades of the ocean as the waves were curving. It was as though Australia was welcoming me with open arms. I realised that I had truly landed on my feet. I remember at that very point I said to myself that I would very easily do that almost 3-day journey all over again just to view this intriguing ocean again. 

As I sat on the yacht, I met several other people who, like myself, had come to explore this part of Australia. After a few minutes of getting to know one another, I went and stood at the deck of the yacht to release some of my jet lag. As I was looking at the ocean, I saw several dolphins for the very first time. It was surreal, as I have always loved dolphins. As I was cherishing this view, I instantly started to appreciate being surrounded by nature rather than my usual city destinations. I hadn’t even landed on the island but was already feeling inspired and positive that I made the right choice by coming here. Although I chose Australia for my escapade, it felt more like Australia chose me.

Living on the island meant that staff like me could go to the beach on my break (now that’s something that a girl from the U.K. doesn’t get to say often!) I would never have imagined that my first ever visit to the beach would end up being all the way in Australia on an island! I no longer needed to be concerned about public transport as I lived in the staff village, and this was around a 5-minute walk to work. The staff village had a pool and a gym. We also had our own diner, which served a buffet for breakfast/lunch/dinner, which meant that I didn’t need to cook for months. We even had our own store that served snacks, fresh smoothies, and general home goods. The weather was beautiful and got rid of my usually dry and flaky skin. My flared eczema had pretty much disappeared, and I now had a glowing complexion. This now meant that I didn’t always need to do my makeup to feel confident about my skin.

Like myself, there were people from all around the world (including other parts of Australia) that had come to work on this exotic island. It felt so good to be surrounded by like-minded people who were passionate about traveling. Usually, whenever I would meet someone new, I would feel a bit uneasy because the majority of the time they would ask personal and inappropriate questions. This always made me feel a bit anxious, as I wasn’t comfortable sharing personal topics with someone I hardly knew. However, I never experienced that kind of awkwardness as I was settling in. We all got to know more about one another and talked about food, music, movies, family, travel, language, culture, etc. A connection and trust easily developed. I was excited to find out what more inspiration I was yet to encounter at this new place I called home.

I had to get used to the Australian accent and slang words, as certain phrases made me raise my eyebrows. If you ever do go to Australia (which I really hope you do), I am sure this will help:

I have had some of the most exquisite desserts during my time at Hayman Island. Me and my best friend Hakki (I nicknamed him Turkish delight because he’s Turkish and very good-looking!) went to some of the restaurants on the island. One was called The Oriental, and we ordered the famous chocolate fortune cookie. It had the smoothest chocolate-flavoured mousse that I have ever tasted and is covered with a giant crunchy fortune cookie at the top with some strawberries on the side. It may sound simple, but it’s a fun and moreish dessert. After our meal, me and Hakki went to the beach and lay on the sand whilst overlooking a sapphire moonlight. We gave each other a bet on who would finish counting all of the stars first. We were both eager to come first, and as we were counting, we kept on distracting one another by saying how delicious our dessert was. It was one of the best nights that I had in Oz.

La Fontaine, a fine dining restaurant, served a deconstructed cheesecake with citrus fruit, which was my other favourite dessert. This is a luxurious dessert, and every spoonful that I had was an absolute delight. I have never had cream cheese that melted so quickly in my mouth. All the flavours are perfectly balanced, and this is by far the best cheesecake that I have ever had. The presentation is simply a work of art and has been created by a genius. I am yet to find something that tastes and looks as good as either one of these desserts.

To make sure that I was making the most of my trip and exploring as much as I could, on my days off I would sometimes go to Airlie Beach to do a bit of shopping, visit some cafes, and even have McDonald’s. This was my first ever trip to Australia, and although I didn’t know anyone, I didn’t really feel alone. I just felt free, independent, and happy. Life was good. Really good! 

Along with all these benefits, I have also worked with some lovely colleagues who are now pretty much lifelong friends. There’s an even more special memory that I have whilst I was on Hayman Island. It was December, and if I were in the U.K., it would have been winter, where it’s freezing cold and snowing. I would have had to make sure that I was constantly moisturising my skin to tackle my dry skin and eczema, and I would have been busy preparing for Christmas. I was now in Australia on a beautiful island surrounded by nature at its best. I no longer had to deal with the brittle winter and everything else that came with it, as it was in fact summer in Australia. December became even more memorable for me, as this is when I took a helicopter tour. Didn’t I say life was good? 

Me and two of my friends who were also from the U.K. did the ‘best of both worlds’ tour, which took us to various parts of the Great Barrier Reef, and we also stopped at Whitehaven Beach, which has the whitest and purest sand in the entire world. I even brought a little of the sand back with me, and it still feels as soft as baby powder, if not more. This is where I witnessed the authentic beauty of Australia. It was spectacular. I was overwhelmed to see how beautiful this world is that we live in and how fortunate I am to be able to experience a part of this natural beauty. The colour of the ocean was a deep turquoise, and no matter how much I kept on looking at this beautiful ocean, I just couldn’t get enough of it. We overlooked so many parts of the gorgeous reef and even saw the famous reef that is in the shape of a heart.

After working on the island for a few months, I decided that, as I had explored the nature part of Australia, I now wanted to explore the city life and decided to go to none other than Melbourne.

I came to Melbourne at the end of December 2013 with Hakki. We were both staying at a friend’s apartment in Docklands. We were both carefree and enjoyed every moment together. We toured all around the city, and it was a perfect start to the New Year. We went to Luna Park, St. Kilda’s Beach, Crown Melbourne, Flinders Street Railway Station, Fed Square, Chinatown, Princes Bridge, Melbourne Central Shopping Centre, and much more!

For seven years running, Melbourne has been recognised as the most liveable city in the entire world. For me, Melbourne is not just the most liveable city; it is the most lovable city!

The very first thing that I noticed and loved about this city was the variety of different food cuisines. It was incredible, and we were truly spoilt for choice when making a decision of where to dine. It has a fantastic transport system for the public and was easy to get from one place to another. I’d see many people sharing their art skills on the streets of Melbourne, and this always made me stop admiring their outstanding work. I had never seen so many people from all kinds of different backgrounds all in one location. Coffee had never tasted so good from every single place that we went to, including 711. A lot of people were into health and fitness, and it felt so good seeing sun-kissed hot men in shorts and sleeveless tops doing a workout in the streets or parks. It was always difficult for me not to admire their muscles. If they ever noticed me checking them out, they would give me a smile or, if I was really lucky, I’d get a wink.

It was a really clean city and had many big buildings to be fond of. I loved my life as I was discovering this new town with my best friend. Every day was filled with laughter and excitement. We got to know more about each other every day, and our friendship got stronger every step of the way.

You must be thinking, What is so special and different about Melbourne from any other city? Now I know that all these things are available in any other city, but the only true way for me to truly describe how amazing this city really is is just like the famous Australian movie ‘The Castle’; it’s simply just ‘the vibe’. Melbourne has a unique vibe that can’t be compared to another! The more I explored this city, the more I loved each and every part of it!

I decided that I wanted to stay in Melbourne and find work, whereas Hakki decided that he wanted to travel and explore other parts of Australia. We had both moved out of our friend’s apartment so that we could focus on our next voyage. I had moved to Richmond, which was about 10-15 minutes away from the city by metro. Hakki was staying in and out of hostels all over Australia.

One day I was out with a few friends who, like myself, had moved from Hayman Island to Melbourne. We all decided to get some hot drinks and went to a posh hotel called ‘The Westin’ on Collins Street. We were chilling in the lounge, and as we were waiting for the drinks to arrive, my concentration went all around the lobby as I noticed how pristine the place was. There was a light and refreshing smell of jasmine in the air. There was a big bunch of white and yellow roses in a vase opposite me that would lift anyone’s mood. All members of staff smiled at us as they walked past. There was a beautiful staircase in the lobby that was slightly twirled with a bright purple carpet and made me wonder how glorious the upstairs looked like. There was a concierge desk and other desks for guests to check-in and out of the hotel. While I was taking all of this in, I said to myself, ‘I would love to work here.’

I had spent the majority of January touring all around the city and catching up with friends. During February, I had settled into my new accommodation and was applying for work. It was a difficult time as I wasn’t getting any responses for a job. Although I did have money saved up from Hayman, this was slipping away with rent and food. Before I was left with nothing at all, I made the decision to come back to the U.K.

It was Monday, and before I could change my mind, I went to the travel agent in the morning and booked my flight home. My flight was scheduled for the following Monday. I was mixed with emotions as I was walking back to my apartment, which I thought would no longer be mine. I started thinking about all the things that I would need to do before I left Australia. I felt sad that my journey in Australia was coming to an end so soon, but at the same time, I had a bit of relief knowing that I no longer needed to be stressed out about applying for work. While all of these thoughts were wandering in my head, all of a sudden I heard my phone ringing. I didn’t recognise the number. I answered the call, and it was a lady that was talking about my CV. She asked me to attend an interview on Wednesday. This was totally unexpected yet so wonderful. Seriously, I thought life? You’ve got to be kidding me! Talk about wrong timing, or was it perfect timing? I said yes, and then as soon as I got home, I spent a few hours preparing for the interview and looking up the company profile, and then in the evening I was packing my suitcase. I really didn’t know what to think about. I was excited and nervous, but at the same time, I prepared myself for the worst, as I really didn’t know what to expect.

Wednesday was finally here. I woke up early, took a shower, and had some breakfast. Had a quick read through my notes for the interview, and then took a metro and made my way to the building. I had arrived early as you’re supposed to for an interview, and as I was waiting in the lobby, I noticed there was a pitcher that was filled with water, ice cubes, and slices of lemon and lime. It was very refreshing. I had two glasses to calm my nerves. I wanted more as it tasted so good but hesitated in case I needed to use the restroom during my interview. I was then called for the interview. I always give a handshake before and after the interview and was glad that I remembered this gesture even though my head was a bit all over the place. I answered everything with a smile and was confident about my responses. I had informed them that I had booked my flight home. I asked them to contact me by Friday because if I was successful, I would need to get in touch with the travel agent to amend the date for my flight.

Friday was here. I woke up early and had breakfast. I was chilling in my room and replying to some emails on my laptop. It was just after 10 a.m., and my phone was ringing. I recognised the number, and this was the same number that had called me for an interview. They offered me the job! I was in shock. I could not believe that after two months of being unemployed, I had now found a job that would allow me to stay in Melbourne for another 6 months. I was completely overjoyed. The most interesting fact about this was that this job was at ‘The Westin,’ the same place where I said to myself, ‘I would love to work here.’ This was definitely a form of the law of attraction that I will never forget!

I did a quick dance as though I was playing the guitar from a rock band and did a few jumps on the bed! I then made my way to the travel agent with a spring in my step and felt just like Jim Carrey from Bruce Almighty when he mimes ‘I’ve got the power’. I was hyped up, full of energy and enthusiasm, and I could not stop smiling. In just a moment, my life took a completely new turn, and I was ecstatic to start this new chapter of my life in my favourite city. Life was great!

Similar to Hayman, there were people from all around the world that I got to work with. They were all absolutely amazing, and we all got along extremely well. Strangers quickly became friends, and colleagues cared for me as though I was family. I felt as though some of the friends that I had in the U.K. would just speak, but my best friends in Australia were listening.

We would often meet up before or after work to get to know more about one another and go to as many restaurants and cafes as we possibly could, and none of them ever disappointed us! We also organised day trips to some of the popular tourist attractions, such as the Melbourne Star, Phillip Island, and the Sealife Melbourne Aquarium.

I did not want to leave Australia without going to ‘The Neighbours Tour’. I had watched this show a lot as I was growing up. My colleague was kind enough to join me. I met the lovely Dr. Karl:

Another place that I really wanted to go to before leaving Australia was the Opera House in Sydney. They say that you haven’t really been to Australia if you haven’t been to the Opera House, and I really wanted to go there. Hakki messaged me to say that he will be in Sydney for a few days. I requested some time off from work. I booked my ticket to Sydney for $50 and was staying at a 5-star hotel at a very cheap rate. We eagerly made our way to the Opera House. As we were walking, we heard some fireworks and then saw them shooting above the Opera House. We had a great view when we got there and sat on a bench. We saw all the bright lights from the fireworks mirroring in the sea as they were shooting up in the sky. It all looked so magical. The Opera House was even more beautiful than I had imagined it to be. I could not have been happier to have witnessed this spectacular experience with the perfect company of my best friend. We were then eager to see the Opera House in daylight, and when we did, it was even more beautiful.

My birthday was approaching, and me and my best friend Micaela (Micaela also worked at The Westin, and we quickly became best friends) decided to treat ourselves and have a few girly days by staying in a fancy hotel called ‘The Langham’. This is by far one of the most elegant and beautiful hotels that I have ever stayed at. As we first walked into the hotel, we both at the exact same time said ‘WOW’ as we were both blown away by how immaculate and luxurious this place looked. I still remember the amber fragrance from the entrance as soon as we walked in. There were big, pretty bunches of light pink roses in stylish glass vases throughout the lobby that would make anyone smile. There was also a remarkable large marble water fountain at the centre of the lobby. Rather than checking in, we first took a load of selfies around all of the classy furnishings in the lobby.

We had a big and comfortable room with a view of the Melbourne skyline. The en suite included a marble shower and a marble bath. We had access to the lounge and were overlooking a spectacular view of the beautiful Yarra River whenever we had breakfast or canapés with champagne. The restaurant had several food options, and we were spoilt for choice yet again.

We were both gutted when we were leaving, as we had such a pleasant and relaxing time during our visit. The manager approached me as I was leaving, and I told her that we had the best time ever and we will really miss our stay here. She then very kindly picked out a big beautiful light pink rose from one of the bouquets in the lobby and wrapped this in some light pink tissue paper and gave me something extra to remember my trip by. She said that this was a small thank you for choosing to stay at The Langham for my birthday. I was overwhelmed by this kind gesture and was certainly treated like royalty even when we were leaving. Micaela said that I could keep the rose forever by placing this in a book. It worked, and I still have it!

August came sooner than expected, and my visa was due to end, which meant it was time for me to depart from Australia! As well as souvenirs, I was also going home with a new accent.

I remember when I first moved into my new accommodation in Richmond there was a bookshelf near the lobby, and that was one of the first things that caught my eye as I was making my way to my room. My landlord had noticed that I had an interest in this and said that I was free to take any books anytime as a lot of the books were from people that had previously stayed here. I love reading, and I had even brought a book with me from the U.K. The book was called ‘A Handful of Silver’ by Meg Hutchinson. I would often read this book after completing job applications all day and felt good to put my mind elsewhere. I had already finished the book a month later after I started work at The Westin and had forgotten it even existed until I was packing. It was a book that kept me optimistic as it was about a woman who kept on staying strong no matter how many struggles life threw at her. It was a memorable book, and I decided to leave my own memory of where I was staying by leaving the book on the bookshelf. I wrote a message on the first page of the book that said, ‘This book helped me stay optimistic, and I hope it does the same for you. I signed and dated the book with my room number. I wonder if anyone has read it.

As much as I loved my time in Australia, I did have the rare occasion where I missed the small things from the U.K., such as chocolate, Heinz baked beans, and even Greggs. I did manage to find a substitute, though. For Greggs, there is a famous place called Pie Face that I would highly recommend. For chocolate, I would suggest Haigh’s; it’s delicious. A lot of supermarkets have an international section, and I would find a lot of things from the U.K., such as Robinsons Drinks, Wispa Chocolate Bars, and Heinz Baked Beans. I always managed to find something in the Coles supermarket.

Australia even made me become more open with food choices, as I have always been rather picky with food. I was encouraged to try new foods and flavours such as avocado, salted caramel, and dark hocolate. Usually, if anyone would ever offer me any of these foods or flavours, I would automatically decline without even tasting them. I just assumed that I would not like them, but as soon as I did try them, I was hooked! From someone who never ate avocados, I now have them at least 3 times a week. When I’m browsing a bakery section, I always look for a salted caramel flavour. When craving chocolate, I tend to buy dark chocolate.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, destinations are about how they make you feel. Australia has made me feel alive more than ever, brought out a lot of confidence in me, and has made me feel happy and loved for exactly who I am.

I was comfortable being so far away from home because the people that I met in Australia were open-minded, chilled out, fun, and blissful. I was surrounded by people who would praise me for my bravery as a woman who travelled across from the other side of the world to live in a completely new country without even knowing anyone. I took this step because my life in the U.K. just seemed to be dull and there was something missing in my life. I found that missing part in Australia. Somewhere along those beaches, streets, friendships, tourist attractions…I found myself! As I was on the plane reminiscing about my year in Australia, I realised that I became so confident about myself, my life, my choices, my sense of humour, my style, even my voice. For the first time in my life, I loved being who I am. I was surrounded by so much love and kindness when I was in Australia. I guess that’s what we all as humans want in life: love and kindness. Whether this was from friends who are now pretty much like family, colleagues who were genuinely caring about my well-being, strangers in the streets giving me a smile, conductors on the metro always wishing me a great day, or waiters always complimenting my eyes, Australia filled me with so much love and kindness! Australia felt like a new home that gifted me eternal love, friendships, and adventure in return for following my dreams. My experience could not have gone any better. Although I was extremely sad that my adventure in Australia had come to an end, I realised that I had a completely new attitude that was filled with confidence and gratitude. I was excited to find out what the future looks like for the new me. This new attitude of mine has attracted better friends, increased my positivity, encouraged me to inspire others, and I’ve become a more fun person to be around. I guess the saying is true; the unexpected journeys really do turn out to be the best ones.

Thank you, S’tralia! You’re my wonder wall.