Travel plans.. sort of

So here it is, the big reveal - the travel plans! Only, they aren't exactly plans. More like a rough outline - a guide. Actually, to be honest more like a idea.. But I've chosen the continent at least! 

Iiiiiitttttttt'ssssss Asia!

Instead of boring everyone to death with a long and arduous explanation of my trip, here is a cool google map neatly summing everything up. It is a sort of connect-a-dot: just follow the path of giant blue pins. Satisfies the nerd in everyone!

Annnd here are some photos for inspiration, enjoy:

Sorry that was a tad excessive! It's like travel porn..

Where in the world?

Where in the world do I want to go?

This is FAR too broad of a question, and my answer will always be: EVERYWHERE! Narrowing down a realistic travel destination for the Christmas break was always going to be difficult, and it is proving to be just that. The Trans-Siberian express through China, Mongolia and Russia? Or travel from Eastern Europe from Turkey to Czech Republic? How about a road trip through America!? The world has to many options to fit into a uni break!

I've narrowed it down, sort of, to Asia, which leaves a lot of options and far too many decisions. Once you decide on a destination, I feel as though it becomes even harder to agree on an actual travel plan. Australia is so removed and far away from the world that leaving it seems like a huge task. However comparatively, so many other countries are within weekend-trip-distance. This makes narrowing down destinations impossible! A quick train ride to the left, or a jet to the right, and you're in another country - which is surely a novelty to any Australian.

Time travels far too quickly, and I need to make a decision! I've given myself just one week - my travel plans will be up in detail in one week! Can't wait to find out where I'm going..

Flights: Booked! Plans: not made..

I booked my flight!

I knew I was going to travel somewhere these Christmas holidays, but no travel plans really seem set until the flight is booked. It's such a rush! Concreting plans, making dreams a reality. The feeling of accomplishing something, of knowing your plans will happen and of anticipation is incredible. But then, and perhaps this is just me, I always feel a bit anti-climatic. Flights have been booked, destinations chosen, rough travel plans nutted out....and then there is nothing more to do than wait..

As a child my mother always told me, "waiting is the best part, the anticipation makes everything more exciting." Somehow, I never believed her. I wanted everything now - why wait in anticipation when you could have it right now! Surely the joy of having something was far more than the waiting for it? Except, it turns out she was right, waiting makes finally getting something far more exciting. 

So now all I have to do is wait... At least my flights are booked! 

Will you be... my... travel partner??

Travel partners are a lot like gold - hard to come by, but once you find one they are priceless. Right? Maybe it's just me, but my travel plans get completely out of control the second I start planning. I mentioned this a few posts ago, but I can't seem to stick to just one place; I have a need to see EVERYTHING.

This makes finding someone to travel with extra difficult...

Will you be my Travel Partner..?

There's no denying it, travelling is expensive. I've talked about how much it takes to travel - the sacrifices and not-so-nice moments encountered on every trip, but it also takes a lot of savings. My style of travelling is probably the final deterrence for most potential partners - I do not plan. It is funny that, in day to day life, I join the majority of people in planning (although not necessarily following through) life quite meticulously: I plan my degree, work, appointments, study, events and social life. Going overseas is a brilliant excuse to forget about all that, to go on an adventure!

Sadly, to most that seems like a recipe for disaster. They're only right 20% of the time though! The rest of the time make for the most incredible moments that no amount of money could buy. Comfort, ease and lack of stress never makes up for missed opportunities to really experience a foreign culture. The smells, sights and vibes are simply better the further from that drunk Australian tourist you venture. Whether that be taking an unknown turn into a remote village or heading out for a hike, travel is best experienced spontaneously with limited planning.

Don't get me wrong - some things need to be planned. Visa's for one. A flight. A general itinerary and knowledge about the area. When I flew from New Zealand to Denpasar, I had only bought a one way flight, figuring I would stay as long as I could afford to. After far too many connecting flights, a less than impressed Jetstar official informed me that I would not be allowed to board my flight without a return ticket. After nearly an hour of begging and pleading my case, one last smile somehow convinced the defeated official to wave me on - I was now Bali's problem. A similar situation occurred on arrival at Bali, and I was let into country under the agreement that I would book a return flight within 30 days.

I should have learned the valuable lesson of careful planning from that potentially disastrous happening. Instead I realised the worth of a smile. And so my attitude continues, my lack of planning, my sense of adventure, and appreciation of the experience. Which leads me to the worth of a travel partner - they are GOLD!

Lecture 8 - Excuses

This is my first semester at uni, so I'm still getting used to everything. Up until now I hadn't missed a single lecture or class. Up until now..


Getting to Uni seems to be a much bigger ordeal than it should be. A shot walk to the bus stop, a bus into town and another straight to uni. Only for some reason it NEVER works out that way, it always takes twice the time I imagine and is five times more stressful than it should be. Which is why, after my only other Monday class was cancelled, I just couldn't face the arduous journey into uni for a single hour of (enlightening albeit!) learning.

This was a baaaaaad idea. One lecture missed and I feel as though I've forgotten about my degree. For this entire week I have thought up so many excuses to avoid studying. My house has never looked so clean! My latest 'avoidance tactic' was to peruse the job classifieds. 'Research,' I mumbled to myself. 'Future planning.'

I don't need a job. I have one I love, and I am no were near completing my degree, but somehow I was comfortable simply wasting time not doing assignments, rather than taking a break or a day off. I am never so motivated to go for a run, vacuum the house or cook some Masterchef inspired meal as when studying.

This continued one for three days. A game of excuses, guilt and failed attempts of making any progress on my growing pile of assignments and exams. On the fourth day I'd had it and took a field trip to the countryside to clear my head. It worked and on returning to study I had the brilliant idea of simply listening to the sound recording. I think it's safe to say that sometimes, a break is desperately needed and deserved!

And in keeping with this theme of deserved breaks, the lecture post will be up in a few days - I'll get right onto it.. after my third cup of coffee!

Factual Story Telling Exercise

Late night ads

Watching nightly T.V used to be a relaxing ritual for my family growing up. Whatever we watched incited discussion, provided entertainment and seemed to bring us together after our very separate days. As I grew a little older, all I wanted as a teenager was my own T.V. When I was given a tiny yet bulky box for Christmas on year, i still retained my nightly family ritual, however it meant I could stay up till the wee hours watching shoddy programs and old re-runs - I loved it!

Oh how times have changed - and in such a short time! I do not watch much T.V these days, so it is rare to find me lying on the couch channel surfing late at night, except for tonight. For some reason I felt exceptionally lazy, and flicked on the T.V to see what was on. All of a sudden I simply cannot stand the ads! They never seemed to be a problem, but these days I pick up my computer, check my phone, leave the room or even turn the box off at the mere sight of an ad. We have been discussing the future of commercial media in the past lectures, and it has been said a few times that the future of tradition advertising in unstable - that people are no longer willing to listen to ads. Not until now did I realize how true that is! In fact, rather than sit through countless irrelevant ads I chose to do uni work in the form of blogging. Fancy that!

Not being able to fast forward through ads on nappies, overpriced clothing and ridiculous new programs was infuriating! The future of advertising clearly need to become far more specific in its targeting. Just like the jellybeans way back in the second lecture, there is no way I am going back to a platform for old advertising when identical centent is available far more conveniently online. I suspect the majority of the public feels the exact same way.

It will be very interesting to see the ideas advertising agencies come up with for the future of advertising, with product placement, integrated advertisement and plugging being just the beginning. People will always have a desire and need for entertainment, and thus entertainment will always need to be financially supported, however who will end up paying for, essentially, our dislike of ads: viewers or business?