My 6 months of travel around the world
Last July, I took off for a year of travel to visit Australia and Southeast Asia with dreams in my head, apprehensions and several projects in sight. For example, I was convinced that this trip would change me forever, that I would finally find my professional path and that I would settle somewhere in the world never to return to my tiresome daily life in Quebec. Obviously, these are not necessarily the findings that emerged in the end. First, the surprises of life made me come back after 6 months unfortunately. Then, I realized several things during this trip, but not necessarily my professional path. Of course, not every traveler experiences the same things, but here are my main findings after 6 months of traveling abroad.
LVDQ suggestion: To dream a little of a world tour, we invite you to listen online in the comfort of your home, for only $7.99 on the Aventuriers Voyageurs website, the magnificent film inspired by Vicky and Pascal on World Tour: Leaving Everything and Traveling .
film tour of the world of the Adventurers travelersHere is the description: Who one day did not wish to leave everything to travel the world? Vicky and Pascal decided to make this dream come true in May 2018 by selling everything, or almost! Let yourself be transported on their adventure that crosses oceans and borders: from Greece to Bali, via Spain, Portugal, Vietnam and much more. Incredible landscapes, rich cultures and inspiring stories await you in this film that demonstrates that anything is possible
I have a feeling of gratitude for our 4 seasons
When I left for my year-long trip, summer had started well here and it was nice and warm. When I arrived in Melbourne it was winter and it was around 5 degrees celsius at night. The shock was brutal at first, especially since the houses are not insulated and the heating is little used.
We have a good quality of life in Canada and I am proud to be Canadian.
I don’t think we always realize it on a daily basis, but we really have a beautiful country where it is good to live. Everywhere I traveled during my 6 month trip, people have a great opinion of Canadians and always welcome us with open arms. It’s easy for us to travel everywhere, our passport opens a lot of doors for us I think and it’s an incredible opportunity. We often take it for granted.
Having a routine isn’t so bad after all!
I was so eager to go on a trip to leave the daily routine that was killing me little by little. However, when you arrive in a new place for a long time, instinctively you seek to find this routine and it comes to a point that you even get bored of it. Particularly in relation to the couple, I quickly realized that this routine played a role in daily complicity. Thus, I found myself listening to my Quebec programs from a distance, cooking my favorite recipes that I had in Quebec, etc. This allowed me to better understand the immigrants with whom I had to intervene in my work. I now understood why they were determined to find food from their countries to cook typical dishes or to recreate some of their traditions.
Pollution and mass tourism disappointed me in places
I was quickly struck by the increase in environmental pollution, particularly in Asia. However, I was there 4 years before and the change was remarkably sad when I came back in 2019. Despite efforts everywhere, the omnipresence of plastic seems impossible to reduce and the rules are not strict enough regarding pollution automobile. However, I was especially marked by mass tourism almost everywhere in the places I visited in Asia and Australia. I even came to feel guilty for participating in this. I questioned myself and even questioned my desire to continue traveling. For example, when I visited the site of the Twelve Apostles on the Great Ocean Road in Australia, I was completely bewildered by the amount of tourists who were there to the detriment of the site. Each tourist piled up and tried to take the best shot possible, even if it meant taking it 45 times if necessary, without thinking of the other people around who wanted to take advantage of the place. As much as the site was breathtakingly beautiful, I was so disgusted to participate in it. I continue my reflection on this subject since my desire to travel is still present despite everything.
