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A 5 week experience that totally changed my life and outlook on international travel! Prior to the Summer of 2018, my international travel list consisted of Canada and Mexico with one Caribbean trip thrown in...and I was totally okay with that! What I didn't know was that one Facebook post was going to change my outlook and desire for international travel! See I have traveled all over the United States for volunteer work and business for 18 years but never had the desire to leave the country. To be honest I was afraid of the unknown - language, driving, food, and the most important customs! However a former co-worker lost her dad to pancreatic cancer in Fall 2017 and was spending her inheritance on a year of travel to every continent and was going to Australia.. Did anyone want to join her? Kidding, I responded I would love to see koalas and kangaroos!!! That quick comment lead to a 4 week adventure in a campervan and 4 night exploration aboard a diving boat in The Great Barrier Reef! After little to no planning, we boarded a plane out of Boston, MA in June 2018 with our backpacks and a campervan reservation. That was it, we were winging this trip for 4 weeks! After a 6 hour flight to LAX, I was feeling good. Then came a 3 hour layover and then a 16 hour flight to Melbourne! Want to know what 29 hours of travel feels like, just think about the last time you woke up in your PJs and then proceeded to stay in them all day and go back to bed in them - Yuck! But we arrived in Melbourne at 5am local time to 45 degrees Fahrenheit excited and giddy! After trying to go to breakfast at a closed restaurant, we made it to the campervan pick up! After a very quick orientation, we signed our lives away and took off!! There is nothing scarier than driving a HUGE van on the wrong side of the road in another country with the GPS telling you to go the wrong way around the roundabout! Needless to say, we had the adventure of our lives exploring the east coast of Australia for 4 weeks in our campervan. We learned how to drive on the wrong side of the road, how to use a campervan, we saw a ton of koalas, kangaroos and wombats. We met the most friendly, amazing Aussie's with the best accent ever everywhere we went. We saw the breathtaking ocean landscape for miles and miles. And just when I thought we were going home and I was a little sad to say the least...we booked a 4 night adventure on a Live Aboard boat to explore the Great Barrier Reef! This trip taught me so much about Australia and more importantly about myself! I am now not afraid to explore new countries, actually I am excited for my next one! I enjoyed trying the Kangaroo as a dinner option vs just seeing them in the Zoo! I conquered driving on the wrong side of the road in a huge van and everyone spoke English which was a bonus! And finally I got there safe and sound and made it home with no issues at customs! I am forever grateful to my friend Jonelle who took this international travel girl out of her shell and showed her all the world has to offer! We are currently planning our next adventure together to Japan!!! The world is a beautiful and exciting adventure that everyone should have the opportunity to explore at some point in their lives. Lucky for me, I have the freedom and flexibility to explore whenever I want! Thank you for reviewing my story! I would cherish the opportunity to get more out of my travel box and learn from an expert on how to share the wonders of the world with readers!