Excuse the grammar I'm in a Gap Year : Life Starts Today...

So my journey started on the 29th Jan 2015, I departed from Cape Town International saying goodbye to friends and family knowing I won't see them for a year...I was very content with the situation and didn't know what to expect from my first overseas trip in almost 7 years...and the fact I was heading over all by myself was another frightening thought.

After a couple of tears from my family, especially my brother Michael Cooke I finally left Cape Town at 12:20. I approached the airlines desk about to board only to find out that I was about to board on to the wrong plane. A lovely old lady then helped me along to the right gate and I was A for Away. I was told by my mother Carin Cooke to never ever trust anyone at the airport, so thinking about the old lady helping me I took about 15min searching through my bags to see if any drugs or illegal substances were placed in my hand luggage. It was clear and I could now settle down for my trip to Jo-Berg.

The flight was nice.

I then sat for about 3 hours in duty free, eating chocolate and drinking coffee listening to peoples names been called out because their flights were about to leave, I must say with the buzz from the chocolate and coffee it was a nervous time for me..maybe I could get my name to called out. I had to now board the big plane to fly for 11hrs 55min to Australia for a year. All aboard and ready to go. As my brother said you will hear the accents of the Australians hostesses while baording the plane and realization will hit you that life actually starts today.

5 movies later I eventually landed in OZ. Then boarded my flight to Canberra which was like 45minutes and sat next to a nice guy who told me everything about Australia.

I was met by a guy named Sarge who is kinda my boss for the year and was a Sergeant in the Australian army something cool like that. Absolute Legend I'd say!

I then was transported to my accommodation, which is a cool little flat and inside this chamber lay 3 British boys named Max, Paddy and Johnny and 1 Canadian fella named Connor. Awesome bunch of lads.

My first night was a early one after long travels and an early wake up at 4am due to a lovely thing called jet lag...its a bitch!

It was a good week or learning the ropes and grasping the realization of a working man.

I then was taken for was my first night out in Canberra, being it only my second night in Australia I hadn't even seen the place in day light yet and the boys were keen for a big one so I couldn't say no...We started off at a cool little joint called Uni Bar then wondered off into a place called MooseHeads which is apparently where the party is at. I spent a total of $50 which is the same as R500 and the night wasn't even a big one so I was now understanding why people say its expensive in this part of the world...Waking up the next day at 4'oclock in the afternoon was a great feeling and the latest I've ever woken up so I then came to senses at to what it is like being on a gap year.

The guys in the flat are absolute legends! Its a year I'm sure I will experience with good people! I will learn the lessons of life and push through the tough times, I will get home sick and at some stage like now have no money to waste but that is what a Gappies life is all about.