I think the best piece of advice that I’ve read about writing from numerous sources is to keep on doing it. Don’t stop. Even when you feel you have nothing to write about write something. I think when I originally started writing a blog way back, after year 12 before uni started and I had three months off, I really wrote because I wanted something to record my daily comings and goings. Reading those old entries nowadays just makes me cringe. They just seem to be so silly and pointless, I suppose as I’ve gotten older reading it just reminds me how carefree I used to be. The only things that bothered me were when the next assignment or exam was. Studying was the number one priority (well it was meant to be -_-“). I also hated the writing style of my old entries. I do think that as we get older the way we write changes, maybe it’s just that our perspective of the world changes and is thus reflected in how we express ourselves.

But reading old entries makes me reflect on what I used to consider important, what kind of concerns I used to have, who I was. Certainly a lot has changed but it reminds me that even as we grow up everything we used to value even if we no longer do has shaped part of who we are. I’m glad that I have it, it’s a time capsule of who I am reminding me how much I’ve changed or in some ways how much I’ve stayed the same.

I remember a friend once told me when I first started blogging that my blog was boring and back then I remember feeling kind of offended. Now getting that same comment would probably make me smile, after all writing a blog entry is just something for me to help me remember what I thought at that one point in time, maybe those thoughts are boring – that’s fine, their mine and for that one moment in time I chose to record them. When I read it next maybe many years down the track I will look back on that entry and remember why I thought that and what happened to make me think that. Every blog entry is like a memory in case your own ever gets a bit rusty .

“Write your story as it needs to be written. Write it honestly, and tell it as best you can. I'm not sure that there are any other rules. Not ones that matter.” – Neil Gaiman

Every person has a different idea of what they consider valuable. I was having a discussion with some friends talking about going travelling. I would rather spend my hard earned cash on a trip overseas while some of my friends would rather save up for a big ticket item i.e. car, laptop, bag etc. They just didn’t value travel as much.

I can’t possibly fathom the idea of someone who doesn’t like travelling. But thinking about it I have actually met people who just don’t like it. They have no desire to go see the world and are content to stay where they are. Nothing wrong with that at all, I just absolutely love it. I don’t know when I exactly fell in love with travelling but I do know I couldn’t possibly imagine not going travelling. The world is a big place so full of things that we can discover. Whenever I think of travelling I am reminded of this quote from St. Augustine, “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” It probably appeals to me even more because I happen to love reading too.  I always think of how true that quote is – a book tells a story but if you only read one page you have no idea what the whole book is about. Travelling the world helps you gain a better understanding of the world and life and how we relate to the people around us. So what exactly inspires wanderlust in me, why do I love travelling?

1. Sightseeing – I know there are actually a lot of travellers who actually don’t enjoy sightseeing but I love it. Part of the reason I travel is to go see those far-flung and iconic places you only see in the movies or on the television. Sure they may be tourist traps but I love it nonetheless. There’s a reason these places are so famous – they’re amazing!

The Eiffel Tower is totally worth the long lines and heaps of tourists :)

2. Trying new food – I love eating and I love going to all the places around the world and just sampling the different cuisines. Every country has its own specialties and they all taste so different. Pasta in Italy, BBQ in Korea, hawker food in Malaysia, burgers in USA are only some that I’ve tried, there are so many more. Sure you can find the food here in Australia but nothing tastes better than having a meal from the place it originated – there’s something special about eating and being surrounded by the people and culture related to that particular dish.

Amazing handmade pasta in Bologna (not the birthplace of bolognaise - FYI)

3. Break from routine – in everyday life there’s a routine, whether you’re studying or working, life follows a cycle, you wake up go to work or uni/school, come home eat, maybe go out or stay in, sleep and the day begins again. Travel allows you to just take a break from daily life, everyday there is something different to do or see or experience. No fixed schedule it’s just a constant state of thinking “What will tomorrow bring?” I love that feeling of no expectation of what the next day will bring but rather a sense of wonder and hope of all the possibilities.

It's not everyday we get to celebrate Mum's birthday on top of the Seattle Space Needle!

4. Discovering the good in people – travelling isn’t always a smooth journey, you’re bound to get lost or get into some sort of trouble. But the great thing about the world and people in it is from what I have seen on all my trips and what I’ve always believed is that people in general are inherently good. They will go that extra mile to help you out especially if they see you are a traveller. I know that many people say to be cautious when travelling and I agree, don’t just go about trusting every person you meet, but I don’t think you should be so careful that you won’t even ask for help when you need it.

The portrait artist offered to do Dad's portrait for free after he did mine - such a nice guy!

5. Meeting new people – it’s always great to make new friends even in every day life. Even more fun to make friends with people from other countries and cultures there is so much that can be learned from them and they make the best tour guides, after all they speak the language and know all the good places to go. And more often than not you make friends that will last you for life.

Made lots of new friends at the ICYC in Korea - awesome times!

6. Memories – I remember every trip I’ve been on and on each there are moments that every time I recall them they make me laugh. I wouldn’t trade those memories for anything in the world. Sure there are memories here at home but it’s not the same. When you think of somewhere you’ve been you immediately think of that particular incident and it brings a smile to your face. Going on those trips guarantee you with experiences you’ll never forget i.e. eating terrible KFC at Niagara Falls, Dad getting chased by dogs on Mt Pilatus, getting stuck in Verona train station overnight. Each of these memories are so firmly fixed in my memory that even when I get older I think I’ll still recall them to regale my grandkids with.

Nob and I after going on the Mt Everest rollercoaster - Mum and Dad decided to go on it too - Mum got really angry after - it was hilarious :P

Every couple of months I get the travel bug and feel the need to go on a trip to see some far off place. The idea of taking off a year and going on a Round-The-World trip actually really appeals to me but as much as I would love to it’s just not a practical thing to do right now. Maybe somewhere down the track I’ll be able to do it. Right now I am content to just go on a trip every six months or so and spend my free time living vicariously through the other travel blogs and seeing their amazing pictures and stories as they make their way around the world.

One day. One day. In the words of Susan Sontag “I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.”

So I just started working at Main Roads about two months ago now – anyways as there were a number of new graduates they sent us questions to answer to publish our graduate profiles. Pretty standard stuff – what I found interesting and made me laugh about my own.

So this is what came out in the newsletter (horrible picture I know -.-“) – note the red box.

This is what I actually wrote when I emailed my answers.

So that made me laugh firstly because they described me as philosophical – which I don’t particularly think I am. Secondly, it made me wonder why they didn’t write down what I wrote in regards to where I found myself in five years. They were willing to put in that one of my five passions was God but when I actually put down a verse and talked more in depth about my faith they chose to say instead that I was ‘philosophical about my future’.

Is this a comment on society that we have become so sensitive about what other people think that we can’t even talk openly about our faith in a company newsletter? Especially when they would be quoting me an employee rather than professing their own opinion, maybe they thought by quoting me and publishing it they would be agreeing with me? It just really made me think more than anything else. When I had written the answer it had gone through my mind that they may not publish it but I was surprised they used the term philosophical. Which begs the question are religion and philosophy the same?

Is being religious the same as being philosophical? It’s a hard one to discuss as there are two views about it: that they are the same or that they are inherently different. Some people point out that both deal with the meaning of life, existence, good vs. evil and so on. However where I think they differ greatly is that religion deals with belief and faith while philosophy is about knowledge and reason. It’s my faith that sets me aparts making me religious but not philosophical, then again I suppose I could be philosophical about my religious views. Anyways that’s why I wouldn’t say I was ‘philosophical about my future’. It just doesn’t seem to be in the same spirit as my answer it just was interesting is all and really made me think – not necessarily a good thing .