Australia
Bangkok to Sydney

“I Thought you were coming home?”

After living the dream in Bali, I returned to Bangkok for a few weeks to reset and work out what came next.

In a quiet hotel room, I opened my notebook. That notebook had become a signal to me that another exciting adventure lay ahead.

The choice seemed simple: continue travelling through Southeast Asia, where the novelty was beginning to wear off, or fly home to Scotland and close this chapter of the adventure.
A few days later, coffee in hand, I sat people-watching and scrolling around Google Maps. That's when Australia caught my eye. Compared to the journey back to Scotland, it was practically next door. The idea grew quickly. If I wanted to visit Australia one day, why not now? I was already in the region. It would save money, cut down on travel time, and give me the chance to experience somewhere completely new.

The questions came thick and fast: Do I know anyone there? Where should I start? Sydney... that's the obvious choice, isn't it? I phoned my dad to update him of my cunning plan, he responded, “I thought you were coming home?”.

By the time the coffee was finished, so was the decision.

Sydney it was!

I arrived in Sydney and was surprised by how few Australians seemed to be living in the city. Having just spent nine months travelling through Southeast Asia, I was no stranger to multiculturalism, but I'd secretly expected to find Alf Stewart and the rest of the Home and Away gang around every corner.

I spent six weeks at Haymarket Hostel, finding my bearings and getting settled into city life. During that time, I purchased a set of wheels, a Honda Civic FD2 Sport in metallic blue, and threw myself into safety courses and certifications to improve my employment prospects. I was eager to sink my teeth into something meaningful. It had been a while since I'd properly challenged myself, and I was ready to put my brain back to work.

Weeks 7-12 was spent exploring, licking up the sun on Bondi, Manly and Coogee beaches, having cappuccinos which they shorten to “cap”, and arvo for afternoon!