I can’t wait to travel again so I can ____

You know you’re ready for a change when almost every thing you do or say is followed up with the statement, “I can’t wait for us to go away so I don’t have to _____ or so I can just _____”

Time for some honesty.

I don’t like settled life. I find it difficult, time-consuming, and a drain on my spiritual reserves. I find much of settled life is managing and making choices based on what you feel you have to do, or what others demand of you. It’s rare that it’s about doing what makes you feel good.

The problem is our lives are dictated by our feelings.

We’ve been told its about the mind and the logic. It’s not, everything is about the avoidance of pain or the gain for pleasure. Settled life, for me, is mostly making decisions that go against what I truly want, but are made to conform to the settled way of being.

As a result, I feel a lot of pain.

It’s evident in my moods, my health, my disconnectedness, and my general slushiness. There’s no zing or buzz or vibrancy.

I know this is not the norm for most people. A lot of people get the zing and the buzz from settled life and I think that is fantastic. I often wish I could so I didn’t have to move around so much. But alas, it is just not my genetic make up at the moment and I’m okay with that.

The buzz and the zing and the vibrancy is returning to my life with our upcoming road trip around Oz.

I’m excited to be living it on my terms again. I feel I can be more and contribute more, so it’s time to get on the move and do it.

Here’s what my heart, soul and body are most looking forward to on our road trip around Australia.

1. Quality Family Time

I hate telling my children I can’t play with them because I have to sweep the floor, or cook dinner.

I’m not going to escape cooking dinner on this trip, but it’ll be a more relaxed time where I can involve my children more as I’m not hollering at them to clean their room.

Life is full of far too many distractions and demands to allow much space for quality family time.

Life is too short. It is ticking by, faster with every year. If we don’t make the effort to put down the work, the bills, the demands for some time out with our family, pretty soon we’ll be looking back and have little to remember those years we spent together.

We’ll be removing so many distractions now so we can get back to creating special memories, learning and exploring together and laughing a whole lot more.

2. A Return to Nature

Holy Shit, I’ve missed nature.

The Earth gives us everything we need to be balanced and healthy.

Due to my recent health crises, I’ve been earthing more. What a difference it makes. I know you don’t have to travel to get back out in nature, but with two children, a business and the demands of everyday life it makes it so challenging.

How will the road trip be different?

Easy, we won’t have a home to hibernate in. Our homes will be roving on the back of our car as we camp beside the gum trees and spend our days exploring the beaches, mountains and forests of this great country.

Look out dirt I’m a coming!

3. A Return to Health

I have always been in excellent health when I’ve slow travelled.

My spirit was born for it so obviously, my health responds positively. I eat better, I earth more, I exercise more and I’m always happier. The recipe for a healthier me.

4. Only Owning Little Possessions

Sometimes I think this is really the reason I travel.

It has nothing to do with exploring new lands, meeting new people, or getting to know myself more, it’s all about owning little.

I can’t stand the accumulation of excess. The more I own, the more I have to clean, manage and look after. That gives me less time to enjoy life and the people I love.

Cull the possessions, let’s get back to a suitcase and the bare essentials. Give me space please!

5. No Cleaning

Does anyone like cleaning?

I call it the definition of insanity, especially when you have two young children.

Right now the DVD’s are splayed over the floor again, I only picked them up an hour ago with grumbles of, “I can’t wait till we are travelling, and we no longer have a million effing DVD’s”.

Yes. Swearing usually follows any cleaning job I have to do.

I find it pure bliss that I will no longer be scrubbing toilets and showers, vacuuming and mopping floors, and cleaning fridges.

Everybody sing “Alleluia”

6. No More School

I hate dropping the girls to school of a morning.

In fact, I hate the morning getting ready for school. It’s rushed and full of drama and angst. Kalyra and I almost always have an argument about her hair and how she has to wear her jumper no matter how daggy she thinks it is. Ugh uniforms!

School mornings are the most stressful way to start a day.

Savannah goes to childcare and my Mum’s house for two days a week. It tears at my heart to leave her. Parents have to do what they have to do, but I can’t wait to be just with my children every day. They won’t have to get upset at Mummy and Daddy going to meetings and not being around.

I also detest school because they are germ breeding grounds and Savannah is always bringing home a sickness. No more.

Their school will now be their family and their environment. I’m excited for all they are going to learn.

7. Meeting Up with Family and Friends

I’m really excited to be meeting up with or travelling parts of Australia with family and friends.

Travel is the best way to connect with people. Again it’s living from that space of love, rather than demand. No life interruptions so you are just free to enjoy the moment and the connection.

We are also super excited to be having meet ups along the way with our readers.

8. An Endless Summer

Oh my God do I hate winter.

I’m a vata body type in the Ayurvedic philosophy, which means we detest the cold! The cold in Australia is the pits because we don’t have homes built to handle it, so you are cold 24/7.

We’re chasing the sun on this road trip.

South for the summer to get the hottest time of the year, and north for the winter to get that lovely warm, tropical weather. There will only be one jacket in the suitcase, the rest will be swimmers, shorts, dresses and thongs.

Bring it.

9. Meeting New People

I love hearing stories from other people. It inspires me. I’m excited to be hearing the stories of my fellow Australians, and those who are also travelling in Australia.

We also can’t wait for our children to have more experiences like this one.

10. Giving Back

I’m keen to volunteer and give back to our fabulous country. I want the girls to learn receiving comes from giving and life is about gratitude and positive contribution.

I’m investigating opportunities at the moment, mostly conservation projects and working with Aboriginal communities.

11. Seeing this Amazing Country

My eyes are dying to feast upon the new.

Australia has so much to offer from deserts to giant rocks, stunning coastline, mountain ranges and valleys filled with vineyards.

I’m dying to smaggle Australia and maybe a few wombats if I can find them. No snakes or sharks though.

12. No more time wasted on things I don’t want to do

Everyday life involves so many tasks, parties, meet ups, and events that you don’t want to do, but are obliged to.

I remember growing up being obliged to go to Church and I hated it. I don’t want to be obliged, I want to go from the space of love.

We have had so many events and meetings the past year due to our blog. It’s all been worthwhile, but I’m glad to reclaim some of my time back.

I just want to spend my time on the love so I can give more.

13. Rest from Partying and Quiet Relaxation

And then there are many events and parties you really want to go to, but there are always so many of them that they exhaust you, despite the enormous fun you have!

I really just want some quiet relaxation time now.

I know that I am being quietly delusional with my visions of me swinging in a hammock by the campervan reading a book while the kiddies play around me. Hopefully, they’ll give me just five minutes of that peace once in awhile.

14. Getting Outside My Comfort Zone

Life gets boring when it’s too comfortable and the same.

I can’t wait to be stretching myself a little again. It’s outside our comfort zone where we get the most growth.

I got to tell ya I am a little rusty. I won’t be doing anything brash like jumping out of planes, but I’ll be learning to thrive in discomfort again – you know like having to wear thongs (flip flops) in scanky campsite showers – Feral, but character building.