In January of 2020, I went travelling for the first time with my best friend, Maisie.

We spent every day together for 3 months so, as you can imagine, we learnt a lot about each other and made memories to last a lifetime! When it comes to travelling, the solo vs group debate is a big one; stepping on a plane completely alone is a terrifying thought, but it can be equally as hard to plan a trip with someone else. However, I’ve always wanted to see the world, and I know that Maisie has the same goal, so sharing my first travel experience with her was a no-brainer!

Maisie and I met on the first day of primary school and, 14 years later, we are still such close friends. From concerts to parties, school to weekends away, we’ve literally grown up together! In 2019 we finished college and both decided to take a gap year before starting university and getting a job. I had plans to go to Bali and Maisie had booked a trip to Kenya, but we both knew that we wanted to slot in another adventure somewhere within our year out! On a random day in September, I woke up to a message from Maisie: “I’m thinking of backpacking Australia next year. Do you want to come?” One month later, our flights were booked and, before we knew it, we were 10,000 miles away from home!

Our decision to go to Australia together was very spontaneous but it worked out perfectly. Having been friends for such a long time, Maisie and I know exactly what our dynamic is like and I think this is why our travels together worked so well.