I Quit My Part-Time Job And Traveled To Australia And Here’s The Story

I think when it comes to finding yourself there’s always going to be that period when you realize you need change. I was in my last year of college, working a part-time job at a pizza parlor when I decided I needed to change my direction. Here’s the story of why I quit my part-time job and traveled to Australia.

Creating My Own Path

I knew graduation was just around the corner and I started having random anxiety about finding a job after college. Then it occurred to me that I was concerned with what society would think of me as a college grad with no career.

But why does a job have to be the next step after college? I didn’t want to follow a set path, I wanted to create my own.

I had three goals listed that I wanted to accomplish in life: write a novel, graduate and travel. That particular year I had actually received a third place for a short story I wrote. In May 2017, I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communications. Therefore, all that was left was to travel.

I had previously traveled to South Africa with my dad my next destination of choice was the land down under.

I booked my Australia trip for July 22, 2017, to give me some time to make some money. The thought of journeying to Australia made me crazy hype that even my job didn’t bring me down. My spirits were up and I wasn’t going to let anything get in my way.

Australia Bound

After graduating with honors, I quit my job. On July 22, 2017, I took a twenty-two-hour flight to the beautiful land of Australia. I still hear the beautiful Australian accents melting me like chocolate. I know that’s a crazy description but that’s exactly how I felt. I was a solo traveler, traveling alongside other travelers from America. But it was my first time traveling without my family and my first time saving up my own money to pay for something extravagant.

I traveled to six different locations: Melbourne, Cairns, Townsville, Airlie Beach, Surfer’s Paradise and Sydney.

Melbourne was my first taste of Australia. I stayed in a nice modern style hotel with two girls from New York. The first day we took a bus tour around the city, then walked through the streets of Melbourne taking photos of the amazing street art.

The next city on the itinerary was Cairns, which was my favorite location by far. I loved how beachy and lively Cairns was. I actually held my first koala in Cairns, Australia. Plus, I got to chill at Gilligan’s Backpacker Hotel which is a hostel/club.

Boat Rides And Islands

It’s not a trip to Australia without taking a boat ride to a remote island. The first island I traveled to was called Franklin’s Island. It was so breathtaking with plenty of scenic views. But let me tell you what wasn’t chill. The boat ride to get to the island legit made people sick. I never in my life saw someone turn green until I took that boat ride.

A plane ride down the coastline took us to Townsville. I remember being excited to say I was in Townsville because my childhood favorite television series “The Powerpuff Girls” lived in the fictional town of Townsville in America. In Townsville, I stayed at my first hostel and took a ferry to Magnetic Island. There I took a hike and got to swim in the beautiful ocean.

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The hostel life is unique because it’s a great place to meet unique people. I meant sailors and a lot of locals. But my trip to Townsville will always remind me or the moment some guy asked me and another girl in my group to have a threesome. Of course, we turned him down.

The fourth city I visited was Airlie Beach which was like a beach city. On like the second day I took a boat ride to Whitsunday which has the whitest sand you’ll ever set foot on. I snorkeled near the Great Barrier Reef and had a relaxing day on the most beautiful beach ever. The ride there and back was on a rafting boat. It was super fun and our tour guides Tomo and Roscoe were so amazingly sweet and kind.

Next stop was Surfer’s Paradise. I only spent a day or so there which was a shame because I wish I had got a chance to see more. But if I remember correctly, I took a guided tour in the rainforest. And I got to hold and feed exotic birds.

Last Stop Sydney, Australia

Last and final stop was Sydney, Australia. By the time I got to Sydney I was super excited to be in Sydney but down about the fact I would going home soon. Sydney was the largest and most developed spot I’ve ever been in. I got lost a few times trying to find my hostel but I met several people along the way. There is always a bright side when getting lost while traveling.

Believe me when I say people will talk to you in Australia, because they will. Australians are just friendly like that. My favorite moment from Sydney was taking a tour of the Opera House and taking a boat ride around the Sydney Harbour.

Australia was everything and more than I could ask for. It’s definitely a location I would love to go back to. My best advice for traveling the world is a lyric from the band 311 “You got to trust your instincts and let go of regrets.”

Feature Image Source: Annie Russell’s Personal Photos