I started Chasing Hammocks with one main concept in mind – continually striving for the things or place that make you the happiest. To me that is travel, adventure, and most of all – the big unknown. After all, they say that is where life starts – the edge of your comfort zone.

Now, just a few days away from the start of my next big journey, I reflect upon how I got here. With a little bit of Central America backpacking experience and hostel hopping days under my belt, I’ve come across quite a few travelers that all say Southeast Asia is an absolute must. It’s cheap. It’s different. It’s beautiful. And it’s nothing short of amazing. Still not sold? Here’s a couple images I quickly pulled from Google that might make you change your mind (Disclaimer: I don’t own any of these pictures or the rights to them). I’m also determined to shoot my own photos equal to or better than what I’ve shared below. #CollectingExperiences rather than just day dreams based on my internet search history.

After a couple weeks of research I’ve outlined what I think is enough of a plan to take a small amount of the jittery edge off. Of course there’s a bit of nervousness, lots of excitement, tons of unknowns, but an overall feeling of readiness to break away for a few months. I’ve always dreamt of visiting SE Asia for an extended period of time. So when the door slightly opened you bet your ass I took the opportunity. There is the saying that “timing is everything” and boy does that apply right now. After hanging up the corporate big boy pants and drastically lowering the overhead expenses, I’ll be starting my trip in Sydney, Australia before heading to Bali sometime in mid to the end of February. As of right now, I plan on spending a couple weeks floating around the Eastern side of Oz with every intention of getting there before – January 26th – Australia Day 2018. However, flying standby to the other side of the world might adjust my arrival time from 24-72 hours in either direction. Apart from trying to take advantage of everything Australia has to offer – literally not enough time in 2018 let alone a few weeks – I don’t have that much of a plan. I’ve got a few MUST see items like the Great Barrier Reef, encountering a wild Australian Koala & Kangaroo (Zoos don’t count), cruise the Sydney Harbour bridge, and catch an Australian Football or cricket match, everything else is up in the air. One of the luxuries of traveling solo is being flexible and I guess we’ll see where the #ChasingHammocks flexibility takes me.

 

Moving on from Oz lies an endless supply of possibilities. Indonesia? Thailand? Cambodia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, all of the above…? We shall see. For any of those reading this and have recommendations on must sees or must dos in SE Asia, hit me up on Facebook, IG, WhatsApp, email me, send me a carrier pigeon, or just comment below – whatever’s easiest for you.

I’ll leave you with this – I decided it was time to walk the walk and put my money where my mouth is. After all you can’t chase hammocks from behind a computer screen all day long. Until next time – peace!

#ChasingHammocks #NomadWannabe