Wandering about our Travel Inspired Wedding

You know growing up as a young girl you always dreamt about what that special day looked like? The church, the beach ceremony followed by rooftop cocktails, then the garden party? A place in the city for all the people you have ever met in your life to come and get free piss, as your neighbours best friend's uncle waves at your with Hors d'oeuvre half eaten in their hand. OK I am exaggerating, but isn't that what many mainstream weddings are made up of these days? I must admit I wanted something special, but I had only been to one wedding before my own so I had nothing to compare it to, but I knew what I wanted and it all came together right after the engagement of course. 

Shaun was very smart to ask me to marry him in New York city, an iconic place on an international scale which holds memories of hustle and bustle, romance, foodie heaven, a businessman's sanctuary, and a photographers playground. This city is a cultural melting pot, and of all the places I have visited it's nothing like I have ever seen before, but still so familiar from the movies, from the sky rises in our own city that we try to escape. So following a lengthy young life of travel we have done on our own, and then together it was only natural to incorporate our wanderlust into our vows to share with our loved ones. Shaun is my passenger for life, and I am his, and as we started to plan our travel-inspired wedding, there really wasn't much out there in the wonderful world of the internet to grasp ideas from. I hope for any of you out there set to wed, who also want travel to be the co-main event of the day, you get ideas and inspiration from me because I didn't have much to go by I wanted to help out. 

So we started from the beginning and had to pick the destination. As individuals we always wanted a destination wedding, so it was a relief when I suggested a wedding out of Sydney he was thinking the same thing. We had travelled to many wineries around the world and thought why not on the footsteps of Greater Sydney head to the Hunter Valley for an Australian Vineyard Wedding, where wine is a major passion that we grew our taste for together. It all came easy when we found Tulloch Wines Cellar Door where they offered future bride and groom open days to suss out the local talent of the Wedding Industry, and all in one day I tasted their wedding menu (a 3 course food and wine extravaganza), picked our florist, photographer and decorator. We left there stress-free and they gained a new member of their wine club - Pokolbin Dry Red Shiraz is my all time favourite wine.

Tulloch Wines Cellar Door with a wrap around balcony and courtyard - stunning

To help capture this special day, we had the ever-so creative photographer, Peter McNeill at Natural Lightscapes. Peter specialises in shooting images in a natural setting which is why we knew he was perfect for our destination wedding in the Hunter Valley. Not only did he use our surroundings to his advantage, but he sourced me a Jacaranda Tree and kept me updated throughout the season to let me know if the flowers would scatter in time for the big day. He used light to enhance the memories we now have for a lifetime, set in the vineyards that symbolise our special day. 

Peter took us to a secluded residential Australian property with a Jacaranda tree to pose in the background of our shots

Peter stayed behind until the end of our celebrations to capture the final shot close to midnight in between the vines of Tulloch

A different Peter prepared the flowers for the day, Peter Herd Florist. He gave me gorgeous flowers that dressed me and the wedding party up, as well as the tables. Peter contacted me a week prior to let me know the lisianthus were not going to arrive in time from Amsterdam, there's not much I can do about it but he knew a back up. And on the morning of the wedding he turned up with a package from Amsterdam that had arrived the day before, just to surprise me. 

Peter worked very closely with Jane at Think Weddings and Events, who tied down everything for the day. I told Jane how passionate Shaun and I were about travel and with the style and elegance in the work she does, she combined all the things we love and put her love into setting up our day. I sent her the pictures of the cities in the world Shaun and I loved most, and she placed them across the room amongst the arrangements to be used as our version of "table numbers". Each person sat at a city table and a map guided them to their destination. 

Guests were guided to the tables by a Map of cities, created by me. Niagara Falls and New York City to name  only two. Flowers and arrangements put together by Peter Herd Florist and Think Wedding and Event's Jane.

With the main features out of the way, we focused on picking our cake design and finding someone who could achieve what we had in mind. We found I Do Wedding Cake's Penny, who has a very steady hand to design the bottom tier of our cake - the New York City skyline itself. She also created our very own cake topper in great detail of Shaun and I on board our very own sugar plane! The design was customised completely. 

In the theme of cake, we wanted to giveaway something yummy to our guests, so we went to a well known cookie and cake baker in Sydney - Yummies Cakes. We gave her an idea, and she came up with the design used for our shortbread cookies in a take-home bag for our guests.We chose rectangular cookies as it was best for our design, but she can do cake pops, shaped cookies and a whole range of other designs that are truly amazing (not to mention some great shaped cookies for my hen's weekend - the girls loved it and I'll let you use your imagination). Thank you Yummies!

 

To bring everyone together one the night, we searched for a band or DJ who could best represent us longer than any other element of our day. One night we ventured to Manly north of Sydney for a night out at a local pub, no better place to find an awesome cover band - 2 Fold. To top it off they were a father and son duo from New Zealand one of our favourite destinations worldwide. The pair can be found across Sydney performing in many bars and pubs, and have great voices to match the atmosphere they create with so many classics. You can see their song list and listen online to their audio.

We were married on 10.11.12 nearly 2 years ago now and planned an incredible quick honeymoon to Fiji then a belated 7 week honeymoon to North and Central America. I am still holding onto those memories like they were yesterday and so happy we got to plan a day that was surrounded by loved ones showing them the best parts of us and our wanderous hearts. We said our vows to one another that day to honour each other, and we can now honour our dreams together as we set off hand in hand following them. 

 

Special Thanks to our families and friends of course who will always be by our sides wherever we are and the people who put it together: 

1. Tulloch Wines Cellar Door

2. Special thanks to Tanya Horne the wedding planner for our day

3. Natural Lightscapes Photography

4. Peter Herd Florist

5. Think Weddings and Events

6. I Do Wedding Cakes

7. Yummies Cakes

8. 2 Fold

9. Wedding night accommodation at Cedars Mount View - The Vue

10. Blake's Wedding Cars

Wandering Happiness vs. Reality

Like most people, I am sure you have questioned if making a different decision would have lead you down a different path? We are human, we are curious, and if we’re not exploring what is out there I feel we are ruminating about what could have been way too often. That is what I found had lead me into a downward spiral of depression that had taken control of my happiness, and ability to focus on reality. 

I have kind of always been a career driven person, maybe out of boredom, I focussed hard on work and getting things done, helping others and influencing change daily. I have worked in Human Resources for 6 years, and have found that in the places I have worked lately it has become less about the humans and more about business, and that is something I need to move away from. As time has gone on, I have lost the flavour, and recognise others around me have as well. Maybe everyone is tired. I know I am. Living in Melbourne was a fresh opportunity, a new organisation, a new job title and a new team. It is here at this point where I take you back, have you questioned if making a different decision lead you down a different path, this is where I should have backed it up a little bit and asked. 

Starting this new position did not give me a fresh perspective, the place was a nightmare, including the management that went with it. I found myself scratching the surface for work to do, and things started to slow down for me majorly, where managers would obsess and keep hold of all their work and give very little recognition to what their employees are capable of. Because things slowed down too much for my liking, I started to think, think about the possibilities that my life could have lead, was moving to Melbourne the right choice? Should we have taken that leave without pay we already had approved to travel the world? 
I'm not saying I regret where I worked, because I made some pretty solid friends for life, who helped me along the way of moving to another big city. People who know me, they know I am the bubbly person who chats to random people in the street, and perhaps because I was moving to another city in Australia than somewhere international, I felt foreign to myself. It was a great experience nonetheless, and I visited many places around Victoria, and drank their wine from the local valley's - the highlight of course. 

Both sides of Phillip Bay in Melbourne - including the 12 apostles

I've been back living in Sydney for a month now, observing business people around me with faces that looked like they were invisible to the world. But I could see their emotion, their sadness, boredom, tiredness, dissatisfaction, I can't help but stare at these invisible faces and decide this is not who I want to be in 3 months time which is hard with the 1.5 hour commute to and from work everyday. I would gladly commute 3 hours in a day to a new destination around the world, but the monotony is driving me to invisibility also. People are generally cranky with the world, pushing and grunting past you, I must look like the only weirdo out with a half a smile on my face where the only hint of emotion is just a bit of tiredness from being out for nearly 12 hours in my working day. I can't complain, I shouldn't complain there are plenty of other people out there who commute to work as long a distance as me, but to me and most of my day being involved at work or on the way to work then sleeping - there really isn't much time for much else. But I will always make time to dedicate to my fantastic followers at Start Wandering. That's the thing, I absolutely love doing this, instead of sleeping on the train I am researching, following and networking with others and reminiscing about previous trips I have been on to share with you all. I've been dedicating more time to Trover also, a social media travel app that gives you instant adventure at your fingertips. You should definitely check it out here.

Sydney peak hour commuters

I'm working with people I have worked with for most of my working life, they're awesome people, but I draw back to when I moved to Melbourne for my husband's career with no support and was even told to put my house for sale if we were struggling to pay the mortgage, or resign. Tops! To think of it, the more and more pressure work has on my life, the more reality gets out of control. I read something in passing the other day, and it stuck with me - "Why treat yourself less than how you treat others". I have been putting everything before me for a while now, more specifically work, because the leaders in your life tell you that, you must work hard every day in your life to be able to enjoy it later. I had been too consumed in making other people happy and doing the right thing than doing what was right for me all for later, but why later? I admit I love my job and the work I do, but the passion has been lost and is this really my reality. I am proud of myself for recognising this, among the people I work with there are the following types of people: 

1. 9 years and miserable but holding out for Long Service Leave
2. 16 years and would happily quit but can't afford it, so will wait for a package
3. 25 years and fears with no other experience they won't get a job elsewhere and now they're too old to do anything about it

My reality is, if I keep moving on this way, I will end up the same after 9, 16 or 25 years time, and if I recognise I am not happy with where I am going, then there is all the reason in the world to do something about it to find what I am looking for. I am aiming for happiness, I have fought depression through blogging, and planning a reality that brings me the kind of happiness you can't put into words.

"If you're completely satisfied with where you're going, then by all means keep on going that way. But there is no reason in the world why you have to keep following that same path if it is not bringing you full and lasting fulfillment"

I want to stand out and smile each day as I discover something new, I am lacking the ability to wake up and face the world because the world is facing the other way. I need to take the direction in order to follow my dreams. I don’t need the corporate attire anymore, the alarm set 15 minutes too early so I can snooze it three times. I want to want to get out of bed before sunrise to capture the moments that most people are too ignorant to recognise. 

Happy me backpacking in Ireland - 2010

Wandering the Concrete Jungle

Flying into New York City

“Start spreading the news, I’m leaving today – I want to be a part of it, New York, New York” Nothing but Frank Sinatra playing through the overhead speakers as we landed into JFK Airport for my first visit into New York City. We flew Korean Air and I really appreciated that sentimental touch to add to the arrival by playing an iconic song to remember where you are, it worked, because I am still thinking about it.

We disembarked the A380, what a machine of a plane that is, and entered the terminal. You know that unfamiliar feeling you get when you first arrive somewhere foreign you have never been. I still feel it in my tummy when I think back to New York, a city that I will never know completely but know so well. It wasn’t my first visit through US Customs before, but the guy stamping my passport was actually very friendly and invited me into the country – “Welcome to the United States ma’am”, I was so chuffed. It was approximately 11:30 pm in the arrivals hall and all I could hear were the destinations ticking over the arrivals board, the cries of people reuniting and the wheeling of suitcases, JFK Airport offered an experience of its own. We though OK, we don’t want to spend too much on transport let’s try and book a bus on the green phone over in the corner. With no luck we moved outside to the taxi queue, where we started to feel amongst it. We hopped in the SUV version of a yellow NYC taxi, which drove us down the Van Wyck Expressway; I couldn’t help but think back to the Seinfeld episode where Elaine is hysterical “no-one has ever beaten the Van Wyck”. That’s the thing about New York, you are so familiar with it through movies and TV shows you already feel a part of it and just being there connects the dots.

28 hours and 16,000 kms later - need to freshen up

We stayed at Central Park West, an up and coming part of Manhattan, at Astor on the Park. Given we were visiting during New Year’s celebrations we stayed a little out of town, and it really gave us the feel of being a New Yorker. Our room was small; the shower/bath didn’t empty so we were up to our ankles in water every time we washed.  But we had a view of the city skyline from our 11th floor apartment and the lift was from the 1920’s for 2 people (or 4 people back then), so it felt real, and overall, the entrance to Central Park was opposite our doorstep. We put our heads down to rest that night, with the Red and Green Christmas themed lights of the Empire State Building beaming through our window, and we knew tomorrow would be the beginning of something special. 

With a view like this, we couldn't be happier staying at Astor on the Park

We woke the next morning at 5:00 am, after only 4.5 hours sleep and a 28 hour flight we were too excited to sleep. We walked up 110th St and found a little breakfast joint called Zanny’s, owned and run by two Colombians who made the BEST breakfast bagels and hot chocolate. This is where we would eat breakfast each morning over our 10 night stay, because we didn’t think we would come across anything better. The subway entrance was one block from our hotel, so we waited for the peak hour rush to pass and purchased our first Metro Card loaded with enough money to last our visit - $30.00.

The subway is dark, steely and fast, very fast. On the platforms there is no time displayed because trains come frequent enough, and they pull in quickly and take off just as fast. This contributes to the attitude of the city, everyone is always on their way somewhere, and I loved it. We got out at Times Square (of course) and all the lights, even in the broad mid-morning daylight, and crowds of thousands
surrounding us were incomparable to any other Square I have visited. Everyone is smiling and looking up. We didn’t have much time to spare as we were heading to the Financial District to start an 6 hour Free Walking tour run by Free Tours by Foot. So we took it all in from corner to corner of the square and walked to a quieter Subway towards 38th and Penn to head down to City Hall. 

Here we met Derrick, I couldn’t explain to you the level of resourcefulness this man has, and the passion he has for his city, New York. I can only recommend that anyone travelling to the Big Apple gets in touch with Free Tours by Foot and gets on an All-in-One Downtown tour. In 6 hours you will have the best introduction to Manhattan with these guys on foot you will have with anyone on wheels. You get into the nitty gritty of Wall St, the unnerving details of September 11 and the melting pots of Little Italy and Chinatown. Because I can’t explain the value of this tour enough, you will literally have to experience it yourself. And yes it is free, but the guide will make sure you walk away with enough history, knowledge and even the behaviour of Manhattanite, that a tip is definitely deserved. 

Now exhausted, we settle back towards Central Park West, and try out some $1.50 pizza and a coke feeling truly immersed.

The next morning at sunrise we’re up again! The excitement is just rattling through our bones, and we need to get out of our shoebox apartment to release the jitter. After our quick-stop at Zanny’s for breakfast we head across to Central Park for a morning walk. Shaun and I are both high on life right now, Colombian-brewed coffee in hand and the crunching of winter leaves on the paths as Central Park joggers speed past us. We’re slowly taking it all in, and stopping at every little bridge, bench or playground there is. As I type this I am feeling a flurry of nerves, maybe I am getting in touch with how Shaun was feeling at the time, because at the next spot we stopped our lives both changed. I saw a sign for the “Ladies Pavilion” as I ran towards it and said, “your not allowed in here” to Shaun, and placed my bag down and my camera over my shoulder. We took a few happy snaps together, and then I walked down to the pond where ducks were swimming to keep warm. I ran up towards Shaun beckoning him to follow me down for more pictures and as I turn around there he is on one-bended knee with a ring to match. New York immediately meant so much more to me at that point, and Central Park was now a landmark of our lives. Oh, and after a few paused minutes, I said yes.

Sharing our story - engaged in Central Park, New York City.

With a sparkle in my eye, and on my finger, the rest of our journey was captivated by others joining in on our celebrations, locals on the Subway would smile knowing what had happened to us on this trip. Only an hour later we arrived at Battery Park where I laid eyes on the Statue of Liberty and all of her grace. Close by is also the Staten Island Ferry, the remains of the World Globe that used to sit between the Twin Towers, where fragments are missing but the world is still whole.

One major visit would be the Memorial of the World Trade Centre. We visited a few months after it had first open on the 10 year anniversary. In comparison to all the world’s tragic events, this is one I was alive to see, so it has a huge impact on my life and visiting here I must comment. The tribute is incredible, and not a greater design could be considered for the dedication to those who were lost and their families. As you have to enter through security removing majority of your clothing and belongings before you enter, I wonder if it is necessary, I can only tell you what I was feeling at the time. One thing that really bothers me is visitors who are taking selfies smiling in front of the foundation fountains, as a place of remembrance and reflection I can’t help but feel this is inappropriate. You might send me hate-mail after this, but these are my thoughts and if you have taken a smiling selfie, with your hand on your hip here, you need to get in touch with reality. 

We got some serious sightseeing out of our system the first few days, and now with a familiar feeling of the city, we ventured out to some of the same places for exploration, tried foods and walked a fair bit. So much so, we have visited New York again and plan to in the next 6 months, so it’s safe to say this city does make us feel brand new.

In our total 10 day stay on the Island of Manhattan these are my highlights to share with you:

First things first, travel to New York City for New Years Eve. If it's on your bucketlist make it happen. There are plenty of cheaper options for sleeping (like what we picked), and for celebrating the ball drop in Times Square. Many dinner packages offer free drinks unti midnight and an opportunity to go outside for the main event. We picked Chevy's and had a great time. Apart from these celebrations, the city itself has another vibe, everyone is in holiday mode, and is lit up from Central Park through to Times Square, specifically Rockerfeller Plaza with the famous Christmas Tree.

The spirit of Chrismas and New Years Eve in NYC

My top things to do are:

1) 9/11 Memorial 

2) Free tours by Foot, All-in-one downtown 

3) New York City Harbor Cruise

4) Ice Skating in Central Park's Wollman Rink

5) Empire State Building - after midnight (great way to shake off jetlag and with no crowd, it's open til 2:00 am)

6) A burger and thickshake from Mel's Burgers (check out their shake menu for further convincing)

7) Go and see all the Seinfeld sets, or if its Sex and the City, How I Met Your Mother - just do it!

8) Visit a rooftop bar, Timeout has the best options

9) Watch Amatuer Night at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem

10) Walk the length of Central Park, if not in one go, at least see what you can - with Wafel and Dinges at one end, and the American Museum of Natural History at the other, you will always be surprised.

My top picks of Manhattan

Keep spreading the news, even if you're not leaving today. Everyone should be a part of what is - New York, New York.

P.s. Here is the Shake Menu just in case you wondered

Start Wandering's first award nomination and first month

Capturing the view on top of Mt. John overlooking Lake Tekapo, New Zealand

After I finished publishing my latest post on my blog, all about new beginnings and connecting with fellow bloggers, over night I had received my first Travel Blogger award nomination! This is a first for me, and it comes EXACTLY one month from the launch of my journey blogging as Start Wandering. It is so warming to me, and I would like to thank My Rainbow Travel's Christine for the nomination and following the journey I have been on so far to even consider me. The nomination is for The Versatile Blogger Award, and a great tool to connect new bloggers amongst one another to learn and discover more about their passion that lies within, in particular among my fellow travel bloggers. It is also a mechanism to honour the bloggers versatility in this online phenomenon of an industry, and their quality of writing, uniqueness, love and passion in words, and photographic visualisation of love for what one blogs. So to be considered in any of these categories and recognised this early - I am also honoured.

There are rules in being nominated, and we all love rules so please find them outlined:

•  Thank the person who gave you this award and include a link to their blog. Check
•  Select 15 blogs/bloggers that you’ve recently discovered or follow regularly and nominate them for the Versatile Blogger Award. Check - see mine below
•  Finally, tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself. Check - read on..

My aim on this blog is to share my personal journey with my followers, and learn and grow myself through motivation and inspiration of others. So it is timely I share 7 little somethings about myself to help you get to know me a little better.

 1. What would be included in a mini-bio about me?

My name is Carissa, I am a 20-something Australian, with an Irish background on my mum's side, and English heritage on my dad's. I have been told my fathers family first arrived in Australia to assist settling the Blue Mountains with expolorers Wentworth, Blaxland and Lawson, which explains why it is imprinted in my blood to wander great sights. I am married to a 20-something bloke called Shaun, who made the cut as my ultimate travel partner after I returned home to Sydney after my backpacking trip solo around Europe. I stand at a confident 5'1" which has its advantages and disadvantages, too short to reach the overhead baggage, but short enough to stand without stooping.

Sealing the deal in Wine Country, New South Wales

 

2. Why travel?

Growing up I never really ventured beyond the local beachside suburbs on the south coast of New South Wales. By the time I was 12 I started high school which was a multicultural shock for me, meeting girls my age who mainly spoke English as their second language, and I felt ashamed but so curious to discover more about their nationalities, languages and customs. I started working as soon as legally possible to save enough money to travel once school was out, and in the meantime learnt basic Brazilian-Portuguese expecting to travel to Brazil after my 18th birthday. By the time I finished school I had a great paying job lined up and while my friends were travelling to the Gold Coast for Schoolies, I started a career. I eventually saved enough money and by my 19th birthday I had submitted my Australian Passport application, that was liberating - at least I got it before I turned 20. Me and my two girlfriends booked a cruise through the pacific islands, to get the teaser of travelling well and truly injected into my system. I made some great friends on that trip from all over Australia, and explored wonderful islands of Fiji, New Caledonia and Vanuatu with P&O Cruises. That was all I needed to get started, I don't know what first tipped me off but by the end of 2009 I bought my backpack and started planning my European getaway. 5 years and a marriage later I have stepped foot on 4 continents, travelled 21 countries and countless cities. So why travel, because the world is meant to be explored and for me as a person I need to immerse myself in culture, misdirection and tread the less beaten track.

My first overseas holiday - Vanuatu (2009)

3. What is my biggest challenge right now?

I am struggling to find the balance between the daily grind and my love for travelling. I have been employed for 7 years for the same organisation, and perhaps it is the 7 year itch for my employment relationship that I am tempted to scratch. My husband and I also did the whole lets get on the investment bandwagon in Australia while property was booming, and have a mortgage which is a challenge only because money is the consumer of all fears - and I recently overcame my fears. Which is complementary to the reason why I started my blog.....

4. Why did I start my blog?

So complementing why I had been caught up in worrying about travelling while having a mortgage, I typed into google, "travelling with a mortgage" "debt vs. travel" and came across many individuals and couples who have mortgages and travel the world. Some people have children and travel the world, and a human is much more expensive than a mortgage the way I see it..... So as I read blog after blog of people who embrace their challenges and create a written testament to help others get on board their next flight, why don't I document my journey to my next adventure to do the same for others. Truth be told, I also needed something to do, I was bored, unmotivated and lost the zest for life - I also had been diagnosed with severe depression while living in Melbourne, Australia. While I was tainted with that "label" and the stigma attached to depression, I kept wondering why, I don't understand I am usually the happy person people come to for help and support and just to have a laugh. I can probably say two things have already treated my depression, the creation of this blog, and the start of my wanderlust once again as I bite the bullet and take on a guaranteed adventure within the next 6 months. I want my followers to also not be afraid to ask questions about depression, while I know a lot of people who suffer, 1/5 will suffer at some in their life and there is no shame, as you can overcome it with your bright passions, you just need to find the spark to light it.

5. Loves

Apart from my family and friends, and the obvious love of wandering the world, there are a few things I love. If you asked me 6 months ago, what do you enjoy doing, or what is your hobby I would have to sit there and think about it. I would think is wine tasting a hobby? I laugh now because, yes it is! I love wine, mostly red wine and throughout my travels I have tasted in some great locations, Central Otago New Zealand the greatest by far. I also couldn't answer because I lost that feeling of excitement from within when you should be celebrating life, and when I started my blog I found a love for reading and writing again. I mean as a student most of us hated homework, essays and assignments, but I find myself waking up before my alarm excited to type. And that is for you, my readers. I also have a love for sport, ice hockey, AFL, UFC/MMA, soccer (sorry football to the foreigners), cricket and so many international sports. I also have a major love for dogs and puppies and most animals, so wildlife conservation is close to my heart.

6. Fears

OK so apart from the generic phobias most people have, you know spiders snakes etc. I have no issues, yes there are lots of these things in Australia and although I don't see them often I do not fear creepy crawly or slithery slimey things. I fear something that isn't even alive and kicking, and that is scarecrows - literally terrified. There is no real way to overcome that type of fear, like diving with sharks, how awesome would that be! I also majorly fear living a life without any purpose. Maybe that is attached to the previous depressive state I was in, but it gave me perspective to feel the hunger for purpose again - and that is to see all that this world has to offer.

7. And hopes. 

I invision my future to be somewhat nomadic. I don't mind the backpack, or the barefoot wandering, or long haul flights, train trips or bus journey's, in fact I appreciate getting to a destination even if it is over 24 hours. Perhaps because in Australia you have to travel so far to appreciate this tiny earth's possessions. Over the next two years, I really aim to have stepped foot on the remainder 3 continents, Antarctica is the big challenge. My hopeful bucketlist includes living and working in a Canadian Winter, a European Summer, a South East Asia school and South American conservation.  Then the fun stuff like base camp of Nepal's Mt. Everest, Shark Diving in South Africa, see Cristo Redentor in the flesh and Polar Bears in Churchill, Manitoba.

Now that you have gotten to know me a little more, and I hope you can sense my passion for adventure, I want to get to know the fellow travel bloggers I have been following closely and who help invigorate my passion for wandering. 

1. Have Blog will Travel
2. Travelling Canucks - Family Travel Blog
3. Travelholic Nomad
4. Nomadgirl.co
5. Don't Forget to Move
6. Newlywed Vagabonds
7. Jonistravelling.com
8. To Travel Too 
9. NOMADasaurus
10. Bemused Backpacker
11. The Vintage Postcard
12. Girl vs Globe
And a few big players who can't go unnoticed
13. Young Adventuress
14. YTravel Blog
15. We Travel Together

Wandering about new beginnings

The move from Melbourne to Sydney has given me a lot of time to think, but not a lot of time to type.
9 hours in a car, listening to trashy music to keep you awake, counting the sheep and kilometres as you pass down the highway can only keep you enthused for so long. We were strapped for time so the drive along the Alpine Highway or the Princes Highway along the East Coast were not an option so we took the Hume Highway (not exciting). One thing that I picked up along the way is that jittery feeling of excitement, that I left behind somewhere along the way. I know I am dreaming of adventure that is definitely coming my way. Or maybe it was just the over-caffeinated, drive across the South East of Australia...

Melbourne - Sydney 890 km in one day

I've spent a bit of time building up networks and followers to my Facebook and Twitter accounts trying to reach out to greater audiences of wanderers and bloggers like me. I hope to swap stories and hear journeys of liberation, adventure and wanderlust. I've tried getting in touch with people similar to myself to continue mustering up courage to live the ultimate dream.

While I am working, and saving up enough money for my next adventure, I need to remember a few things, and TravellingBuzz helped keep me grounded with: 20 things to do while your not travelling 

One of the problems I have is the ability to get bored really quickly, which is why I can't keep my feet on the ground for very long. So when all else leads to staying grounded, I need to get a little creative, part of the reason I have dedicated so much time to creating my new blog. I am forever interested in searching for new travel destinations that keep my spark alive, so any help in places off the beaten track to help fulfil my need for wanderlust - keep sharing! 

I now have an official Start Wandering Twitter and Instagram, and my next challenge now that I am settled (for the time being), is to work hard on building up this blog and turn it into a website. Any tips and ideas on progressing this for a full time worker starting out in this social media frenzy, would be great! 

Social Media is taking over!

Oh, and on a final note. One thing that is really scary in this life, is life vs. living. It is the struggle of the daily grind against earning enough to make a life, not a living. Why get caught up in the traps of living each day, month and year dreaming and never achieving. By all means this is not just about travel, some people are content in staying put and prefer the career ladder as a form of thriving and make it happen; or sport, or home-making, but if your not doing something to get you closer to your dream, your simply just existing. 

While of late people are not conforming to societies expectations, I have always liked to push the boundaries, and when people keep asking what is next on my list - the answer is not children, just not right now. No, I am not selfish that I want to live my life and travel the years ahead of me with my hubby - who in fact has bigger ideas on having his children on international soil. When I stumbled upon the Zapp family and took a page from their book. This family have been travelling non-stop for over 14 years giving birth to 4 children along the way - each in a different country of course!

What I learnt from their story is that life is surprising, and whatever your journey - you can make it happen. Where I end up, is not the point its where I go along the way that defines me.