Getting Started

Hi I’m Trent and I’m an experienceaholic, I’m giving up my comfortable latte sipping lifestyle in a trendy inner-city Brisbane suburb to be home-free and unemployed for 3 years (aka a bum). On 24 June I will be embarking on a 3 year around the world adventure. I have created this blog for 3 reasons, firstly to share my experiences with others. Secondly, to have one place where I can go in old age, with a tissue box in hand, to reminisce on good times. Lastly, to try not to lose too many Facebook friends by ramming 3 years of constant awesomeness in their faces.

Well that’s the short introduction and I recommend you stop reading. If you want the long version go to the kitchen, make yourself a coffee, grab a blanky or snuggy then come back.

More about me, I’m an educated 27 year old that stares at spreadsheets on a computer all day. I’ve worked fulltime in the Finance/Investments industry for the last 6 years, I also have 6 years of post-school study under my belt and I am a member of Mensa. .. blah blah blah.  During brief periods in my life I’ve been a soccer player, boxer, tennis player, runner, “Networking Crasher”, golfer, rugby player, tour guide, event organizer and a salsa dancer. Most recently I’ve tried Karaoke and Yoga.  If you hear a strange, almost unbearable, yet intriguing noise in a far away city that sounds possibly Australian it is more than likely me trying to sing or getting stuck in some strange yoga position called the drunken leprechaun.

So why throw away staring at spreadsheets on a computer screen to travel the world? In 2011 I had a few brief and exciting encounters with other countries. After returning from my second trip, I don’t know if I was still drunk from Oktoberfest or high from Amsterdam, either way I decided to let random explorers (aka Couchsurfers or CSers) sleep on my couch and have a key to my house while I went into the office to check up on the spreadsheets. Most people thought I was crazy by giving complete strangers a key to my house. I was onto a winner! I would come home to all my washing up done and I had more fun than my days as a “Networking Crasher”. During 3.5 months I learnt, shared and partied with 100 new people, 25 of them sleeping on my couch. It was these 3.5 months that made me realise I had to travel the world otherwise it would be the biggest regret of my life.

Why should you read my blog instead of the thousands of other travel blogs? Firstly, thank you for reading this far. If the scroll button on your mouse got stuck try banging it on your head a few times. I’m hoping to provide fun and unique experiences and advice from the prospective of a predominantly normal person.  I will also provide an insight into the challenges of giving up a very comfortable and steady lifestyle for an unknown and possibly not so comfortable few years ahead. I hope a 3 year adventure will become the norm for people in their mid to late twenties... Pourquois Pas?

Happy Reading!

Trent

^Networking Crasher – in 2010 I attended a few Finance networking events. They always had open bars, plenty of food and lots of people I had never met before. I had a great time so I started going to events outside of Finance, pretending I worked in areas I knew nothing about. The thought of getting caught was exciting plus I had a lot of fun and always went home drunk and full. I had a collection of 40 name tags… Give it a go!

Update: The real leaving photos

My leaving work present

Just before leaving Australia for the airport