FLASHPACKERS TRAVEL

Create the Story You Want to Tell – Michelle Elliot

What do you regret in life?

I’ve always hated that question, it is like it asks you to undo all the threads that you have created in your entire life.  I end up not answering it because I find it hard to regret anything because I just can’t imagine what life would be like without my gorgeous kids born, but I did often ponder just one regret.

I had a dream of travelling the world.  I imagined that I would finish school and become an air hostie and travel or just take some time off and set off around the world.  So if there is anything I regret, it is not taking a Gap Year.

It was after my 40^th birthday that I really started to think about what direction I wanted our life to move in.  It was tough, we still had nine kids in school and zero savings, but I decided to open up an account and put away $10 a pay/$20 a month.  Sounds like pittance and it was, but it kept my dream alive of working towards a gap year for my 50^th birthday.

Then in 2016, I was given an opportunity to take up a scheme with my work to work for four years at 80% of my wage and take the fifth year off (paying myself with the remaining 80% that was put aside), so I took it!  This was like a dream come true.

So for the last four years I have dreamt up itinerary after itinerary. 

Where to first?  Oh definitely Italy, France, Spain, oh hang on, we have a dream of living in Canada, but wait, what about Machu Picchu and Iguazu Falls and don’t forget Alaska and Antarctica.  So we dreamed and planned and dreamed and planned and dreamed and planned some more.

We settled on this itinerary, leaving 26^th July, 2020.

• Hawaii for one week (Maui was my dream destination)
• Canada, driving a motor home from the west coast to the east coast for three months and renewing our marriage vows in Nova Scotia on the 10^th October)
• Mexico
• South America for nearly three months
• Europe and Africa for the rest of our year.

The first six months were fairly planned, with full payment made on the motor home and a couple of other items, $4,000 for a years travel insurance fully paid and over $15,000 on deposits for various tours.  All up, we invested over $45,000 into this trip.

Then our plans expanded, we tried to come up with ways to save money and renting our home seemed to be the most logical next step.  I had come across housesitting and after our gorgeous Archie died in October 2017, we were desperately missing the company of our fur baby and loved the idea of welcoming some temporary fur babies into our hearts. 

I planned and secured seven months of housesits.  During the planning I met the most beautiful families and even made friends with a gorgeous couple who welcomed us into their home to care for their precious Tonkinese cat.  We were beyond excited.

Greg did an incredible job selling so much of our belongings and the rest we placed in storage.  I left the family home to begin our first house sit on January 3^rd, 2020 and Greg joined me on January 14^th, 2020.

Honestly, it felt freeing.  No more attachments to bricks and mortar, minimal bills and it honestly felt like we were on holidays, despite both working still.

We were about 10 weeks into our house sits and the low rumblings of stories began emerging around COVID19, until they were a loud thunderous almighty BANG. 

On March 25^th, 2020, we were officially homeless.

It was like someone had promised us this magical life and allowed us to live it and then ‘poof’ it all went up in smoke.  I would have to say it was the most difficult time of our lives.  I won’t apologise for this feeling, I won’t gloss over it and say, well at least we are alive, or it could be worse or as one recent colleague said, well at least you aren’t dead.  I won’t do any of this, because at the time it was soul destroying and I believe in acknowledging the moment and walking through it in the hope to come out the other side.

On Monday 13^th April, 2020, after a fuckton of tears, we made the decision to cancel our entire overseas trip.  And as I write this, nearly seven weeks after making this decision, we still have not received one cent back from anything that was organised through our travel agent.  I have received most of my money from bookings that I had organised and made myself, and in some cases a full refund, but it is unlikely that we will get all of our money back.  At this stage all the deposits are credit only and obviously the full payment for the motor home and other vehicles are keeping around $1,000 for cancellation fees.

Credit’s are great, if you are planning on returning in the allocated time frame, but I have no idea if we will travel for quite some time to come.

Don’t misunderstand me, this is an awful situation for everyone, tour companies, travel agents, no one has gone without being hurt financially through this pandemic, but this was not cancelled through any fault of our own.  Our $4,000 travel insurance through Covermore is unlikely to assist, I have since spoken to others effected through this crisis and BankVic Travel Insurance is fully covering all amounts that are not refunded to you, so a little tip for next time (if there is ever going to be a next time) you travel!

So, back to where we are today.

We found the most gorgeous Airbnb in Daylesford and feel so lucky to be here.  We are surrounded by the most gorgeous bush setting and all sorts of birds visit us every day (see previous post 😉 ).

And we genuinely feel lucky to have each other and feel safe in this beautiful country.

As for our Gap Year, we are now hoping to travel around Australia and yes we are excited about this.  If I told you that we weren’t bummed about our cancelled plans I would honestly be lying, but we are definitely making the best of a really crappy situation and cannot wait until we get the okay to begin our Australian Adventure, and absolutely cannot wait to share it with you!  J

So from our hearts to yours, never forget that whatever life throws at you, to still go and;

Create the Story You Want to Tell – Michelle Elliot