The Long Road Home

One of the things I love most about people is the stories they have to tell, stories or resilience and excess, grandeur and accomplishment. I love people even more when they surprise me. When I first met Ben Doyle I didn’t think he would amaze me. And yet I stand here as a witness to a life that has been lived carefree and wild, flowing subconsciously and vibrantly towards its purpose.

We have all had ridiculous ideas of who we wanted to be when we were kids. I remember wanting to be a cobbler or a fisherwoman or a pilot – anything that seemed simple and awe-filled. As the years progressed and I was bogged down with concepts of career choices and future stability I started to lose my wandering meandering soul. I learned to trade fantasy for a corporate persona.

I envy Ben because while coming to a strange continent all alone can be perceived as daunting, travelling to various others with no set plan, no agreed propaganda ought definitely to be termed brave. As the conversation flowed, he went on to modestly relay his forays into the world of cold streets and unfamiliar faces. With each new place he talked about his eyes lit up reliving those parts of his past that have etched who he is today. Ben set out into the big wide world at age 21 wandering across the UK, Ireland and Canada only to return home three years later with memoirs of his expeditions and a book that’s waiting to be published.

While in transit and before he stumbled upon his potential to be a writer, he worked odd jobs and strange jobs and found ways to continue fuelling his passion for travel and new experiences. Ben has officially and unofficially at some point in his life worked as an - Online Travel Agent, Porter, Bartender, Buyer at a Record Store, Receptionist, Sperm Donor, Waiter, Tree planter, Pokey Machine Attendant, Café supervisor, delivered pamphlets, worked at a fish n chips store and so on. It was only when a mate suggested that his memoirs made for an interesting read that he came up with the idea for his book titled Sex, Drugs and the Last Tube Home (A young Australians journey on the cold streets of London).

The book led to him realising his penchant for writing which fuelled his return to the world of grades and University campuses after a 7 year hiatus. Ben is back and raring to go and by the looks of it he seems to be acing his Postgraduate Certificate in Journalism and Mass Communication.

The path to your dreams may never be straightforward. It may not bring you the quickest or the most favourable results. But the next time you’re stuck in a rut and don’t know where you’re headed, look again.