CwL On the road Ep13 – Why did I choose these destinations?

Hey, so I have had a lot of questions about why I have chosen the particular route I’ve chosen in the countries that I have chosen on this trip. So I’m just gonna give you a quick little rundown because I can then just direct everyone to this episode so you can have a little, listen. I was kind of vague about the itinerary before I left on, on socials because it wasn’t all totally locked in.

Yep. And in some cases there’s about seven weeks that still aren’t. But let me tell you a little bit more about all the decision making for this. So, originally when I came up with the idea, or when I was putting together the idea, I had wanted to do six months and I wanted to do a month in six different countries.

So I didn’t want to move around a lot. I wanted to find a spot to live and to spend a month there being a part of the local kind of culture. Uh, I was looking on a whole heap of different sites. There’s stacks of different ways in which to find accommodation around the world. I, you know, was looking at house sitting and pets, sitting and doing all those sorts of things.

And then a few things started to happen with work and I, I thought I was actually, I’m actually most likely gonna be needing to be home by mid-November. So that idea kind of got cut back. I realized that there was just so much that I wanted to see when I started to engage the kids in the conversation for this, which I did pretty early on.

Because I wanted their buy-in. I didn’t wanna just make the decision and then go and we’re off. I mean, they’d freak. It’s a pretty big thing to do. So I started planting seeds a long time, like months before, beforehand when I was considering it. Like imagine what it would be like if we could have a big trip overseas.

Imagine.

And then I would start to really sort of talk about if we went, we would have to say goodbye to Omar and Pop and we would have to say goodbye to, you know, soccer team and netball team. And it would probably mean you guys, my daughters couldn’t be in the school production this year. And I just let it all marinate for them and just really started to sense.

For them what it would all kind of mean and, and while I was doing this, I also was getting them excited about where they might go. So a lot of what we are doing, not, not a lot, but some of it is because it was the kids’ idea. For example, the first place we went to was Japan because it was pretty much the only place my son wanted to go.

So off to Japan, we went. It was really interesting also for myself to see where I actually really wanted to go. If it wasn’t gonna be to put ourselves in a place and be there for a month, where could we go? And also remembering that. This is the first time I’ve traveled with three kids on my own. The only time they’ve ever been overseas before was a trip to Bali four years ago.

And I have lost my traveling mojo. I mean, uh, probably not the only one over the last few years who wasn’t feeling as confident as I used to. I mean, I used to travel a lot. And a lot with the kids up and back from Sydney to Melbourne up and back from Brisbane to Melbourne. I used to take two toddlers and a baby from Brisbane to Melbourne on my own.

I’d do it without Nick most of the time because he’d be working, or you know, we needed to get flights ’cause we were using staff travel that were outside peak times. Uh, so we could get on ’cause you’re flying standby the whole time. So that’s the other, I mean, I’d even be flying, standby with, with babies and toddlers.

I was a pretty great traveler. But I, definitely, I just lost my confidence with it. I, I don’t know if you’ve been back at an airport since Covid Times, but the first time I did, I was like, what? How do we hang on, where do we go? What do we do? How do we, what are these bag tags? Do I need one? I don’t know.

Should I, should I weigh my carry on? Are they gonna be strict? It was so weird, wasn’t it? And so I felt really, I felt nervous about doing this on my own. I really did. Now that I’m, I’m here and I’m on the road. I feel like my confidence has just skyrocketed actually in a million different ways just because I have kind of conquered this, just because I’m doing, I’m doing it such a good feeling, actually.

Anyway, I knew I wasn’t gonna go into the jungle. I knew I wasn’t gonna go too off track. I knew I wanted places where I could access good healthcare. You know, I was just kind of making decisions. I was making conservative decisions about where we were gonna go. There’s Lisa that would just like to throw all caution to the wind.

There’s the Lisa, who is a parent, a solo parent on her own, and kind of knew I had to, I didn’t wanna freak myself and the kids out Totally. So I, I mean, I’m basically going visiting. I’m going visiting people is kind of the way it feels. So in Japan, we knew no one, Japan, we chose because my son wanted to go there.

Huge anime fan, which I’ve since discovered isn’t cool. He’s like, mom, could you please not tell people on your social media that I like anime? But we’re all friends here and we all know that kids have different interests. One of his is anime, and I’ll not mention it on my social media, but here it is on the potty.

He loved it. We all loved it. Then I decided that I wanted to come back and, and visit my friend Anna from Sweden. I wanted to get back to Sweden. I actually was trying to plan the trip so we could be here for Midsummers, because I’ve only ever been here in winter. I. Have heard so many amazing stories about the Midsummer Festival, that was what I really wanted, but we missed it.

I would’ve had to have left in June much, much earlier, and it just worked out with the tickets. The far easier way to go was Japan first, so we did that. We flew from Japan direct to Helsinki. It was so cheap. The tickets that we got, it was when the ticket, the price for the tickets came through and shout out to Bayview Travel in Brighton who helped me with sorting the tickets when the cost of all of it came through.

That was when I knew I was going. Uh, I expected to pay probably double what we paid, but because Finnair fly direct from Asia to Helsinki, it was much cheaper. And because we’re starting and finishing our trip in Asia, so I. Starting it in Japan and ending in Thailand. Finnair did it really cheaply. So good.

So Intel, Helsinki, and then coming to Sweden and I’d ne I’ve never seen, I spent some time in Sweden, but I’ve always been so curious about Norway. Never been. And I’ve also never been to Denmark, and so I thought we’d do a little. Scandy trip, so into Sweden. We spent a few nights with Anna in Lund and then in Stockholm, which as I record this, I’m in my last night in Stockholm.

We’re about to head to Norway, so we’re doing Norway and then getting a ferry down to Copenhagen overnight, and then spending I think three, three or four nights there. And so we don’t, we, well, I have a friend who lives in Norway, but unfortunately she’s going to be, she’s in Australia right now, so we’re gonna miss her.

But she’s, I. Set me up with a friend of hers who’s gonna show us around Oslo for a bit. Originally, the Norway idea was also because my son had a most beautiful friend in grade two. His name was all. And they were like the most beautiful friends. His mom and I just used to look at them and just think, this is love.

This is the most beautiful thing we’ve ever seen in our lives. The purity of their friendship was like something else. Anyway, they live in Norway. I. But they live about a two and a half hour flight north of Oslo and speaking to her mom and just the changes that have happened for all of, and where he’s at right now in his life, the fact that the time that we were gonna be there, he’s actually in a basketball camp, and it could be five degrees, it could be 25 degrees where they are.

We actually decided to, uh, I made the decision not to go and visit them, but that was gonna be the Norway reason, but, I’ve just, I’ve always wanted to see it, just knowing how beautiful it is. So put it on the agenda, kept it on the agenda anyway, and then after our little scandy trip, I had to get back to Ireland.

My dad is Irish. I lived and worked there for about six months. I mean, it’s a very, very special place to me. I loved my time. In Dublin, I have been back, I’ve been to Ireland three or four times. No, four, four times. And I would, I really wanna take the kids there. I want them to, I mean, experience where their pop is from.

I have a lot of special people in Ireland that I’d like to introduce ’em to. So many of my second cousins have had their own kids and I’d love to meet them. Uh, I just wanted to reconnect and, and see people and, and show my kids the countryside as well. So we are doing Dublin. We’re heading around to Galway, seeing some very special people in Limerick, and I’ve never seen the ring of Kerry, so.

I, we are doing that and then a little bit in Wicklow and back in Dublin, and so we’re gonna spend two weeks in Ireland. It’s the only place I’m hiring a car, and that’s gonna feel nice, I think I’m a bit nervous about driving on the roads, but at least it’s the right side of the road and knowing that we can, we can get around that place without.

Having to, to wait for buses and doing all that sort of thing would just feel really good. And because we’re doing a lot of visiting of people, I didn’t wanna be a burden on anyone. I just wanted to be able to get around and, and get to see them. So we are doing that, which will be lovely. And then we’re doing London for five nights.

The kids have wanted to go to London for as long as I can remember. Well pretty much for as long as I was with. Party boy, and as he’s from England, he’s not from London, but they’ve heard so many stories. Harry Potter World is there, which is a big, which is basically my youngest, that’s her trip highlight.

So we’ve got tickets for Harry Potter World. We will, yeah, do five nights there and then we fly to Munich. So that’s happening on the 3rd of August. And. The reason for Munich is one of my best friends in the whole world lives there. She moved there to teach at the international school and. I mean, I’m godmother to her daughter was at her wedding in Munich.

Just love this woman. They have a really big house. We are going to use her place as a bit of a base, so we leave Europe on the 20th. Oh, the 19th of October and fly to Thailand for three weeks before coming home. And so that kind of seven weeks is unplanned right now. I wasn’t sure how the kids would be going by this stage, whether we would wanna just kind of chill for a while.

Be in a house with a family, be a part of a, a regular rhythm and routine, knowing that we can do day trips, we can do overnight or, or two day trips to so many places. Uh, but, and just from, from their house, so we don’t have to carry everything. We can just carry bits and pieces and we can explore mainland Europe from there.

But my middle child really wants to go to Spain. I would love them. Like we are definitely doing Paris, Italy is a must. Croatia is a definite, as Nick’s dad was Croatian, so I’d really want to show them Croatia. I was actually hoping one of his brothers might come over and do that with us. But, Uh, they can’t.

So we’ll just head there. And I don’t want it to be fast paced. Like for something like Croatia, I want us to just go for a week, have an Airbnb, be it, have a little beach holiday kind of vibe. I’d love them. I’d love to take them to a Greek island. Really, it’s gonna be about what is affordable and easy at that stage.

I’m not doing the trip in expensive ways. I mean, we went to Universal Studios and we’re doing Harry Potter World. That’s probably the most excessive. Things that we’ll do, although I think they have in their heads we might be doing Disneyland in Paris. But I dunno, for me, and just thinking about my children and, and what I wanna get out of this trip, it’s not actually about seeing all the sites.

It’s about being in different places. And oftentimes it’s gonna be about the people really like even just living with Anna. For those few days, seeing how what Swedish people eat and what they do and how they live and all of that kind of thing. That’s really what it’s called that. As I said, I’m basically just going visiting to some of my favorite people around the world because, and, and getting out into nature.

The top days in places so far have involved just. Absolutely. Spending no money packing a picnic lunch and going off one to a lake, one into the woods. Honestly, that is more what I’m about than all of the seeing all of the sites. There’s some cities where absolutely that’s what we’re going to do, but.

They can go back and do this, that sort of stuff when they’re adults and can take it in a little bit more. I’m interested in having a really good time doing age appropriate stuff, experiencing places, not necessarily in a touristy way. Uh, even, although a lot of it will be touristy because we are tourists and we wanna see cool things.

So, so yeah, that’s it. That is the way, you know, the Thailand thing. We’re secretly hoping that some relatives are going to be coming to see us in Thailand, uh, for that part of the trip. And really that was just about seeing something different. Once again, we’re gonna go north for a bit and then come back down, and I want them to see the beauty of that place, and I want us to chill out and relax for a bit.

I mean, you know, things still aren’t booked for that either, because I was really just wanting to see how they travel, what style of place suits us, what pace. Suits us. We do still have to do school. I’m still working. There’s still stuff going on. As I said, the whole idea wasn’t just about like, how much can we see and max out every single day for five months?

I. I’m really conscious to not burning out actually, and being able to be present enough. I, I already get the sense, you know, you arrive somewhere and think, oh my God, we gotta make the most of this. We’re here. But that’s not actually the point. It’s not about doing everything. I, I already know now the feeling of, oh, It’s just literally never going to be possible to do all the things.

So let’s really enjoy the stuff we do choose, and let’s also leave space for randomness. You know, let’s just see where things take us. I had no idea that where we were staying in Stockholm was going to be right next to a forest. So you be spent the day out in the woods and walking to this lake and foraging for blueberries.

I mean, what? Yes. Gimme that. Gimme that. Any time of the day, I’ll take it. That is the plan. That is the why behind the first few places and also why there’s a big sort of gaping hole and I’m not stressed about that. I actually really looking forward to getting into a bit of a rhythm in Munich, and she’s a.

A primary school teacher as well. So I think the structure in her house, her two kids, my kids love and they definitely missing other kids in some, in some aspects. So it’d be good for them to see too, that they know and really like, and the familiarity of, of tones. I mean, you know, they know her. She visits Australia a lot, so that’s gonna be, I think, Really nice and then we’ll see how we go when we record.

This. Tomorrow will be a month since we left, which is mind blowing. And honestly, I could never have imagined it would be this good. I was so worried. I was taking a big risk. I was taking a leap of faith and trusting that this. Calling. I had inside me to do this thing was gonna be the right thing to listen to, and I was unsure, but I did it anyway and I don’t wanna be too gushy.

I know we’re only a month in, but it’s exceeded all my expectations so far on every level for. So many different reasons. I, it’s hard to even express. I don’t even think I’m meant to right now because it’s not gonna make sense to me probably until, until afterwards. But I’m gonna keep bringing you my reflections and, and things I’m realizing.

I mean, the socials is a good place. I’m writing lots of stories there, uh, for you to, for you to enjoy. And I hope you do. It’s an exceptional experience so far. I’m looking forward to this next leg. I’m looking forward to seeing Norway and Denmark, which I haven’t seen before, and absorbing that and then getting back to beautiful Island.

Oh, I just wanna be. Amongst that and then showing them London. I know their minds are just gonna be blown because how can it not be seeing so many famous kind of places? Oof. That’s gonna be a, that’s gonna be a packed out few days. We’re only there five nights. And then of course, getting to Munich and then I’ll be, you’ll be coming along with me as I make it up as I go for that part of the trip.

And I’m really looking forward to that. Oh, I’ll be looking forward to a bit of sunshine. I think like some, some heat. We have definitely not had that except for Japan. Japan was Stiflingly hot. Holy moly. I mean, it was, that’s the hottest I’ve been for a very long time. Made me a little bit grumpy in the end.

We made it and here in Sweden, today’s been raining, but the days have just been delightful. Just sort of 2021 degrees. Perfect shot, but not hot, like not European hot. So I’m glad I bought my boots. If you are following along on stories, you’ll know the drama about, wondering whether I should have taken the boots.

Of course, I should have taken the boots. I’ve been grateful so many days for those boots. And we are not even in Ireland yet. I mean, we are going to be going to to Oslo the next few days. It’s just looking like a rain and about 17, 18 degrees not gonna stop us. We are here for the beauty. We’ve got our rain coats coming at ya.

So that’s a story of why these places definitely not the trip that I had in my mind in the beginning. When I first thought about this idea, not at all, not even close, but the perfect trip ’cause it’s the one that we are doing. See you next time.