My lap around Australia didn't start until I crossed the QLD border, not because I don't enjoy travelling NSW but because I was scared the trip would be cancelled by border restrictions before it had even started. I made it to Surfer's Paradise on 31st May and spent the week celebrating with friends but that didn't feel like it was part of the trip because it felt more like an annual leave type holiday not the full time 7 month trip that was planned.
In contrast the first week of the trip was spent at a permaculture farm on the Fraser Coast, Hervey Bay. This was organised through WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) which connects willing volunteers with host organic farmers. I'll do a dedicated post on WWOOFing at some point but volunteering on the farm was the result of studying permaculture throughout the first year of COVID.
I saw permaculture as a holistic way to live off-grid, produce zero waste, recycle and upcycle, be truly self-sufficient while sharing that experience and knowledge with others. I completed the Milkwood permaculture living course and started reading several books on permaculture design. I was able to put into practice what I had learnt about rain water harvesting, bee keeping, planting and harvesting edible and non-edible plants, bush regeneration and community building. In the first week of the trip I had already learnt and achieved more than I could of asked for.
The reason I found this so powerful is that there is no way I would of spent 7 days volunteering 12 hours' drive away from Sydney when I worked full time. The four weeks annual leave was reserved for overseas holidays and 4wding trips not self-development.
Therefore in the first week I had already come to understand the power of taking a break from career full time work even though there is a sense of uncertainty that comes with being unemployed. As well as how difficult it was to leave my job that I loved, a share house where I felt I belonged and a fear of being alone for long periods of time.
But those barriers were trumped by the fact I had already put 100s of hours into building a campervan, I had no significant other in Sydney, I wanted a new job to challenge me and to study something other than IT, my share house was going our separate ways, Jobtrainer subsidy was available and I had savings to support me for 6 months of travel. It shouldn't be so hard to take time away from full time work for self-development, it's really something we need to normalise as a society.
I feel really grateful to have this experience so early on in the trip which has allowed me to ease into living on the road which is a huge adjustment in itself. I'm excited and optimistic for the rest of the trip and all the things I will learn including things I will learn about myself.