Everyone has dreams. But if you are driven by the phrase “Carpe Diem”, those dreams become reality quickly. It means Seize The Day!
Whether your dream is touring Australia in an off-road camping rig or traveling the world with a backpack, everyone has one at some point in their life. Dreams are what drive us. Some lucky souls complete them, and some don’t, but one thing is for certain…
You will never hear someone saying they regret fulfilling their dream. The problem is, it always seems like there is a reason you can’t do it today.
I’ll do it when the kids are older, or I retire, or I get my long service leave
How many people never complete their dreams because they keep putting it off? How many dreams have you missed out on because it didn’t feel possible to complete them in the present?
Take it from the old and wise, when you reach the end of your days, there will be one thing you will wish for. It’s not money, or fast cars, or friends.
It is time. Time to do the things you always wanted to do. Carpe Diem.
Today, now, the present, is your opportunity to do those things and fulfill the dreams an older you will regret never doing.
It doesn’t matter what your current situation is, who’s in government, how the economy is going, or what the weather is doing. You can make it work. Carpe Diem.
Get out there and fulfill your dreams.
Just like the famous American composer playwright, Jonathan Larson said….
“There is only now”
“There is only here”
“No day but today!”
These kinds of sentiments stretch back throughout human history because it is a lesson we have learned over and over again.
Two thousand years ago, the Roman poet Horace created the famous works of Odes, which gave rise to the Latin phrase – Carpe Diem. This means,
“seize the day”
It encapsulates the lessons we all learn throughout our lives and reflect on when we grow old. Don’t waste time, capture the moment, seize your dreams with both hands.
In this article, we explore the meaning of carpe diem and ask you the real question. The only question.
Why not today?
The Outback Camping Adventure – An Australian Dream, Carpe Diem
Circumnavigating Australia is a common dream amongst both Australians and international visitors.
It makes sense, because Australia is one of the most beautiful countries in the world, and the best way to see it is by camping in the wild, amongst nature and away from the hustle and bustle of civilisation.
We are the only species that pays money to exist on this planet. We pay other humans to be here. We are hooked into an eternal race to continue to pay our way into society. Animals roam free. They are part of the environment, and it is part of them. Perhaps the roots of the Australian dream to circumnavigate the country lie in this fact.
That we are just striving to once again be part of the environment, like we were before the built up world swallowed us up.
Maybe it transports us back to reality.
Well, whatever the reason, we all have the chance to get back out there. In fact, here in Australia we really can have it both ways. We can have the cake and eat it too. Enjoy the benefits of civilisation, with the opportunity to get back out into nature and feel at one with the birds and the bees as well.
It is no surprise that camping has extremely positive benefits for the mind and our happiness. These benefits are demonstrated in our recent article called “The Benefits of Camping: Stress Is Caused by Not Camping Enough!”. So, Carpe Diem!
There is no better country to explore than Oz, Carpe Diem.
We live in a country like no other. The opportunities we have to get out into the wild and enjoy pristine places is unique. This is a luxury that the majority of the world does not have access to.
The sad thing is that most Australian’s don’t make use of it. The fear of the present gets hold, and they will put off the Australian dream until next year, or next decade, or retirement.
Here are three facts which highlight why there is no reason to wait to explore the best country in the world, and why there is no reason to fear it:
Fact 1 – Money isn’t the issue.
While money often feels like the limiting factor. It is not.
Even though you may not be able to buy the best of everything, you will always have something. Use whatever you can with the financial ability you have at the time to get out there and explore the place!
Worried about the impact of economies and global trends on your travel finances? Don’t be!
This country will always support your economic choices. Australia hasn’t had a recession in 27 years! Not even in the global financial crisis did we go under down under. When stocks plummeted and housing exploded in other countries our economy didn’t crash. So, Carpe Diem!
If you are worried about what the economy might do to your savings, retirement funds or home loans, think about how stable this country has been for so long. If you let that fear prevent you from reaching your dreams, then you will never complete them.
It doesn’t even matter how bad the economy is, you can always head off for the weekend, or a week or a month. Australian travel is cheap, but the value for money experience is like no other.
Australia is the lucky country. Lets make use of it.
Fact 2 – Australia is safe and borderless.
You can circumnavigate the entire island we call home and not need to go through country style border crossings. Sure, you may need to bin your bananas when you go from the NT to WA, but that’s about as bad as it gets.
Not only is cross country travel easy, but it is also extremely safe. It is not Africa or Mexico, there is next to no chance of a negative outcome. There is no civil war, no lions chasing you, no deadly tropical viruses threatening your existence. Don’t waste this opportunity, when so few on this planet have it at their fingertips like we do.
Head out there, camp, and enjoy life.
We are the envy of other countries in economy and touring
Fact 3 – Remote destinations and tracks are slowly being closed off.
With an increasing population, and vehicles which allow an easier drive to remote places, more people are accessing them. This includes the one-percenters who trash the place and ruin it for the rest of us.
For example, an ABC article published in 2016 explains how some of Tasmania’s most remote and adventurous 4×4 tracks on its West Coast have been closed, and the Federal Court has recommended they remain closed.
These kinds of closures are almost always thanks to the minority of visitors who do not respect the place. Thanks to them, tracks and destinations are being permanently closed off. Gates get locked, and no one ever gets in again. This is happening more and more, which means that the longer we wait to get out there and explore, the fewer places will be available.
Get out there now and explore as much as possible before it is available to no-one before it is too late!
Don’t Let the Dream Slip Away
Here at Trayon, we hear stories from both sides of the coin. Some are amazing recounts of people fulfilling their dream Australian adventures. While other times it is about the ones who almost got there.
The saddest story we heard was about a customer we will call Bob and his wife. They had been eyeing off Trayon slide on campers for almost five years. They always showed up at the Toowoomba Show.
Countless times they said “yep, one day”. “One day we’ll get a Trayon”.
Finally, Bob showed up at the Trayon shop. His wife wasn’t there.
She had passed away.
Their time had slipped away, and their dream had been pulled out from underneath them. They had kept saying “one day, one day”.
Bob still bought the Trayon and started doing small trips by himself. Eventually, he went to visit his Son in Perth. After moseying around the South Coast and reaching his destination, he had a heart attack and himself, passed on. He had done one major trip in the Trayon. He had scratched the surface of the dream he shared with his late wife, but never had the chance to dive in.
This is a reality check for us all and a sad one at that.
The end of days is inevitable and part of life. While these kinds of stories are sad, they teach us that there is no time like the present to do the things you dream to do.
Bring your plans forward and run with your dreams. Dive headlong into the things you desire the most while you can.
Don’t wait until you are retired. Sure you might not be able to quit and travel around Australia forever, but there is nothing stopping you starting with short trips 10, 15, or 20 years before retirement before your hips start playing up and your knees begin to predict rain while not bending as good as they use to. So, Carpe Diem!
Just make it happen. Do you have a spare weekend? Well get out there, buy a camping rig that fits your budget and lifestyle, and do it. Can you take some time off from work? If so, duck off for an extended Outback adventure. Start ticking off those bucket list destinations, or let pure relaxation take hold in the beautiful Australian bushland. Can you work off-site? Do you have a mobile office? Yes? Well, use it!
Go to Fraser Island and get your work done while listening to the sound of the waves and the smell of the ocean.
Punch up the Gibb River Road and visit the horizontal waterfalls, or the thundering Mitchell Falls, or Honeymoon Bay near Kalumburu, the northernmost town in WA.
Challenge the Canning Stock Route. Conquer the Simpson Desert. Visit Cape York, stand on Australia’s most Northern point. Catch fish, eat mud crabs, see crocodiles in their natural habitat.
Come back to camp and soak up the warmth of a fire and gaze up at the stars.
Don’t be influenced by fear
There will always be problems, naysayers, and stupid political parties threatening economic collapse should the other stupid political party be elected.
That’s life, and it will not change. There will be ups, downs, twists and turns. Just ride the wave, get out there, and do it. You will be surprised how quickly all of life’s supposed ‘troubles’ will fall away.
Complete your dreams.
Don’t have the right rig to take you?
For those who’s dream depends on a proper off-road camper rig, we can help. If finding the right vehicle is hampering your dreams, let us do it for you.
Our turnkey service is designed to create the vehicle of your dreams to get you wherever you need to be, in Outback comfort. Check out more on the turnkey service in our recent article called “Trayon Campers – Turn-Key Solution – A Case Study”.
With a Trayon rig, the most remote places around the entire globe can be traversed, with your home on the vehicles back. The world becomes your oyster. We have had customers travel to almost every continent in a Trayon.
For example, check out the global Trayon adventure of Brian and Carol, from Africa and Europe to Russia and Asia in Trayon #619 testimonial!
Do whatever you need to make the dream come true, Carpe Diem!
While a Trayon may be the dream of many it is not the be-all and end-all.
Get out there using whatever means you have, whether its a two-man tent, rooftop tent, camper trailer, caravan, swag, or a mattress was thrown on the ground with a mosquito net!
Just get out there and do it!
We have been in the camping and off-road industry long enough to know that any time spent in the Australian Outback is worth it. It is real, meaningful, and will provide the kind of memories that many will desire in their final moments.
Fulfillment.
There is no time like the present.
