Have you ever read the book “Don’t Sweat the Small stuff”? It’s great for over-thinkers like myself. As a person who received it as a subtle Christmas gift; I'm undeniably the ‘Panic now, logic later’ type. Needless to say, the term “Go with the flow” was foreign to me and, in need of an introduction. The year was 2019 and, of course, like every other great cliché, it started with a boy. Juggling 3 part-time jobs and a quarter life crisis, with nothing but measly South African Rands in my bank account, a brilliant idea happened upon me in a dream. My then-boyfriend was spending 6 months in the UK. “Let’s chase a Red Flag across the ocean!” I decided. Location: Scunthorpe, England. What an absolute destination. Embracing this new-found spontaneity, I chose to ignore my reality; I was a struggling Waitress/ Au-pair/ YouTube foodie in Cape Town – South Africa, and gave myself two months to start saving. NOBODY PANIC! Though I was to explore a wide array of places, the majority of the time would be spent at Casa de Red Flag, for money saving purposes. Ideas kept flowing as I then opted against “Just going for two weeks” and instead elected “If I'm going, it has to be worthwhile!” Two months seemed feasible and, with a lack of logic or reason, I booked my flights. Excitement set in. I worked every day for 2 months straight, surviving on coffee and big dreams! One WEEK before departure: Mr Red Flag sends an unsettling message: “I haven’t asked my landlord, I don’t think you staying here is going to work out.” What? *inaudible sound* Help me understand. ONE WEEK before I leave to one of the most comparatively EXPENSIVE countries in the WORLD, I must justify going to SCUNTHORPE, on PURPOSE, for two MONTHS; AND re-arrange weeks of previously secured, free accommodation? ARE YOU SERIOUS? Numerous panic attacks later, I uncharacteristically surrendered the trip to the universe. “What will be will be” - the mantra of the moment. These soothing words would also combat the looming Mercury Retrograde that, according to ‘the stars’, had it out for me too. I pushed onward. Mr Red Flag or not, this trip was happening! NEW PLAN: Quest for budget friendly accommodation ensues. Aside from professional eating, I'm skilled at making friends. Cape Town, a tourist hub, meant raiding my contact list for internationals I’d befriended on cocktail-fueled nights out. I trusted these strangers to provide me with secure, reliable, FREE accommodation, on short notice. Look at me go! ONE DAY BEFORE DEPARTURE: - Landed in Johannesburg, South Africa – CHECK! - Visa – CHECK! - Return flights to Heathrow – CHECK! - A ONE-WAY flight to Aberdeen, SCOTLAND (Just because) - CHECK! - Bank balance: ZAR16781 / £811 to last 8 weeks through the UK, including ALL TRAVEL not mentioned above, ALL accommodation, Food, Drinks AND Entertainment – (Less enthused) CHECK! Details of the events that followed would require several blog posts and a fireplace. Hostels, acquaintances, family and strangers made room for me and the 3 unnecessarily large bags that accompanied me. Mr Red Flag accommodated me for a few days only. The rest of the time found me in London, York, Aberdeen, Edinburgh (Planned for a night, stayed for a week; The most magical city), Buckinghamshire, Cheltenham, Cambridge, Sheffield, back down to London and MORE. The route looked like something a toddler would scribble on a map. I was free. I stayed where I liked, when I liked, with whomever I liked. Each couple of days introduced a new bed, new friends, adventures, secret places, always Australians, great food, late night antics, traffic cone foolery, and a lifetime of memories. The best plans are the ones that go nothing like you imagined. Occasionally, roadblocks are placed to steer you in a different direction. Don't resist it; let those inconveniences move you. There's already so much we can't control, we might as well just live it. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have another 10 blogs worth of content to write about. There are worse things than not knowing what's next; hell I could've ended up on a gloomy couch in Sunny Scunny for 2 months. Could be worse. Could be better. Anyway. Just surrender.