I’ve always wanted to go to Australia my whole life. To me, it looks idyllic and exotic while familiar at the same time and as it’s on the complete opposite side of the world to the UK I’ve always thought it would be a wonderful place to escape to the sunshine.

Lately Australia, well the southern hemisphere generally, seems to have become a bit of a black hole sucking in everyone I know. I’m sure many can relate to the daily torture of not being able to log onto Facebook or Instagram without being plagued by somebody hugging an elephant, jumping out of a plane or on a beautiful beach.

Now I’ll be the first to admit I’m jealous, I’d love more than anything to take that leap and just go, travel and explore the world. When graduating, it had always been in the back of my head that if I didn’t ’succeed’ or find a wonderful job then I could just book a ticket and all would be grand.  In January 2015 I landed my first ‘proper’ job in London and I became the commuter I was always destined to be, but I loved being out of my safe Essex bubble and commuting into the city, i’d gotten used to it and London was a place where I loved to be and was full of opportunities.

Towards the end of 2015 I was confronted with a difficult decision but also a wonderful chance, which was to move to London with two of my best friends. It seemed to be the culmination of a year of hard work and growing up and I was so ready, but it also meant that the previously always present idea of travelling would have to be well and truly pushed to the back burner.

I did what I felt was right and I have no regrets at all, I took the leap and I moved out. I committed to a contract in a wonderful house in Greenwich with two of my best friends and I am so incredibly happy living in lovely London despite having to have cut all hope (for the foreseeable future) of me travelling to Australia and Asia.

One of my best friends has just booked to go travelling with another friend, and I couldn’t be more happy for her. She’ll be off for six months (praying not much longer or I’ll miss her too much) seeing Thailand, Bali, Vietnam and all of those places that seem to be sucking people my age in with their beautiful scenery. It’s so right for her to do it at this time in her life, she’s in the perfect situation to make that jump, she’s obsessed with elephants and like me, she had been going on about it for ages. To be honest if the timing was right, I would be going with her and would have had my ticket booked by now, but its not, and timing is everything.

Timing is the key to making a decision about travelling, and for me, it’s never been quite right.

Alongside the beautiful pictures my friends post across social media, I keep seeing articles pop up saying ‘Why Every Young Person Should Travel’, ’10 Reasons Why You’ll Regret Not Travelling’ and ‘Why You Must Immediately Go Travelling Now Or You Will Probably Regret It For Ever And Be Miserable’. Ok I made that last one up, but you get the gist.

I have no doubt that people should go and explore the world, and I would love to more than anything, in fact I do! But in short bursts through summer holidays and city breaks as I’m not able to commit to 6 months like some are, but I hate these articles that make me feel bad for picking a life in London over travelling. Yes, I would regret not travelling, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen for me one day. For me the best thing was  to move in with my friends, work at the job I am very fortunate to have and enjoy living in the greatest city in the word (I’m not biased I promise).  I’m so so happy and I love life in London, even if I do have the odd day where I’d like to swap the murky thames for a blue ocean.

The time isn’t right for me to travel right now, but there’s plenty of time left, and whether its in a year’s time or in a decade, I know it’ll be right to book that plane ticket one day.