The Next Block #11 - go alone.

At the end of 2022 I had no idea what I wanted to achieve, do, see, learn or go in 2023.

I'm open minded. I'm an opportunist. I’m easy going. But I love a plan.

Life from the outside may look chaotic but in my head and on paper I know what I'm trying to accomplish. 

But the end of last year really rocked me around, just like how a midday nap throws your whole day out a bit and you wake up confused and dazed. I was confused and dazed.

I had just flown home from one of the most memorable months in Bali. I was having inspiring conversations with so many interesting people, talking about all things life, being challenged in all ways possible; mentally and physically. The Reason for being in Bali was to race the Bali Hope Ultra, an 84km overnight ultra marathon, so I was either preparing to race across the island or I was in recovery mode while these conversations were taking place. 

It seems that the people I was talking to had these incredible passion projects on the go and were waking up each and every day pushing and working towards their goals for that given project. I've got passions and projects as well, we all do in some way, but at the time I felt as if i didn't. I was just a kid that came here to run across the island, engage in conversation and hear and learn from as many humans as possible. 

A lot of beautiful humans in Bali recommended I stay in Bali and start something up. A few said ‘I'll get you in touch with this person’ ‘You can shoot this’ ‘I'll pay you to do this’ Etc etc. Opportunities were there for cash flow purposes but I just didn’t feel ready for that. My inner child was in my gut telling me that this isn’t the right thing to do just yet, we had some other things to learn and do first.

With travel and adventure being on my forefront I didn't feel as if I was ‘ready’ to be based in Bali and build a community around me just yet. 

Are we actually ever ready? Is there such a thing as good/bad timing in life?

I came home, still rattled. Working a job I knew I didn't love and knew that I didn't want to make a career out of, but I needed to work. 

Diesel and almond chocolate milk isn't free. 

I know how blessed I am to be born and raised here in Australia, having this massive island to explore as my backyard. The past two or so years I've been hopping around, working and adventuring around the east coast and the NT with my best friends. And I have loved every single minute of it. It was my bread and butter for travelling, my safety net. I could live off grid for weeks on end and not have a worry in the world. 

I played with the idea of doing that, but what else would make it more challenging, and let’s not forget that diesel isn’t free so I'd need to source a way to provide income. 

I remember sitting in a cafe in Bali, alone. It was bucketing down with rain. I spent the morning journaling and people watching while I waited for the rain to disappear. That morning I wrote some goals for the year ahead, I sort of blurred them out of my brain once I was back in Australia. I’m unsure why, maybe it was the fact I was just back to work like normal and was thinking in a closed minded way. 

I reflected back on the pages and the spark came back, just as if I was in the cafe that day writing them down.

‘Spend more time alone’ 

‘Find work that you might not have done before’

‘Get out of Adelaide’

‘Get out on the trails more’

Simple. 

After chatting with friends about it, I called The Spirit Of Tasmania and booked a one way journey to Tasmania in January. The troopy and I were ready as ever and just as nervous. Nerves are good, it means you care. 

Work was organised. 

And everyone knows Tassie is trail heaven. 

I’ve been living and exploring the majority solo, just as I wrote down, and have run some of the most beautiful trails. But I’ve also had the privilege of meeting and connecting with new and old friends, joining random run clubs, getting coffee or drinking local brewed Tassie beer, finding the local coffee shop close to where work is - having the lady remember my coffee order is always a highlight. Call me a local, yeah?! 

The day-to-day stuff had become exciting; learning when the markets are on, finding the best cycling loops so you don't end up on any highways. To be able to ride/drive to the city and not need google maps, massive win. The biggest challenge is trying to find a somewhat flat trail to run along that isn't 700m elevation in the first 5 or so kilometres! The legs will thank me for it. 

Tasmania so far has excelled any expectations I had prior to coming. I’m in complete awe of the place. 

Unsure how long I may have left here but I hope you follow through with some goals you set out for this year and reflect and check in with yourself.

There's so much out there. Weekends don't have to be spent bored on the couch - Step outside. Oh boy, it's so good out there.