When I was 15 I lived in Turin, Italy for 6 months with the lovely Cappone (not related to Al) Family - where I caught the interminable travel bug.
A quick (a month - 'quick' by my standards) trip to the U S of A the same year. Then, a little later, a much anticipated return to Cambodia with no plans and my two favourite and crazy yanky boys. We lived there for 3 months, riding motorbikes to one-horse-towns finding their cars they'd left strewn across Cambodia in 2008.
Then to Laos and Thailand again briefly from where I decided I wasn't done and bought a ticket leaving in 2 days to Central America...
Back up to Washington DC for the summer of lake baths, fire-bottom-bugged barbeques and balmy nights at Local 16.
My aforementioned favourite and crazy yanky boys led me to take part in their incredible adventure. Driving from Berlin (FIFA world cup 2006) to Cape Town (FIFA world cup 2011) with World Cup Trek. The trip was in effort to raise funds and awareness for those affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa, so deciding to partake only a week before leaving, I organised a fundraising event and packed my bag. We had crappy cars (but artfully decorated), I had to learn how to drive stick (rather quickly I might add), drive on the right hand side of the road and that was only Europe...Africa was a whole 'nother kettle o' fish...
Check out their company's website Nomadic Nation - they're impressive guys!
In short, visas issues kept us in Kinshasa, DRC for about 2 weeks during which time my passport was stolen which resulted in me having to fly South Africa where I was not welcomed by immigration but thrown in jail for the night instead. After a few phone calls my sleepless parents found me and a few more phone calls later I was deported back to Sydney. Don't believe me? I have the jail ink to prove it (no...I don't really, but I do have the mugshot)
Where to next...who knows, but I can't wait!!!
My hungry bug next took me to South East Asia - Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand where I fell in love with Cambodia & the boy I met there...
A quick (a month - 'quick' by my standards) trip to the U S of A the same year. Then, a little later, a much anticipated return to Cambodia with no plans and my two favourite and crazy yanky boys. We lived there for 3 months, riding motorbikes to one-horse-towns finding their cars they'd left strewn across Cambodia in 2008.
Traveling solo this time I savoured the moment of culture shock when wandering around Managua my first night to find a...how to describe it...a 'latino mardi gras-esk salsa parade'! 'Awesome' is the best way to describe my time in Nicaragua (where I met the lovely German Elena who I ended up traveling with the rest of the way), hitching a ride to Honduras (an eventful time to say the least), riding a chicken bus to El Salvador and finally finishing (unfortunately as the bird flu pandemic was rife in Mexico & Belize) in the spectacular Guatemala.
Back up to Washington DC for the summer of lake baths, fire-bottom-bugged barbeques and balmy nights at Local 16.
My aforementioned favourite and crazy yanky boys led me to take part in their incredible adventure. Driving from Berlin (FIFA world cup 2006) to Cape Town (FIFA world cup 2011) with World Cup Trek. The trip was in effort to raise funds and awareness for those affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa, so deciding to partake only a week before leaving, I organised a fundraising event and packed my bag. We had crappy cars (but artfully decorated), I had to learn how to drive stick (rather quickly I might add), drive on the right hand side of the road and that was only Europe...Africa was a whole 'nother kettle o' fish...
Check out their company's website Nomadic Nation - they're impressive guys!
In short, visas issues kept us in Kinshasa, DRC for about 2 weeks during which time my passport was stolen which resulted in me having to fly South Africa where I was not welcomed by immigration but thrown in jail for the night instead. After a few phone calls my sleepless parents found me and a few more phone calls later I was deported back to Sydney. Don't believe me? I have the jail ink to prove it (no...I don't really, but I do have the mugshot)
Where to next...who knows, but I can't wait!!!
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