THE TRAVELOGUE

@ THE TRAVEL ROOM

Leaving our lives behind...

Posted on Tuesday 15th November 2011

Here's a free piece of advice straight from The Travel Room. Use it as you will, but ignore it at your peril!

Dani and I took the large step of buying a very small and run down property some time ago and in our infinite wisdom we renovated it slower than any small mollusc could move. Thus with 30 days to go before we ran off on this our next installment of our world adventures we still had every major job to do on the flat and limited time and resources to do it... So off we went, spending 16 hours of each day plastering (80 kgs), painting (40 litres), laying flooring, retiling wet rooms, carpet laying etc etc etc... On this went for the entire month of October as the jobs mounted and our departure loomed.

Normally we would be very excited about our trip, but this time the stress and work rate was taking its toll. Very little fun is had standing 5 metres up a ladder installing coving in your properties entrance on your birthday, knowing you cant stop to at least smell the roses for the day.

So departure day arrives and with a 10pm flight to Hong Kong on the horizon, Dani is cleaning every surface like a crazy woman and Ted is grouting the bathroom. At 6pm the pin is pulled and Ted starts to pack. Nothing like leaving yourself plenty of time!

6.35pm and out the door we head, not without first performing the cathartic and occasionally distressing task of giving and throwing away most of our worldly goods. The local charity was extremely pleased and I guess our bin men slightly distressed.

So what is is the lesson so hard learnt that I feel we should share? Having gone so far off our favourite topic of travel?

Well if you do like us and put off till tomorrow what should be done today, then all I can say is stupid is as stupid does.. and you are currently reading the dimmest of wits ramblings now, be warned! So this obvious, but often ignored lesson? Carpe Diem!!!! (Or you too will have at least one regret in your life).

Oh and what happens when you pack with 30 minutes left? You end up with 3 pocket knives, an electrical adapter that only works in 1 country, 2 teddy bears and 3 long sleeve shirts for the 36 degrees it currently is in Sth East Asia and Australia where we are spending the next 3 months. This combined with a heavy coat means that the cleaning lady in Macau will be surprised to find half our wardrobe and assorted tat stuffed in the hotel waste bin....