What Is Travel?

14 May 2021

Fremantle, Western Australia

I’ve finally met up with backpackers. When I walked into my 8-bed dorm room, I noticed something funny. I didn’t have to walk over many backpacks. Instead I was tripping over suitcases.

Here are some things I’ve been asked:

“That’s all you have with you?”

“Woah bro, you go fast?”

Before I got here I really missed being with younger people. I was desperately lonely. Shaking with cold and rain dripping in through my helmet didn’t help.

When you ride in shit weather, you sit there with your arms cemented in place. Wind booms against your helmet so you can’t even hear yourself if you try and talk to yourself (I’ve tried). So you just think. “I wish I had a dog.” “I wish I had a girlfriend.” You keep riding. “Why am I doing this?”

Travel is a lot of things. And it’s different for everybody. For some, it’s a holiday. For the people in my dorm, it’s a time to be young and party and fuck and learn about yourself before some sort of career.

My travel highlight so far has been meeting The Prospector I’m a young guy who worked as a IT and software guy. Warren is an older guy who’s worked as a painter, metalworker, concreter. Now I’m a motorbike traveller and Warren is a prospector. There we were, sharing stories, sharing our knowledge, passing it on, and eventually moving on. I guess that’s what travel is for me.