When I arrived in South America eight months ago I didn’t really have a plan for what I was going to do. I had a general idea of the places I wanted to go (all of them) and a couple of tours booked, but other than that I left my itinerary up to fate. Unsurprisingly, fate took me in a direction I never could have anticipated.

During my first couple of weeks in Ecuador I met my now boyfriend. I had no idea that this meeting would shape both my travels and my life. I’ve spent the majority of my time in this amazing continent exploring Ecuador, about five months in fact. I was able to travel most of this tiny country, falling completely in love with the beaches, the jungle, the food, the crazy cities and the people.

My boyfriend and I adventured up the coast, stopping in some beautiful small towns with spectacular yet deserted beaches.

I suffered my first and only bout of severe food poisoning. We zip-lined through mountain peaks and spent hours on Ecuadorian buses. I was able to stay for an extended time in the beautiful Galapagos Islands, living in a bamboo jungle house understanding the difference between visiting and residing in Galapagos. I converted to living (and loving) a vegan life.

But as is a traveler’s life, I needed to leave and see more. I took myself into stunning Colombia. Mistakenly thought of as a country that needs to be visited with caution, Colombia is safe, fascinating and welcoming to travelers. Those who have been advised against visiting the country from others not here in South America need to ignore the long-distance advice and go. All backpackers here in South America rave about Colombia, and for good reason.

For the past few weeks (months?) I’ve been making my way through Peru and Bolivia along the ‘Gringo Trail’ and loving every minute. Bolivia was far less treacherous or third world than had been described to me by others I’d met on the road. So much so that it came as a total surprise how similar the way of life is to Peru and Ecuador, with the food being far nicer than I had imagined, the scenery incredibly spectacular and the people friendly. As long as you avoid the tap water coming in contact with your mouth in any way, Bolivia is a definite must see for everyone visiting South America.

Today I’m in Santiago, Chile waiting to depart on a flight back to Australia. As I said at the beginning, meeting my boyfriend eight months ago in Ecuador has taken my life in a direction I never expected. My decision to return to Australia will probably come as a surprise to many people, it certainly did to me.

Due to tourist visa restrictions my time in Ecuador was over and I needed to leave. I had planned to continue traveling for a few months into Argentina and Brazil, and basically keep going for as long as I could. But leaving the man I love in Ecuador turned out to be far more difficult than either of us thought it would be, so my plans changed.

As I can’t get back into Ecuador for a couple of months and my boyfriend needs to remain there to work, I’ve decided to cut my travel short and return to Australia. I’m excited to see my family and friends, meet new babies, see new houses and enjoy the Australian summer. Then in a few months I will return to Ecuador, this time for an extended period of time.

Unfortunately I’m not made of money. As much as people think this traveling life is glamorous and I must have extremely deep pockets to continue for as long as I do, that’s just not the case. Living on AUD$50 a day is a very achievable existence, especially here in South America, and I’ve been able to live very comfortably for a long time on this budget. But at some point the money does run out. Returning to Australia for a few months will give me the opportunity to work, save as much as I possibly can and jump on a plane back to Ecuador.

I know many people don’t understand how I can live like this, not knowing what will happen tomorrow, where I will be, where I will sleep, how will I pay for it. But for those of us who have been affected by wanderlust, this is the greatest life imaginable, a constant adventure.

I’ve been so fortunate to have traveled so far, and have so many stories to tell. There are many posts coming about where I’ve been, what I’ve done, and how you can travel and experience these things for yourself.

The more you travel the more the world expands, and I have so many things to do and places to see. Quitting my job to travel a few years ago was the best life decision I have ever made, and I’m looking forward to the myriad of adventures coming my way.