I started my trip in Ireland at the beginning of July. On my tour of the island I met 3 people that
were travelling together: Stacey, Francis and Shane. Stacey and Francis are a couple from
Melbourne and Shane is Stacey’s brother.
We had great fun together, along with the rest of our tour mates. I remember telling everyone that I was
planning on going to Australia eventually for a working holiday. I listened as Shane told me how beautiful the
town Merimbula was, where he came from, and I got an invite from Stacey to
celebrate Christmas with her and her family so I wouldn’t be alone. I couldn’t get over how nice the three of
them were, and I was excited with the thought of seeing them again. I remember when I first got to Australia
Shane was one of the first people to text me when I got my Australian phone
number. Stacey called me soon after to
check in on me and see how I was doing.
It was so nice to be in a country where I actually knew people were
caring about me, having gone so long in places where I barely knew anyone.
I showed up at Stacey and
Francis’s place to stay on December 16th. I had no plan really, just to find work and
get a place to live as quickly as I could.
Things didn’t quite go as planned.
I found myself struggling with the idea of if I really wanted to stay
and live in Melbourne. I applied vigorously for temporary jobs online but was
having no luck. To be honest, I could
have tried harder to find a job, but my heart wasn’t quite into it. So instead I was slightly lost, not sure
about what I was going to do next. But
Stacey and Francis were totally cool with me staying with them, offering their
spare room and inviting me to things with their friends and family. They made me feel welcome and not guilty
about crashing. They never made me feel
like I was being a mooch. I can’t get over their generosity towards
me. We had fun together as well, going
on long car trips to Swan Hill and Merimbula.
They also had the privilege of learning some nerdy parts of my past –
something that I usually don’t share with people I meet while travelling.
I am not sure how things would
have been different if I just stayed in a hostel the whole time while I was
here in Melbourne. But I needed
this. I needed my own room for awhile, a
nice bed to sleep in. I needed time to
think. Why am I here? What is the purpose of this trip? What do I want to do next? And I definitely
got to see a side of them that I never saw in Ireland. Stacey and Francis are one of the sweetest
couples that I have ever seen, and I have been spending the last few weeks
seeing what a great relationship looks like.
They are seriously perfect for each other. I hope that when I do decide to commit to
someone again I will have what they have together.
So thanks guys, thanks for
everything. You are some of the nicest,
most generous people that I have ever met and I will never forget that. I wish
that I could give you something amazing in return but at the moment all I can
give is this post. If you ever come my
way and I have a place you know that you will be able to stay as long as you
want too. I also hope that you two have
a rocking time in Malaysia and the Philippines – you two certainly deserve the
time together.
Now, on January 12th I
leave for Tasmania. Back to hostel
living and eventually camping. Let me
tell you, living that way make me appreciate a private room and shower so much
more. It’s amazing the little things in
life you take for granted that can become so pleasurable after
backpacking. I know that it’s going to
be a long while before I have my own bed again so I better make sure I get the
most out of my last few nights!
