Prologue "Packing the Backpack"

In preparation of my adventure, there were a few rather necessary things that had to be done. So here’s my personal checklist for “packing the backpack”:

1.Since I was planning on stopping by home and doing my little internship and first vacation with my certain someone, I needed to find my way to the Philippine Islands first. So, back in January, latest February, I booked a one way ticket to Manila.

2.At times, I can be quite clumsy and though nothing really bad has ever happened to me, never broken a bone *knock on wood*, it is better to be safe than rely on that “luck”. So I acquired one year’s worth of travel insurance. By the way, I can only recommend STA Travel, as they are especially helpful and understand young travelers on a budget.

3.The little research I did before leaving Germany included reading up on the climate (and realizing I had to pack winter, spring, summer and autumn kind of clothes), locating cities and towns on a map (to get a general idea about the geography) and finding out what else I have to add my To-Do-BEFORE-I-Get-To-Oz list.

4.In Manila, I had about 10 days before I had to go “back to school” and decided to get some of the icky formalities out of the way. Though I have to say, applying for the Working Holiday Visa was much easier than I had imagined it would be. The online application form takes a while and they ask interesting questions about your criminal record or if you have ever spent some time in the loony bin, but all in all it’s quite hassle-less.

5.Part of the application process is a visit to a medical center, because the Aussies want to know what kind of lungs they are letting into the country. Sitting in the waiting room, I was quite surprised about how full it was – all Visa applicants to Australia (though the Canadian side was even fuller).

6.Soon after arriving in Manila, I booked a one way flight to Melbourne. I’m just so damn lucky to have a dad who is an expert traveler and knows exactly how to find the cheapest possible deals on flights.

7.…A day before I left, I bought and packed my backpack.

Note: Good luggage is important. Packing it is as well.