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In May 2001 I quit my job at IBM, bought a plane ticket and gave up my 3 bedroom appartment to jump on a plane and head for destination Adventure Land which later became LaLa Land for me as i headed into the Unknown on my own ready to tackle all sorts of challenges. I accepted all kinds of work to pay for my travel expenses and hitchhiked around Australia on my own and got joy rides from strangers which ended up being fun & adventurous. Staying in hostels or budget hotels; crashing at friends and family or couchsurfing my way around Australia and later in New Zealand kept my pennies in check as I was on a tight budget all the time. Making friends was not hard nor was partying and having a good time with other backpackers or nomads. We were all in the same boat and we could relate to each other without explaining ourselves. Getting the same vibes with the Australian locals was another level I had not experienced in my life as these people saw us in a negative light which did not go well with the reputation of a freespirit or nomad. My friends & family thought I was nuts for doing this but i am glad i did it because i lost myself a few times and when i returned home to Europe in 2017 I found myself again. At home and in my element but a changed person within. Life would never be the same again but i wouldn't have traded this unusual experience for the world for in doing this i learnt more about the world than I would ever do by reading books or watching tv about Australia. I learnt in the School of Hard Knocks the importance of resilience and finding courage in new challenges and picking myself up when I had setbacks. True Grit has now become my philosophy in any new undertaking I now face in 2020 and I have this experience in the past to be grateful for! How is it possible that somebody like me who was always career orientated trade down for a nomadic life in rough and ready Australia? I just followed my gut feeling and wanted to do something different from my normal dull and boring life and knew I would regret not trying! It's to have tried and failed than not to try at all! At 75 yrs old when I am in my rocking chair I can at least have a chuckle or two when I go through my travel diaries and have a stroll Down Memory Lane while I peruse my foto albums and look at all the countries I visited including while I worked my way around Australia. It never seems to amaze me that I dedicated this adventure to my late brother and my father who never got to see as much as of the world as I did while I was so young and full of curiosity but I am thankful for the wonderful, wild and wacky adventures I experienced in the past and now I am a lot older and the dust is settled I can say I made my wish came true and I had a team of Angel's guiding and protecting me along the way to ensure me of not getting into too much trouble. Thank God for all the good and bad times and especially for bringing me back home safe and sound! Would I be up for another adventure or a round the world trip?? I would say yes in a minute and seize this chance as life is so short and we need to make the most of all this world has to offer us! Carpe Diem!