I spent six weeks driving through some of the most remote parts of Queensland and loved every second of it – almost.

It’s been three years since I left Australia to live and travel overseas. A year ago I never would have predicted I’d be back in Australia for my anniversary, but here I am. So what has my third year of travel entailed? Find out here.

I love Tasmania and it will always be home, even if I didn’t set foot in the state for three years. But after so long away, I’m looking at my home state with fresh eyes.

Three years after leaving Australia it’s time to go back. For a little bit.

He came to my aid when I was questioned by Turkish guards. Then he spent the day showing me around his home town. He was one of those people that make travelling so wonderful. Yet I can’t remember his name.

I logged into my CouchSurfing account a few weeks ago and realised I’d been a member for nearly three years. This project has given me so much: great experiences, memories and friends. It’s also taught me a thing or two.

For weeks people have been asking how I feel about being in Vancouver. For a while, my answer (when I had one) wasn’t very positive. Returning to “real life” was hard, and it took me a while to accept it.

If I leave a country with just my memories and photos, that’s fine with me. This isn’t a “best of” collection. Some of these photos aren’t that great. But they are my favourite images from 2013.

I’ve spent the last five months travelling. I’ve visited 11 countries. Seen some incredible things. Met some amazing people. Sounds like a dream right? But that’s not always the case. Sometimes life on the road is hard. Really hard. So why doesn’t anyone talk about it?

It’s been three months and the verdict on spontaneous travel is in: I LOVE IT. It hasn’t always been easy, but the experience has changed how I’ll travel in the future.