Life after living the dream.

The money ran out. It slowly dwindled at first. I tried to make it grow. I tried not to spend it. But it ran out eventually.

I did so many things in my year-long trip around the world. I rode motorcycles across islands, I lived on tropical beaches. I hitch-hiked half way across Europe. I fell in love. I drank too much, ate things I shouldn’t have and slept in some pretty stupid places. Eventually it, what was the most life changing experience I have ever had as a young man, ended.

At the end of 2014, having sold all my things, I said goodbye to friends and then I set off from little old South Australia to see the world. You’ll never know the feeling of carrying everything you own in the world on your backpack until you’re stuck, hitch-hiking on a random road, on the other side of the planet from your home. As much as I’d like to talk about all of the adventures I had and the things I learnt, you can find more on that elsewhere.

I will share one experience with you.

About 4 months into my travels I found myself living on a tropical island. It lies just off the coast of Cambodia in Asia’s South East. This island had the perfect blend of backpacker curiosities and magical sunsets to be the kind of place I wanted to settle down. I met a girl, got a job and found my self fall out of the flow of backpackers adventuring around the world. Instead of travelling, I was living. I worked with some amazing people and made friendships that will stay with me for life. For months we drank, partied, swam and ate. Working for us was sitting around pouring drinks for friends and travellers alike. Our pay wasn’t much more than free food, drink and accommodation, though it was enough to have the time of our lives. Sadly one day, I had to leave. The inevitable flow of the travelling lifestyle had once again dislodged me from my place in the sand and carried me on my way. I had oceans to cross and the rest of the world to see.

6 months of travelling through Europe passed, but one day the money ran out. My life of endless Saturdays had come to an end.

I was in Norway, the country which I called home base while I ventured around Europe thanks to my Norwegian girlfriend. One day I checked my bank account, dreading the thought of what it would say. $728.34, in Australian Dollars. This was the money I’d need to get me set up again after my travels. Sadly less than what I’d planned to have after almost 12 months of gallivanting around the globe, but money well spent.

That was now over 5 months ago. Almost half a year since I was jobless, beautifully tanned and dangerously skinny. 5 months since I had no worries in the world except for how to spend my day. I got a job, bought some clothes, put down rent for a room in an apartment. My drawers are filling up with bits and bobs. The mattress which has been my bed for over 100 days has my shape sunk into one side. Believe me when I say that the post travel depression has come.

I wake up every day, walk to work and live a normal life again. What was a reality only 6 months, now feels like an impossible dream.

But it’s not so bad. Because the dream isn’t broken. Almost a year after I said goodbye to the friends and left that island, I still hear from them; the ones who stayed.

Two of those friends of mine, who chose to not go home, have now set up a charity to help orphaned dogs. Some of the guys I worked with are working in the same bars they loved when I’d left. Last I heard, another friend has recently left Nepal after volunteering for months after their dreadful earthquakes. One guy is still moving through Asia on a shoestring. Another is back there now, living the same dream I left behind. Through social media, I get to see pictures of people that found a paradise just like I did.

“I didn’t make the wrong choice by leaving.” — I have to tell myself that some days. But really, the beautiful thing is I got to make this choice in the first place, and I can always go back. There is so much more in this world than just working. Work is just a means to an ends, and it won’t be long until I live the adventure again.

Check out more from me at www.nomadwilliam.com