A confident young man.

It wasn't until I was about twenty three years of age until I felt 'grown up'. Until then I had felt like I was an over-aged teen let loose on the World. But all of a sudden, I felt comfortable in my own skin. I had been paying my own bills and the like for years, I don't know what brought on the change. It changed the way I saw the World and it definitely changed the way I went to work. You could say I had a 'quarter-life crisis'. I began to question the point of my job and while I continued to do it properly, I did so with less and less enthusiasm. I would go to work dressed in jogging shoes and every hour or so I would go for a jog around the block to clear my head.

I was determined to finish my undergraduate degree at university but had really lost any enthusiasm I once had to progress up the scale to become CEO one day. I gave my boss about a year's notice that I was going to quit upon graduation and told him that I had little interest in continuing to assist accountants to do their job who were just doing their bit to keep afloat a large, publicly-owned, multi-national company.

I distracted myself with my house when I could. I pulled up the carpet and polished the floor boards (a job that I did with plenty of friends and lots of enthusiasm). I went for a voyage on the Young Endeavour youth training ship. I joined the North Wollongong surf life saving club and volunteered to be its registrar. I played a lot of hockey and won my team's 'players player' award. And then I finally decided to go. To leave. And this is how I announced it.



Date Mon, 4 Mar 2002 16:12:45 +1100
From Add Sender to Address Book
To
Subject Benjamin's adventure - An introduction


Buenas dia Amigo.

For some time now, I have harboured a desire to leave my job and visit
places far away. For too long my desire has been without substance but now
I have decided to act. I have tendered my resignation, dusted off my
backpack and will soon be starting out on an adventure that I hope will
take me all around the world. The first major milestone of my journey was
last Friday, the 1st of March. On that day I handed in my laptop and ID
card and was relieved of the burden of regular pay cheques. On (or about)
Saturday, the 13th of April I will be leaving Australia.

I plan to be 'away' for two years, starting in Indonesia where I will spend
some time with my Father's family. From Indonesia I will follow a fairly
leisurely and flexible itinerary that will take me through S.E. Asia,
China, Nepal, Mongolia and then to Vladivostok in Russia where I hope to
catch the Trans Siberian railway to Moscow. Moscow will be my gateway to
Western Europe where I will wander for some time before I visit friends in
the UK for Christmas. Armed with a working holiday visa I hope to gain
employment sufficient to pay for food and lodgings throughout the three
wintery months that I must wait before I can return to the Shengan
territories (the non-UK E.U. nations). I will return to Western Europe and
then wander down to Egypt via Morrocco and the other Mediterranean nations
of North Africa After this, my already vague plans deteriorate into pure
speculation I will visit Canada and visit the USA and Mexico on
my way towards Central and South America.

Between now and the 13th of April, I will complete my 'express Spanish'
lessons, have my wisdom teeth removed and take some sailing lessons (as
well as attend to other, less exciting matters such as preparing a tax
return, organising insurance and selling my house).

In order to celebrate my departure from 2 Greenhill Ave I am holding a
'House Cooling Party' on Saturday the 6th of April. On this day I will be
throwing open the doors of 'Casa de Lax' and you are all welcome to join me
for a day of good food, good friends and good fun. I realise that many of
you are simply too far away to visit but if you are in the neighbourhood
please drop by to say hello. The festivities will run all day, from the
moment I wake (or am woken) till the wee hours of Sunday morn so you can
visit for a minute, an hour or all day. Tapas (consisting of many small,
tasty morsels of food) will be served all day accompanied by beverages and
music. In keeping with the strong tradition of house coolings this will be
a strictly non-gift event however you are welcome to bring food or drinks
with you. Further traditions dictate that all attendees must arrive with
at least one piece of silly clothing. This funky garment, ornament or
accessory must be worn at least until you are greeted by the host but may
be discarded as soon as this pleasantry is complete.