Looking back...
A lot of time has passed since writing my previous blog posts. I have travelled to many countries, seen some awe inspiring sites, eaten so many different cuisine's and above all experienced a vast array of cultures. It almost shocks me to see how much I have grown as a traveller and more so as a person.
The amount of gratitude and empathy that manifests within your soul after experiencing and seeing confronting things when travelling is something that will change you for the good.
It surprises me to read what 22 year old Ellie was thinking when she first touched down in India in March 2014. Alas, I was very naive, but boy did I have a life changing adventure ahead of me.
A few snaps from the road in cronological order, starting with India and ending with now in Sydney.
Over the past 3 1/2 years I have travelled to 10 countries. I would like to say that I have experienced these places. When I travel, I like to stay in the same place for a while. I like to get to know the locals, the lady who sells fruit on the corner shop waves hello every morning - i love this.
I want to know what the people are like, what their culture involves and how they live their lives. I am not travelling to just take tacky tourist selfies in front of beautiful historical buildings, and eat fried rice. I want to eat where the locals eat, I want to learn their language, and I want to have a positive impact on the places I go to. I want to see the dark side to these tourist hot spots, and travel to the places where tourism hasn't arrived yet. I don't believe in this country hopping culture, staying each place for 3 days. Thats not for me. I don't believe you can experience a country in this such short amount of time.
One of my pet pieves is when people say they've 'done' a country. Have you 'done' it? Is it a task in which you are just ticking off boxes? It's cool to have a bucket list, but when you exclaim that you have 'done' a country, you are implying you have completed it. There is no such thing. We as travellers need to stop gloating about how many things we have done, and start sharing experiences and advice with others.
Some people may feel intimidated, or shy when sharing their travel stories. Some may think that I am boasting when I talk of my travels. I want to explain now, travelling is part of my life, so I will tell stories from the road. These stories aren't to boast or 'one up,' they are just 'this one time in...' memories. I love to hear other peoples 'this one time in...' I love to talk to the locals, hear about their lives and compare stories. I seem to be drawn towards like minded explorers, not the average 2 day selfie bucket list ticker, and I can't wait to meet some more like minded souls out there to share more tales with!
Peace and Love x
