Jun 30, 2006

Up, up and away

This is quite an announcement I have to make.

I have decided to leave 4BC and take up the chance to travel overseas for five months, leaving the sunny town of Brisbane on August 9th, and returning early January, around the 5th or 6th.

This is huge, and one of the biggest and scariest decisions I've ever made. I've been wrestling with it for some months, but now that I've made the decision I feel much more confident. The official email telling my work colleagues that I'm going has now been sent, so I'm happy to publicly announce it to all my loyal blogalists (both of you).

Many may wonder why I've decided to flee paid work and the country when I've just bought an apartment. Well, I'm just a bit mad. But the flat is tenanted until the end of the year, and I'll return in time to move in and claim the first home-owners grant and stamp duty exemption. I will have no job when I return, but I have left all my doors open here as a start. And it will force me to push myself into exploring other parts of the media industry I'm keen on. Dammit, I'll have to work hard and it will be character-building!

The Wah will be gallivanting and gadding about with me - although this time without his German (or possibly Russian) great coat, which while sad, is far more practical (that bastard weighs a tonne). We're now in the process of booking flights, tours and accommodation, filling out visas and trying on fleeces and windproof jackets. It's all happening very quickly.

I will be keeping an online travel diary - but I'm not sure at the moment if it will be this one. I'm just really, REALLY pissed off with Blogger at the moment - it keeps losing my reviews just as I go to publish them on my review site. GRRRR! I've never had trouble with it up until recently - and I want to be sure if I'm typing on some bizarre Mongolian keypad that my entry gets up and viewable.

At this point the itinerary includes Hong Kong, Beijing, Mongolia & Russia (on the Vodkatrain, yeah!), the Baltics, Greece, the U.K. and Morocco. Side trips to other parts of Europe are also in the works, but will depend on time, money and the movements of family members and friends.

I hope adventures abroad will keep people interested in reading my blog - I know it's been a bit dull and boring of late!

Cheers all, Natalie.