‘On the couch’ with Jasminda

DEAR Jasminda,

MY partner wants to go travelling around Australia, camping along the way.

While this sounds great in theory, I’m wondering if the reality will be feasible.

We both have jobs that are about 70 percent office-based.

Rachael O.

Dear Rachael,

It sounds like the most wonderful adventure. What an experience.

‘Sounds’ being the operative word.

When your partner says ‘camping’ you need to be very clear about what that definition means.

For some, camping is buying a Zone RV Summit worth the average parliamentarian’s annual salary, fully decked out with every mod con so that it doesn’t actually feel like camping, but instead residing in a mobile luxury apartment complete with mixer taps, a separate shower and ensuite, and an upholstered bedhead.

‘Camping’ for these people also means staying in high-end caravan parks with all the other campers who have used up their superannuation and the kids’ inheritance to get back to their youth, but without any of the youthful associations such as being stone-broke and having no mobility issues.

For others, camping involves going back to nature and doing it tough.

This type of camping is more like an episode of Alone (but without the audiovisual gear and with no guarantee of being collected in a fast rescue boat if injury and/or malnutrition and or insanity kicks in).

Living off the land is not for the faint hearted (quite literally).

If your partner has visions of you setting off with nothing more than a head torch, some bracken fern for ant bites, two pairs of undies, a hunting knife, and a banjo, you are not going travelling around Australia, you are on a survival expedition.

This is not compatible with your office bodies that are used to being within walking distance of a Barista Express coffee machine, a flushing toilet, a Spotify playlist, and an office assistant named Max who can fix just about any issue including a migraine and/or an existential crisis.

Rachael, I suggest you do a trial run (no more than two hours from where you live) just to make sure you are both on the same page.

This will help you decide whether you like the sort of camping your partner is interested in, and also whether you can be around each other for an extended period of time.

If the answer to both those questions is yes, and if you can afford to take a year off work, then go well my friend (and take a Personal Locator Beacon with you if you find that your partner is more Bear Grylls than Paris Hilton).

Carpe diem,
Jasminda.