Trip around the World 5 🌍

"It can be done", I was convinced. "If only I went eastward as far as east takes me", I thought. "All the way around the world - and eventually return from the west."

"How cool would that be?"

An idea

I was only 24 years old when I had this idea the first time. Having spent a four-month term abroad in Northern Finland, I had acquired a taste in travelling. On top of that, I was newly in love. You know what that means: Everything was possible! But then, life got in the way.

I was young. Maybe too young. I was about to graduate and hadn't even started a first job. I soon realized that it wasn't all that easy to just pack up my bags and travel around the world.

Half a year after I first had my idea, it vanished. Suddenly, I was girlfriendless, jobless and clueless. Back in my hometown, without an idea where to start and what to do with myself. I was back where I started. My everything-is-possible-attitude had faded away. But somewhere, in the back of my head, I was still convinced: someday, I will take a trip around the world.

Someday

For 10 years, I've told myself "someday". "Someday", I've also told my friends.

But you know how it always is: I found excuses. I became lazy. And at times I even forgot about the idea entirely.

Travelling is a privilege

Today, it seems strange to me that the primary reason for me taking this long to eventually go on my trip came down to making excuses. Of course, it's not easy to take a trip such as this! Of course, you need to come up with a plan! Of course, you need some money on the side! But if you really want it, it can be done. That I was always sure of.

The reason why it seems so strange to me is that we hold a certain privilege. When I say "we", I mean us Europeans, North Americans, Oceanians and so on. People who live in high-income countries. We take the opportunity to travel for granted.

Some of us are lucky to get to travel, others aren't. It starts with a question of wealth and continues with a question of what country issued your passport. In the end, your place of origin defines whether you hold the privilege to travel.

It is beyond unfair, but there's nothing I can do about it.

When "someday" arrived

My 2023 finally made me remember this beautiful idea to circumnavigate the world. Already in the beginning of the year, I felt that I needed a change. I realized that I couldn't go on the way I did, that my job didn't fulfil me, as I had been telling myself for far too long.

Instead, I started to look for new potential sources of happiness. Apart from building this beautiful website and writing this beautiful blog, I knew that deep down inside me there was still an idea slumbering.

An idea to take a trip around the world.

A trip around the world

Today, once again, I'm back where I started. I return from a trip that lasted 10 months, spans 5 continents, 17 countries and 8 timezones. I'm incredibly lucky that I was able to circumnavigate planet Earth.

I went eastward as far as east took me:

• From Austria to Greece.
• From Greece to Singapore.
• From Singapore to Australia.
• From Australia to New Zealand.
• From New Zealand back to Australia.
• From Australia to Vietnam.
• From Vietnam to Hong Kong.
• From Hong Kong to Macao.
• From Macao to Hong Kong.
• From Hong Kong to the Philippines.
• From the Philippines to South Korea.
• From South Korea to Taiwan.
• From Taiwan to Japan.
• From Japan to the United States of America.
• From the United States of America to Mexico.
• From Mexico to Peru.
• From Peru to Colombia.
• From Colombia to Spain.
• From Spain to France.
• From France back to where I started.

All the way around the world. And eventually, I did return from the west.

How cool was that.