Ladies and gentlemen, I’m happy to introduce the first ever guest post on Camille in Wonderlands, by Will Bowie of DEEP TRAVEL AND LIFESTYLE. A relative newcomer to the travel blogging world, Australian partyboy Will has already made his mark with articles such as Top 5 Cities Under 30 Dollars Per Day, Top 10 Movies To Inspire Travel, or Top 10 Best Bars in Adelaide. Will is also a repeat contributor to the MATADOR NETWORK, where he attempts to acquaint the world with Australia’s (and Australians’) quirks.

As he prepares to ditch his lucrative career for long-term travel and trade his suit for flip-flops – or, er, ‘thongs’ -, Will gives us four reasons why quitting your job is the best idea ever…and one reason why he might have had second thoughts!
 

I have taken the plunge.

Quit a steady, well-paying banking job to travel the world indefinitely. I have lost the passion for working 9-5. The corporate world isn’t going anywhere, but I am!
 

I have been saving hard, living a minimalist lifestyle and making sacrifices to fund long-term travel. There have been so many stories from my travels – most of them good, a few not so! I look forward to creating and writing about many more. I am determined to see as much of the world as possible and to live the best life I can. The future looks exciting.

These are my top 4 stories to inspire you to travel… and 1 that may put you off (hopefully not!).
 

4 Reasons To Travel

1. Crazy Partying

Travel gives you a chance to cut loose and party like there’s no tomorrow. I am known for my nocturnal activities and excessive alcohol consumption that fuel many stories about things getting a tad out of control…

Many ask, what is the biggest party you have experienced in the world?

There’s been some huge partying on my global travels. The Brazil carnival, a full moon party in Thailand, and clubbing in Miami, Vegas, or the Greek islands spring to mind… BUT the wildest and craziest party I have ever attended has to be the San Fernin Festival in Pamplona, Spain.

Better known as ‘the running of the bulls’, It is NUTS. Sangria flows like a river. I remember being drenched in wine and sprayed about in the main square, dancing with thousands as the mayor pronounced the festivities open.
 

I saw a brutal bull fight that ended with all the spectators in the bull ring spilling out to the streets, with marching band in tow. Stories of the Mussel Bar statue where people climb up several metres and execute a stage dive are legendary. This has caused innumerable injuries and the odd fatality.

There is also a fair amount of female flesh being exposed to the rambunctious and heavily intoxicated crowd. The whole week is fuelled by the red Spanish wine and constant partying insanity, and a few backsides barbed by a charging toro.

2. The Unknown Adventure

I hate routine predictability. When you’re working in a full-time job, you can start to feel as if you’re living a life of perpetual repetitiveness – much like in the movie Groundhog Day, where every day is the same.

With travel, there are infinite possibilities for variety and potential. All my best travel experiences have come from the unexpected. I strongly believe that spontaneity and flexibility are key to enjoying that much sought-after state of total freedom.
 

Being organised is one thing, but being anally retentive when it comes to an itinerary can ruin a trip and stress you out to the max. There is enough to worry about without the added pressure of seeing every single attraction in a city in one day.

I have an upcoming trip to Europe with a rough plan, but if someone says join me here or come along to this festival, or whatever, I can do it (and probably will!). Don’t be reckless, but if there is a super cheap flight somewhere that piques your interest, then jump on it, and you may well have a life-changing experience!

Although the word ‘wanderlust’ irks me, the wandering mindset is something that needs to be promoted. Getting lost could well be the perfect opportunity to find that amazing backalley café. Take a chance and talk to strangers. People are awfully friendly by nature and I have met some of my best-ever friends while travelling.

It is okay to be scared, to sacrifice comfort or to feel out of your depth. What I find unacceptable is letting fear paralyse you and complaining of boredom. You are in control of creating the story of your life. Make it a good one.

Where to next for me? I have always wanted to go to Portugal, so I have worked out how to get there… and now I’m doing it in September!

3. Learning Experiences

There’s more to travel than just filling up your Instagram account with a bunch of selfies.

There are often opportunities to gain career experience. Working overseas is so much more than just the monetary gain: the unique perspective of living and working in a new country is a deeper form of cultural immersion.

I moved to London a few years ago and ended up working in a bank, which took me all the way to Geneva, Switzerland. By the time I came home, it had really set up my career and put me in a much better position than my competitors when applying for jobs.

For my next trip, I have created my own travel blog, DEEP Travel and Lifestyle. The blog will be an extension of social media channels, serving as a platform to chronicle my journey. My attitude about blogging is that if no one reads my blog, at the very least I will have the best record of what I got up to on my adventures, and will be able to look back on it forever.

Other experiences can be as simple as trying something you normally wouldn’t at home. This is not only fun, but will no doubt turn you into a more adventurous person for when you return to ‘the real world’.

4. Making Friends

It seems like such a boring and predictable thing to state that the friends you meet travelling can be better than the destination itself… but this really IS true. I often travel solo, but I’m rarely alone. I meet and form lasting friendships because of the heightened level of excitement of being away from home and somewhere new, and because I’m forced to put myself out there.
 

People appreciate the spirit of a lone traveller and tend to want to include someone who is brave enough to travel halfway across the world. You will also be surprised by how many people actually travel solo and are looking to meet likeminded travellers along the way. I have met all sorts of people in different types of travel situations and lodgings. I have done tours, group sailing trips, backpacking, staying with friends and friends of friends, as well as in hotels.

You do not always have to be completely independent. Go on a city walking tour, a pub crawl, or a day trip activity such as white-water rafting in order to meet people. You will not only have a fun day out, but also join other travellers and form a connection which can quickly turn into a night out, another day out, or even onward travels with a new bestie!

As I stated earlier, people are much nicer than you think. They want to meet people, to be helpful and social. The number one thing a person says when you ask them why they stay at a backpacking hostel is that they want to meet people. I mix up my accommodation options with hostel dorms, private rooms at hostels, and then treat myself to a hotel in a city. It strikes a balance of being social, economic, and getting my luxury fix where I can read a book in a big bed wearing a fluffy bathrobe!
 

1 Reason Not To Travel

Disasters!

I thought I would offer one horror story for the sake of balance. A huge disclaimer is that I will NOT let the occasional bad experience stop me in any way from further travel. I put them down as learning experiences. There is nothing wrong with making a mistake here or there, it’s human nature and nobody is perfect. If you do not learn from a mistake, then you have bigger issues.

My bad experience took place in Egypt. Things just went wrong from the get go. The cumulative effect had me glad to see the back of this country. I am sure there is much more to Egypt than the nastiness I experienced, and if I ever return, I like to think I would do things differently and have a great time.
 

It began badly with a missed flight from Athens. Upon arrival, the driver cruised through the wreck of the city and had three separate minor collisions, resulting in more than one heated argument. At the hotel, the rip-offs began with the general manager constantly upselling drinks and shisha pipes… but that was nothing we couldn’t handle.

The real disaster came the next day, when we headed to Giza and the pyramids. The taxi driver insisted we get a horse and cart, and before long, he had us on the back of a cart with a separate ‘company’ he was obviously in cahoots with. The hassles started almost immediately, from begging for a tip before entry to the pyramids to our horse that kept breaking wind.

Aside from the odour, unbeknownst to me, being in close proximity to a horse resulted in an insane allergic reaction. Tears streamed down my face, and I ended up seeing the pyramids through little slits as my eyes closed over and sneezing ensued.

The round trip ended back at the hotel with a pleading taxi driver who grabbed my arm and forced me to look at pictures of his kids in one final extortionate attempt.

The whole experience left a really bad taste in my mouth, and when I finally found myself at the departure lounge where the soldiers, security and passengers sat around smoking and pushed through every metal detector in blatant disrespect, I was done with Egypt.

Not good at all. I was glad to just get out of there and head to a Thai Island to properly relax.
 
 

There it is. 4 Reasons you should quit your job and travel, and 1 reason you shouldn’t… Maybe don’t quit your job, but do go and travel… and look me up at DEEP Travel and Lifestyle!

Thanks Will for your insight into your decision – and erm, for your colourful odourful account of your travel fail in Egypt!

As Will said, you can fit in travel into your life in any shape or form you like (long-term; holidays; rectangular?), and don’t let the occasional hassle or disappointment put you off – it just makes for a learning lesson and a good story! Make sure to follow Will from country to country and party to party on his upcoming round-the-world tour.

Are you tempted to follow Will’s example? What are your main reasons for travelling? Have you had a disaster story? Are you a big partier on your travels? But more importantly, what do you think of Australians’ ridiculous use of the word ‘thong’? Let us know in the comments below!

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