About A Vagabond Life


About A Vagabond

About a vagabond life.

I grew up with travel loving parents, my earliest memories are of being packed in the back of the Ford station wagon with my siblings and setting off to one part or another of my home country Australia. I have incredible memories of camping by wide brown rivers, swimming in crystal clear seas with beautiful white beaches and exploring the vast outback. Treasured memories

My story is a little different to many travel bloggers who set off to explore the world straight after university or after a short time in the corporate world.

I had a successful corporate career spanning nearly 30 years which I enjoyed immensely for the people I met on that journey and the skills I learned. It also enabled me to be in a financial position to own property in parts of the world I want to live it and to explore the world on long slow journeys. Mind you all the journeys are on a strict budget & all properties have to earn their keep.

The travel bug bit again in 2003, after a crappy divorce I had gone on a trip to Italy to get away for a holiday. As I was leaving Rome on BA flight to London on the first leg of the long journey back to Australia, the plane banked and I had a perfect view of Rome out the window. As I gazed down on Bella Roma I felt a great sadness at leaving Italy, it felt like part of my soul belonged there and I just did not want to go.

Suddenly I heard the flight attendant in my ear offering me more champagne, as he filled my glass he said ” you look very sad” to which I replied “yes I do not want to leave” . He replied “well why are you?” I must have looked at him as he was a bit mad as I replied ” because I have to go home, I have a job, a house, commitments” To which he replied

“Sweetheart, life is short you need to follow your dreams” and then he disappeared up the aisle.

Those words changed the course of my life.

By London I was thinking should I go and live in Italy

By Hong Kong I was thinking I think I can go and live in Italy

By Melbourne I had decided I was going to live in Italy

Four months later I had sold my house, given away most of my possessions and I was living in Venice Italy. I lived in Venice for nearly two years before returning to Australia, because afterall you can’t run away for ever.

Since then my OH & I have bought and renovated a villa in France and a wee cottage in Tasmania Australia. Some of the time we live in these houses other times we travel and explore this great big world.

We don’t really have a home now but a series of places we love spending time in….what more could one want…!