Sunni Dawson

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What do you mean you have no plans?

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I was recently interviewed for an article by a very talented writer, Ruby Hamad, on my current life journey and the choices I’ve made in my 30s that are very different from most of my friends, well actually, all of them.

 
I am in my mid-ish 30s (which I’ve had trouble announcing that to the world for some reason since I turned 35). I can get away with telling people I’m younger. With my exuberant spirit people easily accept me to be 6 or 7 years younger than my real age (and depending on where I am I can get up to 10 years younger – gotta love that!). I’ve also dappled in refusing to tell people my age. Not because I’m afraid of my age, but because much of society expects that you should be doing certain things by certain times. I have watched people in conversations change towards me depending on the age I determine to tell them. I’ve noticed a strong desire in others to compare. Match up.

 



In your early 20s you explore the world. Travel. Make bad decisions. Do crazy things. Study. Work. Get crazy drunk. Fall in love. Fall out of love. Be invincible. 


By your late 20s you really should be progressing in your career. Thinking about promotions, working you way up that invisible and ever changing ladder of success. You may travel to some exotic locations for that all elusive 2 week vacation. Take selfies of sipping Mai Tai’s on an over tanned beach.

 
By your 30s you should be settling down. Breeding. Its time. Before its too late. Get a house. Create something you can pass on. Your travels become smaller, limited to local beach locations or group family holidays where discussions revolve around current childhood allergies, swimming pools and Miss 6 year old’s sporting prowess.
 
By your 40s you should be establishing and bedding down everything you’ve worked towards since your 20s, I think, (caveat here: I haven’t really thought about this decade much since I haven’t reached it). I presume a pressure to ‘get it all settled’, make massive advancements in work, home and your life.

Annapurna Ranges, Nepal

I could say I’ve done all this in reverse. But that’s not accurate in a few ways. Firstly, I don’t have children. I have never had a great desire to have children. I like children, I could even say I love them. They are fun, open, curious little creatures, but they are also exhausting! I’ve always known that if I did decide to have children I would not be able to do all the other things I want to achieve in my life. I give 110% to everything I do and if I was rearing children I know that would be my entire focus. 

 
Monkey Temple, Kathmandu, Nepal


Secondly, I don’t do crazy things, by which I mean get insanely drunk every night, cuddle a bucket as my best friend, and decide to move locations every 2 days because having as many places and countries as you can ticked off the list is what its all about.

 
I did have career plans when I was in my 20s, and I worked some ways to fulfilling that. I achieved success in my working life. And I loved it. I still love working. I love contributing to the world through the work I do.
 
But these days its a bit different. I no longer have a 10 year plan. Or a 5 year plan. The truth be told, I don’t have any plans. And that is for everything. No work goals, life, family or social goals. I don’t have a 7 step plan for success for anything.
 
And I like it. Its different. Previously I was a highly controlled, fanatical planner and lawyer. I had set ideas about what I needed to achieve and by when. Anyone who perused my work files would comment on how ‘neat and organised’ they were, what well structured arguments and approaches I had.
 
Well, not anymore! (insert: delightfully evil laugh here).
 
I don’t even know where I’m going to be living or what I’m going to be doing in a few months time! Oh the liberation! The previous me would be filled with dread, talking about it with everyone she knows, thinking about it endlessly and wondering what might befall her next.
 
The current me is excited about what might happen in a few months, having know idea, I am content with the glorious adventure of it all. When people ask me, ‘So what are you going to do after France?’
 
I smile a big, radiant smile and say ‘I don’t know!’. 
 
There is genuine delight in this. I like the blind folded surprise moment of what’s next?
 
Ancient temple in Bagan, Myanmar


When I left Australia over 12 months ago I had a general intention of living in Thailand for 3 months to write a book. That extended to 6 months and included the luscious explorations of two Malaysian cities for the dreaded Thai ‘visa run’. I always wanted to explore Myanmar and after meeting some wonderful Burmese people in Thailand, I thought I should go. So I travelled there for 2 weeks. 

Dhanyabad Nepal!

 



Then I decided to go to Nepal. Despite the earthquakes and all tourists leaving like fleas in a dog bath, I thought I could volunteer part time and write part time. But volunteering entirely captivated me for many many months. 5 months flew by. I loved contributing and using my vast variety of work and life skills to the organisations and people I assisted.


Me and my little Griffon companion!







But the inner calling to write poked me once again. I realised I could not do this in Nepal. I was offered an amazing 3 month opportunity to pet and house sit in southern France, wine country. And here I am. Looking after a beautiful 250 year stone house, 1 dog, 3 cats and 9 chickens. 



Me with one of my cat companions!

At the start of this year, I was speaking with my friends on my beach, my island, ‘I love it here, but its too hot. And I get into too many great conversations. What I want is a warm cottage in the snow for 3 months with no-one around so I can focus on my writing, with great wifi and a cat.’




Sunset reflections!

 


In less than 9 months, here I am, with a few more creatures and countries in between, in a more beautiful spot than I initially imagined.


So I know in a few months something else will show up, or it won’t. But that is the fun of it. I will continue to follow what interests me, and enjoy whatever comes. It surely will awe and absorb me. It always does.

My beautiful view over vineyard!

I will be writing more in the coming weeks about more of my journeys and share some of the tools that have helped me make bold decisions in my life!