24 Hours In

Ready to Go

My Flight was delayed by three hours.

I got stuck sitting next to a fat smelly guy on a 9.5 hour flight.

I'm pretty sure I got ripped off in my taxi ride to my hotel.

I LOVE my life.

I'm just 24 hours in to my year long trip and I've gotta admit I'm a bit rusty. Its been a few years since I've been on the backpacker trail and it takes some re adjusting.

I've been dreaming about this trip for the best part of two years but at the moment it still has not quite sunk in that it has actually started.

The couple of issues I've had along the way though have only highlighted that I love what I'm doing. Sure you don’t want to get stuck next to John Candy on your flight, but when the worst thing that happens in your day is that you get “ripped off” to the tune of less than $5, or that you have to sit around for a couple of extra hours, its a good day!

I'm one of those people that still gets a kick out of the actual flight to where ever. On my trip from Melbourne to Bangkok I watched four new release movies, ate two very good meals and had as many glasses of red wine as I wanted – and probably more than I should have. My joy of flying may be helped by the fact that I'm vertically challenged, but we all have to make the most of what we have.

Local Wildlife 

In my first day exploring Bangkok I've been able to see the Grand Palace and the Temple of the Golden Buddha, eat some food of speculative origin and view some local fauna.

While I may have had a slightly less than ideal beginning to the trip, I'm only getting started.  

That Goal

When Josh Kennedy scored that goal against Iraq last month, it completed the Socceroos quest to qualify for the World Cup and started their preparation for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

That Goal

It also set up my next 12 months as I travel all the way to Rio to support the Aussie team – and I'm going the long way.

With a round-the-world air ticket in my hand, I'll be jetting off to Asia, Europe and North America before eventually heading down through Central and South America and finally arriving in Brazil.

Getting ready to watch the Socceroos Cup qualifier against Jordan

The World Cup is the biggest event in the world and what better place to check it out than in Brazil? With their love of football and and partying, next years event is shaping to be the biggest party of all time – and I have to be a part of that. I've dedicated the last eight years of my life to travelling the globe and getting to big events, and this will be the biggest event of them all.

One of my biggest regrets in travelling was missing the 2006 World Cup in Germany while I was living in Edinburgh, Scotland. Why didn't I go? To this day I still cant answer that question. This is my chance to make up for that in the best way possible.

Inside the Olympic Rings at Whistler Village in 2010

Making up for a past fail is something I've done before too. After failing to be a part of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, I made a point of travelling to Canada to be part of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver – getting myself a job on Whistler mountain and fulfilling a dream.

Over the next year I'll be travelling to 20+ countries, taking in culture, sport, cuisine and meeting some new friends. While some things will focus on the World Cup – like travelling to Spain to see the Cup in the country that currently holds it – it's mostly going to be about the journey to get there, and the people and places I come across along the way.

I look forward to sharing it all with anyone who is interested, and also hearing any suggestions and feedback. 

While I'm not taking the most direct way to the World Cup, I think its going to be the most fun.