if you follow my blog more regularly you will notice the savings tracker that appears frequently at the bottom of a post (this tends to be around pay day). well i'm saving for a little trip to Australia.
a lot of my family live over there and i have been 4 times in the past, last when i was 18. it has always been a dream of mine to go and either explore by myself in the time frame of a holiday...or...to make the most of it and go for a year.
the savings you see on the blog on the savings i can actually get my hands on, the rest is hidden away somewhere where i cannot reach it.
the other day i worked out with my parents how much i actually had across all my savings and it turns out i am only £90 away from the savings required by the Australian government to go on a working holiday visa...naturally i'm excited!
then there was the spanner in the works..
my dad has always supported the things i want to do except for one thing.(or two depending on the view you take on this particular spanner..)
that one thing being the baking. dont get me wrong he always says how nice they are and stuff but he has not been very supportive of my idea to do it more professionally.
the day after we worked out my savings he was getting ready to leave for work and seemed a little deflated. turns out work is annoying him at the moment and we got into a discussion about retirement ages. he said how he felt sorry for the people that do manual labour as he couldn't imagine having to work until he was 70 doing that kind of job, let alone his own job.
i threw into the conversation that i didn't think i could do my job until i was 70 as i run around like a headless chicken all day and didn't fancy having hip replacements on a weekly basis..
he then stuck the spanner in..
"maybe it's time you start thinking about investing your savings into converting the second garage into a kitchen and starting your own business..."
i think i know his game...i think he thinks that it will maybe stop me going to Australia?
so do i follow my dream of going traveling around the beautiful Australia? or do i follow my other dream of baking as a career?
ARRRGGHHHHH
i have asked a few people i know what they think and they have all said that even though the kitchen idea is a great one, its something that can be done when i get back. Australia is best travelled when you have nothing to hold you back, no commitments...
any advice from you guys would be muchly appreciated as i am well and truly stuck!
I have an entrepreneurial module at uni, and they also said, that it's best to start a business when you're young and don't have commitments in a way, because if it doesn't work out it's not that bad. But if you have a family and mortgage to pay off, there's a lot more pressure on. I'm not saying this means, pick this option, I just thought I'd throw this in as well :)
ReplyDeleteI guess its the same for both sides! Thanks for your input!
ReplyDeletePersonally I'd jump at any any chance to set up a baking business! and just think..once you've become all successful you could travel Australia and the world for influences!
ReplyDeletehttp://katieskitchenjournal.blogspot.co.uk
x
Its such a difficult thing! The one thing I keep coming back to is the whole "you can only do a working holiday visa up to the age of 30" thing...I can always do the business later!
DeleteOh my god this is so tricky - I always think 'heart over head' but when it's two things your heart wants its so difficult! One thing I will say is that I know wages are SO much higher in Aus than here in the UK. Like one guy I know was getting the equivalent of £12 as a waiter in Sydney before tips. Obviously lots of the money you'd earn out there you'd want to use for travelling and stuff while you're there, but if you're a little bit careful you might be able to come back with some to start your savings off again for your baking! That's what I'd do :)
ReplyDeleteOnly just found your blog - definitely going to have a read! Good luck making your choice :)
These are my thoughts exactly! A friend came back last year with more money than she went with!
DeleteI say go to Australia, you've worked so hard to save the money, and this has been the main goal for saving the money. Your young, and this is the best time to go travelling, get life experiences and have an incredible time with no other commitments. Life experiences can't be beaten really!
ReplyDeleteWhen you get back you'll be wiser, with more ideas, maybe even different ideas and will also have those memories, that no matter what you cant ever lose!
Starting up a business will consume you from the beginning, and you might not get a chance for a travelling style holiday until you are well established and can trust other people to look after your business for a long stretch of time. Also you will be able to get loans etc to help start up the company, which you can then pay back, people aren't going to give you a loan to go to Australia!
I hope this helps even a little, and if it doesn't, sorry!
I hope your happy with whatever decision you make :)
Your so right!
DeleteI'd definitely say go to Australia. You've obviously wanted it for such a long time and travelling while you are young is the best thing. I can imagine the garage at your parent's house will still be there when you get back. If you get back ;) Fulfilling your dream will give you so much and for the rest of your life you will be able to say things like: "When I was travelling Australia..." :) Go when there's nothing holding you back!
ReplyDeletejana
Because of London
Want to book it now! like...right now!
DeleteIt's a really tough decision, but personally I would say go for Australia first - as you say, it's best to do that now when there's nothing holding you back. The kitchen conversion can be done when you get back because, when you think of it, if you started your baking business, when would your next chance to travel be? You'll meet so many amazing people and learn so much, and that will all help when you come back and settle down to make your baking dream a reality!
ReplyDeleteWhatever you decide, I wish you the best of luck and can't wait to read about it on here! xxx
http://jesuis-hannah.blogspot.co.uk
My initial reaction would be to set up the baking business. You seem to love baking (and if photos are anything to go by, you're very talented at what you do). It's lovely that your Dad wants to encourage you to start up your own kitchen. Try not to consider it a 'Spanner in the works' but a gesture of his love.
ReplyDeleteHowever, as you have saved up all this money for the purpose of going to Australia, you should go ahead with your original plan. My experience of travelling was the best thing I've done so far. You will have the time of your life, change your perspectives on life and gain so much inspiration (foodie and otherwise).
Use this time before you go away and whilst out in Australia to create a list of all the things you want to perfect and make when you do open your own business. That way when you come back, you'll have some solid, perfected ideas ready to get started with.
Good luck with whatever decision you make, I will be reading all about it as an avid fan!
Love Isabella x
http://isabellabellamozzarella.blogspot.co.uk/
I've been thinking about this a lot more over the last week and the thing that keeps sticking in my mind is that I have only got 5 more years to go to Australia on a working holiday visa. And I can't see me setting up a business and being able to leave it in someone else's hands for a long period of time within 5 years.
DeleteI popped into STA travel on Thursday and picked up some travel guides and I'm 99% sure that's what I want to do now!