travelling around europe

[Everleigh]

I thought Id come back to share some good news on this site as In the past Ive mainly been pretty depressed when on this site so thought Id write something positive.

Well I am australian and I have just come back from a massive european holiday. For me this is a colossal step. In fact the biggest thing I have done in the last 10 yrs, maybe ever.


As some of you may know I am a pretty introverted person and my life at home mainly revolves around internet, tv and lots of time on my own. I stay in my local area and see my 'friends' maybe once a month if that.

Ive always wanted to go 'overseas' ie-EUROPE. Italy, France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria and yes England aswell but never been well enough to go out my front door let alone the other side of the world. So booking this holiday I thought it would never really work out and something would happen and the trip would be cancelled. Or more likely I would have a mental breakdown and get so stressed out I would cancel my own trip. Despite intense fear I went ahead with this trip despite thinking I was nuts for doing so. I managed to go to all those countries on a tour. This meant interacting with ppl 24/7! I won't lie and say it was easy. It wasn't easy I felt drained and stressed at times especially as I am not used to being around people let alone on a tour with people all the time. But just being overseas and seeing places like paris, rome and london made it worth it. The crowds and being around people was full on but seeing places I have dreamed of since I was little is something I will cherish for ever.

Im not someone who has come back from a positive overseas holiday and miraculously recovered from SA and depression. In fact at times on the trip I realised just how unwell and confined my life has been at home, stuck within four walls. It can be confronting joining the real world and seeing what you have been missing out on. Confronting and incredibly painful too. So I continue to struggle with this all the time and even on holiday, I still had down days.

But just the fact I was proved wrong- that something positive did happen to me- despite every fibre in my being believing nothing good would ever happen to me was shocking to me. I write this to all of you on sauk who struggle with suicide and depression. its hard to imagine when you feel suicidal something lovely or wonderful happening to you...EVER again in the future. Something positive happening or feeling a joyful emotion may seem a very distant memory. But if it can happen to me I am sure it can happen to you too.

[Mr. Nobody]

awesome stuff Everleigh !

sounds like it's really opened your eyes to what's possible for you.

do you feel totally different now,maybe even uncomfortable,..and can't go back to your old life...?

why not post-up some of your photos on the photos thread Everleigh?

great post,...really good to hear you've made that move

[kasper5]

Well done indeed. As a traveller I can understand what a huge leap it is. I have lived in one city for 6 months but moving round from city to city like youve done is harder.

It is incredible to see the World and what your friends and classmates maybe saw years ago. Use the confidence boost you got from this trip for other parts of your life, it really lifts you out of the dumps. But its not a silver bullet to cure SA.

By coincidence Im actually headed to Australia next year, maybe for good. I got bored of Europe

[Everleigh]

Originally Posted by jerry302199

awesome stuff Everleigh !

sounds like it's really opened your eyes to what's possible for you.

do you feel totally different now,maybe even uncomfortable,..and can't go back to your old life...?

why not post-up some of your photos on the photos thread Everleigh?

great post,...really good to hear you've made that move

thanks jerry

yes will have to post some photos.

Yes very much so-Ive found coming back to my old life hard tbh.

Going overseas as great as it was, was such a HUGE contrast to how I normally feel it was shocking. It made me realise how depressed I am in my day to day life and how confined my life is at home. I don't go out much or have many friends and being on holidays as wonderful as it was was hard as I saw what I was missing out on. Especially Italy it was the PDA capital of the world... lots of loved up couples, it got a bit annoying after a while seeing sooo many people my age in couples and travelling together but I tried not to let it get me down.

how have you been going Jerry?

Originally Posted by kasper5

Well done indeed. As a traveller I can understand what a huge leap it is. I have lived in one city for 6 months but moving round from city to city like youve done is harder.

It is incredible to see the World and what your friends and classmates maybe saw years ago. Use the confidence boost you got from this trip for other parts of your life, it really lifts you out of the dumps. But its not a silver bullet to cure SA.

By coincidence Im actually headed to Australia next year, maybe for good. I got bored of Europe

thanks kasper.
you lived alone in a city for 6 months, that is pretty brave.
how did you find it? was hard to make new friends? i would love to move overseas but at this stage its not practical. I would love a change of scenery though.

Australia is so different to europe you can drive for 2 weeks straight and still be in the same country. Im bored of oz maybe we can swap

[Everleigh]

prob paris, london and the amalfi coastline in italy
i really liked london cos they spoke english and i could be understood

[kasper5]

Originally Posted by Everleigh

how did you find it? was hard to make new friends? i

I found Rome difficult at first but it got easier as the place became familiar. After a week you begin to feel isolated. That phase lasts for about 3 weeks then you adjust to the new place. I found it hard to make friends but I always do. I did make some good friends though

The good thing is in Italy they are very sociable and you are always invited to a meal so there is plenty of chances to make friends. This is common in southern Europe. As a volunteer I meet more people than as a tourist.

It was tough but generally worthwhile. Remember I didnt really want to be here so I never gave 100%. By the time I actually came to Italy on my voluntary programme Id set my sights higher and wanted to go to Oz. If you give even 70% you will do well in a new country, you just have to get out and do stuff.

I will say one thing about languages. To speak another langauge it helps to be social as you have to speak a lot to pick it up.

We should indeed swap Everleigh....I can actually distinguish a Brisbane accent from those of other cities, that is how obsessed I am about Oz now.

[Everleigh]

Originally Posted by Jocasta

Been to all 3 and must say you can't beat Paris. However I will be going to Switzerland next year and get the feeling I will totally adore the Alps!!! Can't wait.

yes paris was amazing. you guys over in the UK are so lucky you have all these amazing cities so close by

[Everleigh]

Originally Posted by kasper5

I found Rome difficult at first but it got easier as the place became familiar. After a week you begin to feel isolated. That phase lasts for about 3 weeks then you adjust to the new place. I found it hard to make friends but I always do. I did make some good friends though

The good thing is in Italy they are very sociable and you are always invited to a meal so there is plenty of chances to make friends. This is common in southern Europe. As a volunteer I meet more people than as a tourist.

It was tough but generally worthwhile. Remember I didnt really want to be here so I never gave 100%. By the time I actually came to Italy on my voluntary programme Id set my sights higher and wanted to go to Oz. If you give even 70% you will do well in a new country, you just have to get out and do stuff.

I will say one thing about languages. To speak another langauge it helps to be social as you have to speak a lot to pick it up.

We should indeed swap Everleigh....I can actually distinguish a Brisbane accent from those of other cities, that is how obsessed I am about Oz now.

thats inspiring to hear i hope i can do that too one day, esp with sa it wouldnt be easy but it seems possible

yes lets swap please who cares about the logistics or the fact i have no money for even a plane flight

you do kno your accents well if u hav picked up the differences between australian accents. I cringe how people overseas (not you) think we all sound like crocodile dundee 'put another shrimp on the barbie ' no one speaks that way
yes QLD/brisbane have the most rough australian accent with a real drawl. Even our PM Julia Gillard has a terrible accent we don't all sound like her...honest!

[Mr_Bean]

wow well done.

[Silver]

wow congrats I remember talking to you online a while ago. Must be a great feeling to travel to europe, never realised you were from australia.

[!>Y\e5l-%h-NMw>cH]

Well done.

[Everleigh]

thanks ppl

Originally Posted by Silver

wow congrats I remember talking to you online a while ago. Must be a great feeling to travel to europe, never realised you were from australia.

yes i shld really write it in the location hey


i forgot to mention in london i went into a tesco store. i'd heard so much about this 'tesco' place from this website it was almost a major landmark in itself

[Terence]

good for you discovered you had courage that's to be respected and admired.

[Libbyjay]

Well done Everleigh. That was a really Brave thing to do.

I had a 1 year work Visa of Oz last year. It's something I had wanted since I can remember (that and a USA one) But for one reason and another I never used it. I tell people it's because of this reason and am very quick to blame certian people, but if I'm really honest, I could have booked a flight any time and gone for it. It's just that I was to scared. Now I'm classes as too old, so it's another opportunity that I have let me pass me by all because of the over analysing of all the possible outcomes. Not once thinking that it could be a possible one. I know it***8217;s not a cure, but I hope it***8217;s motivated you to try something else you never thought you'd do.

[Everleigh]

Originally Posted by Libbyjay

Well done Everleigh. That was a really Brave thing to do.

I had a 1 year work Visa of Oz last year. It's something I had wanted since I can remember (that and a USA one) But for one reason and another I never used it. I tell people it's because of this reason and am very quick to blame certian people, but if I'm really honest, I could have booked a flight any time and gone for it. It's just that I was to scared. Now I'm classes as too old, so it's another opportunity that I have let me pass me by all because of the over analysing of all the possible outcomes. Not once thinking that it could be a possible one. I know it’s not a cure, but I hope it’s motivated you to try something else you never thought you'd do.

thanks libbyjay
you never know if you are still interested you can still come to australia for a holiday.
I used to always have this mindset that once I am 'better' than I will travel overseas.I really believed I had to wait for the 'right time'. I realised there was no 'right time' for me. i would always be petrified of going on this trip and that feeling of 'its safe to go now' would not come as i am always a worry wart. so i just booked it even though i thought i was nuts for doing so. sometimes if we wait for the right time we will be waiting forever.

[Seamus]

Absolutely fantastic Everleigh - totally wee done and respect to you.
You've just shown us all that those tongs which often seem so impossible/insummountable are nothing of the sort and wholly achievable.
So where are you planning your next expedition for? - and where in Germany did you get to? I get to either Hannover/Stutgart/Frankfurt/others a couple of times per month + my inlays live about 40km from Leuneburg

[auster]

Way to go Everleigh )

[Everleigh]

^Oh good Im glad
I always thought of it as a pipe dream that would never eventuate so couldnt believe it when i was physically in those places id always dreamt about. I tailored the trip to suit my needs a bit-eg-went with family to make it more manageable and it was challenging at times to say the least but was so worth it. but if i can do it u can too