The Real Traveler has no Fixed Plan on Arrival

When I applied for Australian visa last year, I was hoping I would get multiple entry visas for a couple years, yet I failed. I was lucky enough to be given a single entry visa in 6 months (trying to be positive). For the visa cost is pretty expensive (at least for me) I decided to make the best of it by buying an airplane ticket and flew to Australia. Lucky me, I got a cheap airplane ticket to Melbourne a few moments later.

Let’s Go to Sydney

As I decided to go for 10 days, I got started making plans to go to multiple cities in Australia. At first, I planned to go to Perth or Brisbane (please don’t ask me why I choose those cities). Yeah, plan changed as I decided to go to Sydney as soon as I arrived in Melbourne. I stayed one day first at Melbourne and went to Sydney day after.

I took the overnight train to decrease the staying budget. Arrived Sydney in the next morning, I look around the train station to decided what to do next. After the short researched on the Internet and some information in booths inside the train stations, I decided to buy a coffee (this is really not important for some people, but really important for me) Guess what? A coffee did help me decided what to do next (hand in the air for those coffee lovers).

Soon I got a place for staying two nights, I was heading to that place on foot thinking it was close to the station as it is said 800m. My lesson was don’t believe when it is said 800m, trust me 800m if they count it in a long straight road. After walking MORE than 800m, I still couldn’t find the place. There was some road under construction which made the road even longer because I have to turn around and went to the other sides. It was almost 1 hour for the 800m, so I guess it was not 800m. DEFINITELY NOT!

Anyway, I finally arrived there, but the other case rose up, I could not find the entrance. It was closed all over the place. I dragged my luggage around and there was a black door on the other side of the building. It was good because I was traveling alone, so I don’t need to explain or bother other people.

 Work is everywhere

I wrote down every single thing I have to do in Sydney, but that was only a note. I did not do any of those notes. As soon as I arrived in Sydney and got my ass in the place I stayed. I spent the rest of the day in front of my laptop did my work until the afternoon. Then I rose my head and noticed that the sun was starting to hide. I closed my laptop, grabbed my camera, and headed outside. I was thinking “Oh my God, I don’t want to lose my first day without any single things I captured” But once I was outside, I was lost in the middle of nowhere and knew nothing about Sydney.

The Real Mardi Grass Festival

Then I saw colorful people from all over the places coming and going somewhere. Since I have no idea of what was going on, I chose to go to the market. The market is the place to know the neighborhood. I was inside the market, but instead of taking pictures or talking with locals, I ended up buying eggs, and vegetables for my dinner (who doesn’t give up for 80% discount, especially in the market). It was the time to going back when I saw (again) a handsome couple wearing twins clothes walking to the direction where the colorful people went.

I know that I hold my groceries in my left hand, but my right hand was working on my camera even faster than my brain. I walked faster trying to catch up the twins so I could capture them. Yet I failed (who am I? The small girls with narrow steps).

Being curious about those colorful people and the twins, I decided to go in their direction and see what is happening. I was pretty sure of something going on. And I was right! There was a Mardi grass festival, like REAL MARDI GRASS FESTIVAL. I have never seen a big festival like that in my whole life. From that day I learned about the history of Mardi Grass, which I felt sad for them. Couldn’t explain why. You probably need to google it though.

The right moment with the right people

Did I ever tell you that I like to capture moments? Not my moment, but everybody’s moments. I used to sit in random places and capture people’s moment through my Tele Lens. But this is different. I was on my way to the station in Sydney when someone approached me and asked me to take the photo of him and his daughter. I was surprised yet felt nice about that. Of course, I would like to, that’s what I like to do.

“Can you take a photo of ours?” Mr. Darmody stopped and asked me for a photo

“Yes, sure,” I thought he was asking me because I was holding a camera, but then he passed his phone and asked one more time

“Can you take a photo of ours using this?”

“Sure”, and I took a couple of photos using his phone. Thought that it was a rare moment so I asked him, “Do you mind if I take a photo of you and your daughter?”

“Of course, I’d love to”

So I captured the moments. Of course, I happily offered to send the photo through email.

The Brighton Beach

A few days after that when I was back in Melbourne. I never thought I would be going to Brighton Beach (I’m not a beach lover), yet I went there because all the people told me to go there and take a couple pictures. After googling and saw many pictures, my expectations of Brighton beach was pretty high. NEVER NEVER NEVER EXPECTING SOMETHING WHEN YOU ARE TRAVELING.

There was a heap of people on the Brighton beach, everyone was having their own time. I was not interested to even grab my camera and take a picture, but then my eyes caught this lovely couple. It was so lovely like they were the only one at the beach. I got an idea and grabbed my camera out the bag, I was thinking to capture them first and ask if they want me to send it to them, but then Angel approached me and asked me to take their photos,

“Can you take our photo?” She politely asked me

“Sure, I’d love to,” out of surprise I answered her, I thought she wanted to ask me something else. After a couple of photos, “Actually I took some photos of yours before I was asked, I’m sorry I was intending to show you them after that. Do you want me to send them to you?” I asked her after the short photo shoots.

“It’s okay, yes, I’d love to” She was about to give me her number, but then changed it to email because I don’t use WhatsApp.

The Musings

“You should get yourself on your traveling frame” that was my friend told me when I told him about my solo traveling experiences, “But that’s not my point of solo traveling, ” I replied back

I don’t deny myself about taking a selfie while I am traveling, but for me, that’s not the point of solo traveling I was and am taking. To get immersed in the local culture and courage to meet new people while I am traveling are the points. I don’t mind getting myself off my pictures as long as I could capture moments around. As for the model in my picture I shot people’s moment because sometimes beautiful moments created by the people around us, even strangers.

So that’s what traveling is. You got switch plan even when you don’t have fix plan or a plan, but that’s fine even enjoyable. There is nothing about being late going out to enjoy the day. Either morning, afternoon or evening has its own color to enjoy. Last but not the least, it’s about meeting people and sharing the simple things.