Today’s Epiphany Brought to You By: Melissa
Melissa Giroux is originally from Quebec, Canada. She is a full time backpacker and a travel blogger at abrokenbackpack.com. Travelling since June 2014, she is currently in Australia on a long term trip. Follow her broken stories as a traveler with debts and massives doses of craziness.
When I came back from Turkey, I was devastated.
Two months before, I quit my job and I sold all my material life. I didn’t know where to start. During my trip, I learnt two things:
“Do not let your fears take the decision for yourself.”
“Do not let a man influence your decision.”
I decided to go back to school to study tourism. I always wanted to quit my social work job to do something about travel but I was too scared to make the move. With two of my school colleagues, we decided to plan a trip to Western Canada so we could improve our English. On my birthday, we got the best idea to book a short trip to Hawaii from Vancouver. After a couple of weeks, I realized (for the second time in my life… and not the last) that is better for me to travel alone. I left them behind and I moved to another town to find a job. I was supposed to go back to school to finish my tourism studies after two months. All my single plans were falling apart for my “coming back” and I ended up being confused. I made a big decision and I announced my parents and my boss that I would not come back.
I found an opportunity to fly to Australia to meet two other friends (that I will leave again later). So, I worked two jobs to make sure I could make my dream come true. I improved my English and saved money while I enjoyed the life in the Rockies.
Here I am, still in Australia for already nearly 10 months. I am so happy that I met a charming backpacker and so pleased that I will stay here for another year. I will probably drop by other countries around while I am on the other side of the World.
After nearly 15 months on the road, I learnt a lot. I fell in love with myself in the bad as in the good. I challenged my fears, my comfortable habits and my broken/broke sides.
I am so pleased that I finally found the perfect job. I am a full time backpacker and I am working hard to become a full time blogger who doesn’t need any other side job. To combine two passions is definitely the best thing I can hope for!
I am looking forward to what comes next and I am making sure that I will not have to deal with a 30 years old crisis later.
Visit Melissa and show her some love!
Mel’s Blog – A Broken Backpack
A short vacation in Thailand turned into a life abroad with a canceled ticket home. Nearly a decade later and after living in Bangkok, Rio de Janeiro, Puebla, and Puerto Vallarta, Steph is on to her next adventure and living back in beautiful, cosmopolitan Mexico City. She is living, traveling, and working (both as an expat therapist and an international health insurance representative) around the world to find the beautiful, inspirational, and interesting while sharing it with you!
