After finishing what seemed like a lifetime in school, I told my parents that I was taking a gap year. (6) I was going travelling instead! I can't
say that my parents were thrilled with the idea but they seemed to be quite understanding at the time, probably because they hadn't taken me seriously. A friend of mine had e-mailed me from Australia. A year older than me, she had already gone to see the world alone. Now she was in Australia, travelling and working, and she suggested that I should start my travels there. You can't get much further from home than Australia and a
trip down under, as they say, is perfect for travelling alone. It has sun, sand and plenty of surfing. (.................couldn't wait to see a real Australian kangaroo! Of course, my parents were not as confident as I was. They needed a lot of persuading. I showed them blogs and sites on backpacking around Australia. Finally, they agreed as they saw I had made up my mind. (8) . They even bought me a great backpack for my travels! Australia, as I found out, is well known for its travelling culture, so wherever you are, you meet lots of people. Backpacking is really popular, especially along the East Coast, which is famous for its party atmosphere. (9) ...... It's a real break before entering university or trying to get jobs. Although I did miss my family and comfortable bed from time to time, the experiences I had were worth it! I met amazing people and I saw rainforests, desert, beautiful sandy beaches and so much more! (10) . But even those are part of the experience, I suppose!