To Travel ?

Anselm

Hi all,

Would appreciate some advice, particulary from all the 20 somethings on the site ! . I am just out of a 2.5 year relationship, and trying to sort my head out and get over it. Messy break up, but thats another story !

I am thinking of taking a year out to travel to Australia, maybe with a trip to South America built in - a mate of mine is doing it in March 2006 and has said I am more than welcome to come along - i also have a few mates down under.

I would really really miss my family and friends, and I also have a good job here that I am only in 3 months - but all this aside, does anyone think that travel and new experiences is a good way to ease heartbreak, move on, meet new people, etc, etc. ?

Any advice would be appreciated. Its something I have thought about a lot, but the relationship always kept me in ireland (she didnt want to do it).

Ireland is just full of bad memories for me right now - has anyone ever been / known of someone / in this dilemma ?

Thanks Guys

Endurance Man

My older sister had a similar dilemma a few years back. She had just come out of a 4 year relationship and needed to clear her head.
She travelled to Egypt to work on some fruit farms and had the time of her life . She says it did her the world of good, A) becuase it really did take her mind off everything and it was great fun.
I would go for it.

Victor

Running away doesn't necessarily solve all your problems. It just creates a new set of problems.

Why not ask if you can take a holiday at work and sod off to the Canaries or somewhere for 1-2 weeks for a change of scene. Depending on whether you can drag one of the lads you might get a good deal at this time of year.

Go to Australia / Peru / whereever, but do it on its own merit.

annR

Getting away is great, but ask yourself do you need to take a whole year out. A few months may be enough, or just a really good holiday.
I think the year away is of more benefit to people who don't like their job as well and need a whole change of direction. It wouldn't do you much favours if it did the opposite i.e. lose you a job you really like.

HelterSkelter

I'd just go and do it if I was you. Don't think about it too much or you'll never do it. And if worse comes to worse and you miss your family too mucg you can always come home, it's not like you are making a permanent move.

Tobias Greeshman

IMO Id go with the idea of going on a small holiday maybe up to a month to just take a break and recharge your batteries. Then when you get back, see how things are, who knows you may feel totally different about things. If you still feel the same then you can always take the year off.

Miguel_Sanchez

Life's too short.

Go.

Do it for a few months or a year or whatever takes your fancy. Who knows you may end up loving it and stay there for the rest of your life.

But I'd say you should do it

annR

Don't be rash about going for a whole year. If you do like your job think about it, where you want to be in the future and how much time you actually need off. If you don't know, fair enough, go for a year. But at least think about it . . . ..coming from someone who went abroad for a year spent every penny, came back with nada . . . . .all that may not be necessary for you. Depends as well on how career minded you are.
It's just a pity to come back a year later a few steps behind when you didn't really need a full year.

Anselm

Anner

I know what you mean, but I can always go open ended and come back whenever I feel that I have done what I set out to do ?!

I just think all signs point to going -

Bored with ireland
Lots of bad memories
no real ties in Ireland
Still reasonably young

Why the hell not, you know ?

g'em

If I was you, I'd go. Travelling has opened up so many opportunities for me, I've met so many amazing people, learnt so much. And you always have interesting stories to tell (well, after hearing them 50 times my friends probably don't think so anymore )

Its a great way to really help you figure out what you want in life, and even more, what you don't want. Ive travelled quite a bit in the last 5 years, I'm 25 now, and I've never regretted jsut heading off when teh mood takes me. If you've never done a lot of travelling before, a year is a long time, maybe aim for six motnhs. But it'll certainly make you more independent and probably happier. Go for it!!

Imposter

Have you thought about going abroad to work for a bit, instead of traveling?

comad

Leave if you want to go to your destination, not if you want to leave where you are

bug

Victor wrote:

Running away doesn't necessarily solve all your problems. It just creates a new set of problems.

Nice phrase, but the OP said it was something he wanted to do but his then girlfriend wouldnt go, and how does travelling create a new set of problems?

Dunno if he is running away

galwaydude

i agree, sort out your own head first and then go travelling. My brother is in austrailia for the next year and he loves it down there.Opens your eyes your only young once.

Anselm

I appreciate that running away from problems is not necesarilly the answer - but I feel that now that Im single (and broken hearted) there is nothing stopping me doing this, and that it might do me good. New people, places, etc.

Im hoping it will help me forget about the EX, and clear my head, see a bit of the world, and grow up a bit ? Cant be a bad thing no - and also - i assume you can get open ended tickets so you can come home whenever you want if need be. Does anyone know if this is the case, I think it is ?

Miss Fluff

Go to Trailfinders and they will tailor a package to suit your needs.
Have a great one!!

Anselm

Yeh, i just feel that I have no Mortgage, Kids, Wife, and recently no GF, so no real commitments. This is probably the only time in my life I will have the time the money and the ability to do this.....my attitude is why not ?

Big worry though is if something happened when I was away, like a Death in the family. I know as well Id be really homesick

Beruthiel

Anselm wrote:

Big worry though is if something happened when I was away, like a Death in the family. I know as well Id be really homesick

if you were to think like that your whole life you wouldn't leave the house - if something like that were to happen, you'd deal with it at the time - you'd be mad not to do this while you are young, free and single

Drazhar

Dude, just go. I am back from australia after 12 months.

The place bloody rocks.

I was in a similar boat myself before i left, minus the heartbreak thing. Come my last three months of my degree in U.L. i had no desire to stay in Ireland. No job prospects, would be living at home (not bad in itself, but you know), no immediate love interests, ireland too expensive etc etc blah blah blah.

So i decided, feck this for a game of soldiers, i'm off-ski

Without a doubt the single best decision that i have ever made.

I had a blast in sydney, New Zealand, Queesnland, man; the place rules.

And here's the best part. No one knows you, or your past, and none of them could care less about your past.

Its a great place to go get some perspective on life on the Emerald Isle, and how small it really is.

I highly recommend going. And travel as much as you can, dont stay in sydney, bit of a trap, but still an excellent place.

And for gods sake, its only a year, trust me, it flies by, and very little SERIOUS things will have changed in ireland when you get back

susanna

It does sound like everything is pointing you towards going

Do it. Anyone I've known who has done the year in Oz or New Zealand loved it and is desperate to go back. I'd love to do it myself but at the moment nobody is able to/wants to go with me, and I'm not sure I want to go it alone

I friend of mine is in South America at the moment and is having the time of her life, sounds like its worth checking out if you can

bazcam

A couple of years ago I moved to another country to be with a woman with whom I had fallen in love. We got engaged but it was getting obvious we weren't right fro each other. We stuck it out in the hope things would get better, but eventually broke up a month before the wedding. I came back to Ireland and was moping about in a pretty bad way, trying to get over her. Then I decided my time away had given me a taste for travelling and I went to China for a year. It was a great experience and it completely got my ex out of my system. You should go for it.

scoot on

I'm in the travelling dilemma aswell at the moment. I've recently finished college and started what i thought would be a great job... it didn't work out that way, and i'm actually finishing up today. I've been getting a bit restless lately and really want to do the whole australia/new zealand thing. I've been in a relationship for the past 4 and 1/2 years, we have a house together and in fairness life is pretty good. My boyfriend is more concerned with saving to get a good bit paid off the house and setting ourselves up for the future, which is fair enough. However, i'm totally of the mindset that live's too short to be spending all our time saving, we're young and happy and should take the chance to see more of the world.

Drazhar

Susanna: Just go, even if you go on your own (i know its majorly daunting, but its worth it)

Scoot On: Rent out your house for the year and feck off, have a ball, then get back to it!!!

As far as the whole desperate to go back goes, i can totally relate, i am so missing sydney and australia it isnt funny, and the bloody weather isnt helping

Back on topic: Anselm, go dude, just go.