But the delights of Big Bald Bob and his teeny tiny speedos, or limbo competitions and serious snorkel action in a tropical paradise are far behind me now, and I am once again well versed in the joys of safe tap water and double beds. Today I face the prospect of making the even harder transition from straight hair, high heels and cocktails, to bare feet, dorm rooms and carrying my evil monster backpack.

In short, I’ve been so busy being fabulous in Sydney that I have gone a bit soft. My wrists are free from beaded shell accessories, I don’t even own an anklet and frankly, my pedicured feet are just too damned pretty to go without some sort of silk slipper at the very least. But before we tackle that bad boy let’s take a look at what the bejesus I’ve been doing with myself for the last 9 months.

After suffering a sequence of small seizures due to things like shopping centres, dress codes, and rush hour traffic, I pulled myself together, like the proverbial drawstring on the duffel bag of life, and got involved in some serious city living.

I got a job, in a pub, and I worked really hard, but it was fun, and I accidentally don’t have much to show for it! That’s because I simultaneously rediscovered the pleasure of frivolous consumer living; skinny jeans, live music, clubs, pubs and delicious cheese from the deli counter. I went to the beach…a lot, and broke the world record for the most number of people floating on inflatable flip flops on Bondi beach.

Sydney was a blast, and that is why I accidentally lived there for 9 months. But lately I’ve been sort of thinking about contemplating maybe missing England a bit, it has been almost two years after all so I decided it was about time I got back on the road.

I have decided to undertake the last leg of my trip not by sea, but by land, and believe me this overland adventure is going to be a beauty! Although I normally like to (not) fly by the seat of pants this one requires a little more on the organisation front, especially since I will officially be going behind the iron curtain, into a world of scary scary vodka swilling Russians.

So I’ve been busy looking at maps and calendars and have devised an all-mighty plan that should see me home in early October for a great big party of monumental proportions with candy floss, and a big band, and a ticker tape parade, maybe even a lion tamer, you’re all invited…sweet! But before I get carried away with that I have to tackle the small challenge of getting all the way from Singapore to the UK, and once again get used to sweating profusely while lugging my backpack around unfamiliar cities and battling foreign transport systems.

Bring it on. Let’s go Loco again.

Images courtesy of Kate

…Our adventure began with the desire to be the change we wish to see in the world. Our passion for a safe climate future motivated us all to try a low carbon approach to traveling to this year’s climate talks and the journey was a great success!

Our main objectives were:

• to show the difficulties of low carbon travel in our current system, but that it is possible

• to connect with the global south and an interconnected youth movement who will be central to the global transition to a just future

• to utilise the media in education and inspiration

What’s more, we achieved…

• an enormous reduction in our greenhouse gas emissions by choosing not to fly, of 40% in total from door to door (this includes the flights to get to Singapore – the reduction would have been much greater without).
• we learnt how to organise overland travel
• and we experienced an adventure as a team, which no airline can provide, connecting with the people and the environments of every country from Australia to Poland.

We recognised that it was idealistic and ambitious, but that is what we, the youth, do best.

Before we started, I was very concerned with the value of our trip. I had great concerns about the time it would take to travel and to organise, the financial strain, our ability to deliver our message and the responsiveness of audiences. What’s more, my friends and family in my immediate community, who I rely on for support, provided me with a mixture of encouragement and discouragement. Some responses included, “Of course, I can’t do that,” and “Just catch a plane.” I questioned the real value of what we were doing. Some even said it was “crazy.” In all honestly, I very nearly pulled out. Looking back now, I am glad I left Brisbane on a bus.

The trip was long and at times it seemed strange that it would stop. We traveled nearly 23,500 kilometres for over 40 days through 11 countries, 10 border crossings, using 8 trains, 4 buses, 6 different visas, a few taxis, a few tuk-tuks, 10 bags, and a lot more books.

It was a terrific experience, unlike the piecemeal and relatively disconnected way I had traveled previously. For the first time, the world really felt like a continuous flow of people, environments and cultures. The cities were buzzing, the rural landscape was largely being cultivated – I sensed the earth as alive with human activity.

When we arrived, we were welcomed first by our other members of our delegation, those who had flown out of Australia, and I wondered if there was a meaningful difference between me and them. I was praised and congratulated, but I didn’t feel like I had earnt it, nor that I meant to. When we met other youth delegations at the Conference of Youth in the days leading up to COP14, the praise continued and so many people asked me how my experiences were, but frankly, I was surprised they were so impressed. I did not feel any distinction between myself and the other youth delegates that could explain the extra attention.

This morning, at the International Youth Meeting of COP14 on Wednesday the 3rd, held for the first time in an official function room, another youth delegate shared her pride in the youth caucus for having Australian delegates who had done the necessary journey overland. She had attended a transport conference the previous day, where the main speaker acknowledged that all the delegates present had flown to Poland. The main speaker went on to say that no-one would catch a train from Australia, with an assumed air of authority, when the youth delegate present spoke out. “Uh, Actually, we have 5 Australian youth delegates who made the journey overland. It took them 40 days and they are now here at COP14.” According to her report back to the international youth meeting, the transportation conference broke out into applause and amazement. She said that the speaker wants to meet us and assist us with media and funding in returning, overland, to COP15.

The great unknown delegates to the UN climate talks had applauded us. On hearing this it dawned on me that I had changed whilst on the surface journey. Before I left, I was skeptical too. My community was uninterested and my doubts dominated my plans. But my outlook has changed. I now feel differently. The journey was not hard, it was easy and fun; It was more aligned with my wish for a safe climate future; I can share it with others and I will do it again. The paradigm I was working within has changed and I was lucky enough to observe that. Everyone knows that it starts at the individual level. I now feel more empowered to enact my agency for change.

Nic Seton at Poznan UN Climate talks.

P.S. There are now plans for a ‘Copenhagen Convergence’ where 500+ may travel overland and oversea to the UN next year, from all nations around the globe.