Six months into this adventure

 It has just passed 6 months since I left Australia on this adventure, fresh out a moon boot from a broken leg

and I feel very privileged to have visited 11 countries- cycling through Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Slovakia, Hungary, England and visiting Greece, Albania, Montenegro and Wales.  I had planned the cycle trip across Europe but the rest has morphed by spontaneously taking people's advice, or hearing about great places as I go.

I have completed 5 housesits, cared for 5 dogs and 3 cats and stayed with friends in the UK, volunteered on an organic farm in Switzerland and volunteer taught English in Bavaria. I slept in a tent for 8 weeks, hostels, guesthouses and houses and on a stranger's couch.  I have experienced the kindness of strangers (which I think of as my angels sent to encourage) in every country and had wonderful conversations with complete strangers. I have cycled 4485 KMs and hiked/walked 936kms, caught busses, ferries, trains, planes, cars and cable cars. 

I have had the luxury of time and one of the benefits of solo travel is being able to indulge my interests of Art, architecture, history, stained glass windows and churches, flowers and gardens, mountains, lakes and valleys, sunrises and sunsets, all things outdoorsy and trying local foods and being able to stop and talk with people and share stories.

I have been inspired by adventurous people cycling round the world or to places or with timeframes that I just wouldn't tackle. And the amount of people remote working, successfully nomadic living on low budgets is mind boggling.     

The trade-off is missing time with my family and that has not come easily to me. I love my sons, their girls and my parents and brother and its the every day as well as special occassions that are challenging to miss.  I relish our FaceTime and chats and messages and a little harder at this time of year and a hug would be wonderful. But I have chosen to do this 

I've experienced highs and lows and challenges and triumphs and thankyou to those of you who have kindly allowed me to share some of this trip with you via this forum ❤️

In a couple of days I head to London to housesit till the end of the year and then the next segment begins.