Chile

At 22 years old i was so keen to start traveling,
i was influenced by it on movies and in magazines
and i really wanted to go somewhere new and exciting...

I had been working and saving hard for a while now
and i was starting to day dream about where to go
and what to do... I was inspired to Google travel and
soon after i found a job advertised for a Photographer
on board a cruise ship! I couldn't believe my eyes...
Someone would pay me to travel the world and take
photos all day! I applied for the job and after a long
process i had a job interview on Skype. I was successful!

I couldn't wait to see which amazing place i would end up
working in, I had so many places on my bucket list that i
wanted to visit! Soon after i received my ship's itinerary
and i was going to South America...

I never had any interest in South America at the time,
and it was one of the only places i hadn't imagined visiting.

So one month later i farewelled my family at Sydney airport
and boarded my 30 hour flight to Santiago, Chile!

I had now arrived in this foreign country,
and i was starting to realize how far away from home i was,
Santiago was a world away from Sydney and could not
be more different. I caught a mini van out to Vina Del Mar
where i was put up for a night before the cruise ship left.

That day i didn't even sleep. I got my camera and
spend the afternoon walking around the streets
capturing the cityscapes as i went. In my mind i was
cautious not to get lost as all the signs were in Spanish
and no-one around me spoke English. I felt vulnerable.

(My first souvenir, i found this wooden statue key ring in a market)

The next day I was transfered by coach to Valparaiso
and boarded the cruise ship. Long story short i didn't enjoy
my ship life, For me the conditions of crew and only seeing the
world via a port hole had deflated my dream and on that
long flight home I remember thinking this was it for me.

Perhaps I am not suppose to travel, perhaps this was as good
as it gets? Those feelings didn't last long... I was back at work
and back to saving again. This time going to do it right,
Do it my way... It would have to be with a tour group so i am
not alone. I remember at the airport in Chile i had to take my
very large suitcase into the toilet with me because I didn't have
anyone i could leave it with. I also remember taking my photo
myself because i couldn't trust handing my camera to a stranger.

For me, my first trip overseas was uneventful,
I was Homesick and a working holiday meant i was
at work while everyone else was on holiday.