Lessons

I am not better than picking avocados at a farm with illegal immigrants and sleeping with them in a shipping container. I am not better than having a picnic with homeless people nor am I better than cleaning up Lama shit in a remote ranch in Montana.

I can say that because I've done all those things.

Shipping container I slept in when working at an Avocado farm

Cleaning up Lama shit for 4 hours straight wasn't exactly my picture perfect Sunday morning  brunch but it gave me money to pay for a train ticket to my next destination..... and to me that's better then any pancakes drenched in syrup.

& I learnt a lot about Lamas... they are vegetarians and also like spitting on ones face when agitated - I learnt that first hand.

The point I am trying to make is you got to do what you got do.When you backpack you get to see amazing places, try exotic cuisine and dive into culture. But better then all that is you learn so much about yourself that you never knew.You do things you never imagined doing whilst learning life skills without sitting in a class room! Not that anything I learnt in high school I would consider as 'life skills'...

I've learnt that you find out who the most important people in your life are when you are the furthest away.

I haven't lost friendships because I've had arguments I've lost friendships because we've lost contact, after awhile I got fed up with being the first one to initiate conversation so I've learnt to let go. I don't dwell on that nor does it upset me because I am living a completely different life to what I was when I was last in Australia. It is ridiculous for me to think that everything is going to be the same. I don't want it to be the same. 

I've learnt that nobody has it all figured out. Almost every single person I have met has problems, putting on a brave face everyday. You only see of each person what they let you see. You have absolutely no idea what they are going through behind closed doors. This is universal - the millionaires, the homeless, students, graduates the introvert and everyone in between have way more to their story then the superficial instagramed one you see. We've all heard that quote associated with majority of 12 year old Facebook statuses  "You know my name not my story" as cliche and lame it once was to me I've come to realize it's incredibly true.

Never dismiss anyone as having 'it' easy if you don't know the entire story...

[To never take anything for granted]

I've slept in a park 4 times this trip because I didn't have enough money for accommodation.  

Ever since those cold nights on park benches in Alaska I appreciate having roof over my head. I sigh of relief every time I walk into a house / tent / apartment /  caravan after a long day.

I've never lost anyone close to me, but I message my Mum as frequent as possible and always finish the email with a sincere 'I love you'. Every time I end a Skype call whoever it is I will tell them I love them. I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. I might not be there. They might not be here.