The best part about travelling

For me, this photo sums up what travelling and life is all about.. The people you surround yourself with.

When a lot of people travel, they do so at an incredible pace. Often lapping Australia in just a handful of months, whilst it’s great to be able to say you’ve “done the lap” I think rushing it means you can miss out on one of the best aspects of travel, the people you meet and the friendships you make.

During our first travels we initially spent several months in Byron Bay, whilst the caravan park we were in was perfect for allowing Jaiden time to settle in to caravan life it was the people we met that really made it special. Whilst watching Jaiden progress and push his boundaries was certainly the highlight, the time we had meeting new people sharing and our experiences was certainly a close second and something that I will forever have fond memories of. People who travel long term live such transient lives I’ve found nearly everybody super friendly and keen for a chat. Because I possess the ability to talk under wet cement and would talk to a tree if I thought it would listen, I can barely walk 20 steps without being sidetracked and striking up a conversation with someone. Seeing new places is great, but for me the people you meet along the way is the best thing of all.

A few months ago I wrote a post on socialisation, amongst the other replies there was one from a couple who were on their own Autism journey and were considering homeschooling their youngest, socialisation was one of their concerns. Out of nowhere they offered us a place to stay in our van if we were ever in the area. Fast forward a couple of months and here we are!

We only planned on being here for a couple of weeks but with our car troubles it’s now been a month. Single parenthood can be pretty isolating at times and given the lack of company I often “live inside my head” which results in me driving myself crazy trying to process everything and come up with a plan to move forward. But for the past month I’ve had this lovely family not only have kept both Jaiden and I company, but they’ve helped me keep my sanity at a time when I was struggling to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Whilst it’s been great to once again be in a caravan spending more quality time with Jaiden exploring a new area, the highlight has most certainly been getting to know this lovely family whom I am proud to now call friends. I’m not sure either of them know how much it’s appreciated, but when we sat down to a lunch together today I just had to grab a photo to remember the time we’ve spent together.

In this fast paced, materialistic, “like and comment” world in which we live, people often overlook the value of human connection. I think that’s the stuff that we need more of, that’s the stuff that really adds value to our lives.

So to Hannah and Christian; thank you SO much for opening your hearts and home and making us feel so welcome. It’s been an absolute pleasure getting to know your beautiful family and I hope it’s the start of a long friendship.

Although, once Hannah sees I posted this photo that she didn’t want me to take in the first place, the friendship may very well be over, but it’s a risk I am willing to take..