13 Reasons Why
I am a wanderlust. As you all know. My friends recently tease me when they see me at the office working instead of being at the airport hopping on a plane. I don't mind those jokes. I get inspired and recharged with new experiences, friends and places. What is the better way to do this than be on my backpack and go away for the weekend somewhere far or just different.
I never expected that my recent Australian outback experience would be life-changing. My views changed. My horizon got wider. My crowd got bigger. The circle of life made more sense to me. I hopped on a plane Friday morning for flight to Ayer's Rock for a birthday trip. It was a complimentary flight from my ANZ travel credit card. The perks got more perky. I was offered with much discounted 2-nights tour package for Uluru and the accommodations will be in the outback, for real. It ain't luxurious and I need to camp. As I never had legitimate camping experience in the past ever, I didn't budge signing up. And it was one of the best memories of my life. Here are my 13 reasons why.
1. I had the best sleep ever, in a swag. Regardless if you have the best pillows and bed in the world, nothing beats a good night and peaceful sleep, wherever you are.
2. Nature is my best friend. The wind was my lullaby and the sky filled with stars wasn't just a sticker on my ceiling nor a desktop wallpaper. It was for real.
3. There is no such thing as "lonely planet" when I am with good company. I was in a company of 14 people from different backgrounds. However diverse the group is, we are united in one thing, to have fun.
4. Good food is life. Thanks to our co-tourist/chef who cooked good food so our tummies were happy everyday. We had cereals for brekky, beef wraps for lunch and grilled kangaroo meat, salad, easy-to-prepare desserts and good wine for dinner.
5. The sun will always be my guide. We walked miles and miles yet we "chilled" in the sun, ironically.
6. Being in a desert doesn't mean being deserted. The vegetation is green. Water never runs dry. The sand is red and the sun is hot yet lots of people prefer the outback for a vacation.
7. I can be happy anywhere, anytime. Despite the annoying flies in the outback that will make you buy a 10 dollar fly net (or for 20 for someone desperate), you can enjoy every bit of the outback. Northern Territory is beaming with adventurous people and interesting cultures. We were introduced to Aboriginal Culture, sacredness of the land and the uniqueness of the desert life.
8. It is always fun to meet new people. As introvert that I can be often times, I always get to meet new and good friends when I travel solo. I met Adeline and Diane, who are both living in Switzerland, and the trip instantly got way better. The friendship continued even after the trip.
9. Chatting is key to enjoying. The common interests such as diving, counting countries that you have been, sharing weird travel experiences and good laughs over dislikes on where you live and you have been are some fun conversation topics while travelling.
10. Cozy is the new luxury. I had a tent for my luggage but I had the swag for myself. I travelled in a tour bus for 8-hours return trip to Ayer's Rock. I did not have A/C in my cabin but the cold night breeze while I wrap myself with a sleeping bag was just perfect.
11. Bonfire is always a good idea. There is this magic that bonfires bring. It exudes good vibes, calms you down and makes you reflect and think good thoughts.
12. My photographs don't give justice. They always don't reflect the full beauty of what I saw but they take snaps of reality that I can always go back to.
13. Adventures never die. Only people do.
If the reasons I mentioned above are not enough to convince you to take that trip in the Outback, maybe this video that I created will. Credits to Lion King's Circle of Life for the music in the video.