The journey started here.

I was looking through my older posts for a ‘throwback’ post, as I have so many posts that I would like to share again that have sunk into the murky depths of daily blogging. It is nice to remind myself how far my blog has come, and what got me here.

I was searching for posts that I shared on this day in 2017, exactly a year ago and at the start of my Australia journey. It turns out I didn’t post at all in the whole month of October, my last post was this one on 31st August. I didn’t post again until my visit to the Blue Mountains outside Sydney in November. The whole of September and October was spent job searching and getting to know the city I temporarily called home.

But this was nice to read. I remember this train journey so well, probably because it wasn’t my usual train journey despite being a familiar route. It was one that had my sister and mother waving to me from the platform and knowing I wouldn’t see them for a long time. I cannot wait to see them again in January, this time they are visiting me and I cannot wait for them to see Sydney for themselves.

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When I first thought September would be the most realistic month for me to save enough to travel at the beginning of the year, it seemed so far away. Now, here I am in first class (at the amazing cost of £30), on route to London.

A slight jump as I sit down, realising that the seats recline. And… I don’t have to sit next to anyone! A free glass of white wine recently topped up and a pretty decent duck wrap. I’m not used to first class, I’m looking around to ensure I am not doing anything that will expose me as an economy traveller. So far, so good.

Then, autocorrect proved itself to be the devil as I described what I was having on the journey to my mother.

My mum has a new phone number. I don’t have a new mum.

As soon as you leave the station in Durham the most beautiful view awaits. How many routes around the world are this beautiful?

I’m roughly half way through my journey to London. That of course is hardly a dent in my journey to Sydney. The wine makes this a great start. The next 72 hours are going to be tiring, but worth it. It’s a shame to leave my family however it is a great opportunity now for them to visit me in a place they have never been. That is the best way to look at any goodbye, an opportunity for a new hello. This time, the same hello, just on a new adventure.

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R.B 16.10.18