ABOUT

Thank you for wanting to learn a little more about the girl behind The Department of Wandering.

My Story

Living in inner-city Melbourne, Australia, my boyfriend Ben and I were what many would describe as a successful couple. We both had stable jobs that we worked hard at (I was a secondary school teacher in a well-respected private school and Ben was an automotive designer at General Motors). We both earned good incomes and were never really concerned with where our money was going, as long as we could save enough for a trip overseas somewhere every year. We lived for these adventures and when we didn’t have any travel plans to look forward to we never felt quite right. As the years ticked over one by one, our trips seemed to become more and more adventurous:

♥ 2008: We hired a car and went on an epic four-week road trip in New Zealand from the tip of the north island to the bottom of the south island. We trekked the 54 km Milford Track, heli-hiked on the Franz Josef Glacier and went blackwater rafting in the Waitomo Caves.

♥ 2009: We travelled to Japan during hanami (cherry blossom season) and got lost in the streets of Tokyo, Kyoto and Nagoya.

♥ 2009 - 2010: Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam were on the cards for a four-week trip over Christmas and New Year. Some highlights were visiting local schools, cycling around the Mekong delta and spending NYE on the streets of Saigon.

♥ 2011-2012: hungry for adventure, we headed to India and Nepal for seven weeks over the Australian summer. We sailed down the Ganges River in paddle boats, went on camel safari in the desert in Rajasthan, rode motorbikes around Goa and trekked for 15 days in the Annapurna region of the Himalayas. This trip really threw us out of our comfort zone but was one of the most memorable experiences we’ve ever had.

Where to from there?

We noticed a little pattern developing. Every time we travelled we returned home a little hungrier than before. Hungry to see more, to do more. Restless to move. We started feeling less and less fulfilled by our work. We were both bored and realised we were stuck in a rut.

We had always talked about one day living abroad and so we asked ourselves, ‘Why not?’ and ‘what’s the worst that can happen?’. In early 2013 Ben applied for an automotive design position with Volkswagen in Germany and got the job. Before we knew it, we had purchased two one-way tickets to Berlin. We’ve now been here for two years.

Why The Department of Wandering?

Initially, The Department of Wandering was a creative outlet for me and helped me share with friends and family back home what living in another country was like.

As time has progressed, however, The Department of Wandering has become much more than that. Today, this blog aims to inspire those who are contemplating a move abroad and also assist them in the process. I share lots of information here on the realities of expat life that many current or future expats find useful as well as the city of Berlin itself. The blog also contains lots of inspiration for travelling in general, with a wide range of travel destinations featured.

Want to know more but not sure where to start?

Being an Expat

10 Reasons Why You Should Become an Expat

The German Spa Experience: Warning: Nudity Expected

The Perks of Being an Expat: Travel

 

Favourite Travel Experiences

Slowly Down the Ganges, India

Stelvio Pass Photographic Journal

My Top 5 Greatest Travel Adventures So Far

 

Popular Posts

The Department of Wandering’s Most Popular Content of 2014

 

Looking Back

2014 in Review

 

Still curious?

29 Fun Facts About Me

 

Here are a few travel snaps:

So are we friends yet? Visit my Contact page to connect with me!