After having been away for 14 months, in New Zealand, Vietnam, Cambodia and finally Thailand, I had become used to being totally independent, living out of a single rucksack and being surrounded by other travellers of varying nationalities and backgrounds. As a result, whilst I recognised that returning home to the UK would convey certain benefits, such as a level of security and stability that I had become unfamiliar with, I was also aware that it would be a considerable change from the lifestyle and company that I had grown used to.
On my return to the UK, I therefore took only a minimal amount of time to rest, relax and adjust to my new surroundings before I began to search for a new job in earnest. I recognised that gaining employment would allow me to focus my energy and minimize the amount of time that I spent at home with my parents. This would be essential to maintaining good mental health, while also bringing in the funds that I would need to ultimately regain my independence, initially through the purchase of a car.
I had landed in the UK on 28th January 2018 and only 3 weeks later had successfully found, contacted, applied, and commenced my employment as a Travel Consultant at Riviera Travel in Burton upon Trent. A week later I combined the last of my savings with a small loan from my parents to buy a second-hand car, and 3 months later I had paid this loan back in full using my new salary. I identified the importance of being aware of potential challenges a changing environment might bring and having a clear and specific strategy in place to minimise the effect of these potential adversities.
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