Happy Birthday, Aussie on the Road

We’re approximately a month away from Aussie on the Road celebrating its fourth birthday, and I’ve never been prouder of my baby. After several years of work, the site is finally starting to really come into its own – thanks largely to the fantastic readers and fans who are commenting, sharing, and re-Tweeting the nonsense I periodically birth onto the internet.

What better way to celebrate four years of Aussie on the Road than be rewarding you: the readers?

Wanted: Travel Blogging Partner

With my bouncing baby boy growing up, however, it’s come to my attention that the poor lad is a tad lonely.

I look around at some of the travel blogs I enjoy the most – yTravel, iDelish, Jack & Jill Travel, Over Yonderlust, and GQ Trippin’, and I see these dynamic traveling couples who compliment one another so well.

I see traveling duos such as Neverending Footsteps and What’s Dave Doing, or Nomadic Samuel & That Backpacker, and see two bloggers who are doing what they love and doing it better because they’re doing it together.

Hell, even Miro from Raising Miro pitches in occasionally to help Lainie out from time to time!

I guess what I’m saying, is that blogging – like life and so many other things – is better when you’re doing it with somebody you care about.

And with 31 fast approaching, I’m not exactly getting any younger…

Behind Every Great Man…

I’ve tried eHarmony and OkCupid. I’ve done the blind dates and the speed dating.

I’ve had near misses, a Devil’s three way, kissed in the pouring rain, and even pioneered the Break Up Tour (but more on that later).

I’ve waxed, shaved, grown beards, dyed, trimmed, Couch to 5ked, posed for a sexy calendar, and everything in between.

Clearly, the logical next step is to run a competition on my modestly successful travel blog.

That’s right, ladies: Aussie on the Road is looking for future Mrs. Aussie on the Road.

Apply within.

What You’ll Get

You get the Aussie on the Road, a 30 something Aussie traveler whose skills include:

• Writing about travel.
• Procrastinating when he should be writing about travel.
• Taking forever to finish hos novel.
• Sleeping in.
• Having fun regardless of the situation.
• Being on social media for extreme amounts of time.
• Willing to try anything once. Twice if it tickles.
• Lucking into free trips and awesome times.
• Teaching English abroad.
• Taking too many photos of girls he is dating.
• Being a hopeless romantic.
• Adding things to his bucket list.
• Checking things off his bucket list.
• Avoiding an ordinary existence.

You also get this handsome mug, daily access to his beard for stroking purposes, the best cinnamon toast you’ve ever tried (except maybe for his Mum’s), guaranteed laughter, and a thoroughly adequate sexual experience.

He’s also got this pretty spiffy blog which, for some reason he doesn’t quite understand, people seem to enjoy.

What You’ll Give

Applicants for the position of chief beard-stroker, travel blogging partner, and vice president of Aussie on the Road romancing should:

• Enjoy travel.
• Enjoy writing about travel.
• An excellent sense of humour.
• Be more organised than Aussie on the Road.
• Not be afraid of trying new things.
• Be able to see the best in bad situations.
• Be able to shoo away the black dog (or at least tolerate its presence).
• Like Love beards.
• Be geeky. Failing that, not roll your eyes too much when he is excited about a new video game, edition of Dungeons & Dragons, Stephen King book, or episode of Adventure Time.
• Understand (and practice) the importance of compromise.
• Enjoying taking photos.
• Enjoy being photographed.
• Be healthy enough to run/hike/scuba dive with me, without being so health obsessed that I have to adopt to a diet of quinoa, lentils, and broth.
• Promote happiness and positivity.

Really, only the first two and the last one are deal-breakers.

Applicants who resemble Emma Stone, Jennifer Lawrence, or Alison Brie and meet any of the above criteria will be seriously considered.

And, if my past dating experience is any indicator, being American will put you in good stead.

The (Real) Prize!

Getting to go on a date with the gorgeous hunk of man meat behind Aussie on the Road isn’t good enough for you? For shame! Well, in the interests of making things interesting, I’m going to offer up a prize (to be decided) to the winning entry.

While I can’t say specifically what it is just yet, I will say that it will be travel oriented and it will be of at least $100 value.

I’m in negotiations with a couple of travel companies now, so I’ll keep you posted.

How to Enter

Submit your application in the comments below. Tell me what makes you the best travel partner and why I should select you to win the super-rad mystery prize.

Entries can also be submitted as videos (just link in the comments) or emails or whatever butters your biscuit.

This is about having fun, guys, so be as silly or wildly inappropriate as you so desire. My favourite game is Cards Against Humanity, so I’m not likely to get upset with you regardless of what you say or do.

I’ll choose the best ones (and the winner) to feature in an upcoming post.

Don’t want to enter? Share the post so that your friends can try their luck, and help a brother out in the process.

In All Seriousness

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my year of being single since Nomadic American and I parted ways. This is a new feeling for me, as I have always been a person itching to get into a relationship as soon as humanly possible after the last one had ended.

In at least one case, that ruined what could have been a potentially good relationship.

I see my friends tying the knot and raising families, and I look back at what I wrote in my Year 12 Yearbook under the Ambition heading:

To meet and marry my soulmate.

While I’m glad to say I’ve outgrown such maudlin ambitions, I’d be lying if I said I don’t feel the smallest pang of envy when I see friends and co-workers and acquaintances pairing off to start lives together.

I’m far from ready to settle down with a mortage and 2.5 adorable rugrats, but that doesn’t mean I’m not the least bit eager to find somebody to share my awesome adventures with. Much like Ed from Rexy Edventures (who, I’ve been informed, has just posted his own search for a Rexy to his Edventurous), I’m well aware that life is better when it is spent with somebody special.

Who knew September was the time for crippling loneliness and self reflection?

Coming Soon

Not interested in entering and trying your darndest to become Mrs. Aussie on the Road? I’ve got you covered.

In the upcoming months, Aussie on the Road ventures to the Hunter Valley in New South Wales, Tanzania and Kenya in Africa for a safari, and there’s even a potential (brief) return to China on the cards with a mooted visit to Chengdu to play with the pandas and see if I’ve become any better at stomaching the delicious but notoriously spicy Sichuan cuisine.

I’ve got a string of reviews coming up for products specific to travel, as well as finally catching up on events from my 2013 trip to Thailand & Cambodia, and my 2014 trips to the United Kingdom and the Philippines.

Stay tuned!

From Facebook