The five places that made me: Jimeoin

BROOME, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Drove from Esperance to Broome. Gigging. I have never seen so much of nothing in all my life. I passed a sign on the road that said "Tropic of Capricorn" and slowly the landscape started to change. Dessert Pea. Bright red. First bit of real colour in days. The last place before Broome is Port Hedland, which is a dirty new town. I drove another seven hours to Broome. I drove onto Cable beach and went for a swim in the nude. Liberating.

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND

I've done Edinburgh Fringe 24 times. Two years of my life. I'm in Edinburgh right now and I've just come back from walking up Arthurs Seat, which is an extinct volcano. Thank god. In my 20s when I first started doing stand-up it was inspiring. Still is.

IOS, GREECE

When I was 18, I lived in London working in construction. I went on my first holiday on my own to Ios. Every evening at sunset I got into a ritual of sitting on the white balcony where I was staying and listening to a person below me play classical music very loudly. I really wanted to get an understanding of classical music. And that balcony was the place, watching the sunset into the Mediterranean – then go get hammered.

BATH, UNITED KINGDOM

The UK in general is steeped in history, something I've learnt to love. I did a gig in Bath one May, and before the show, went to the Roman Baths (hence the name) which was visited every 50 years or so by the Roman emperor of the time and then after the collapse of the empire was forgotten about and paved over only to be dug up and restored in the 18th century. I walked around the city on a beautiful spring day thinking time heals all wounds. Did the gig and died on my ass.

GRAHAMSTOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

Flew over the Antarctic from Sydney. Suffering from the worst panic attacks ever. Never had them before and didn't know what to do or what they were. Was in serious trouble as I had a 2000-seat gig to do and had been up all the night before with jet-lag (fatigue is linked). Read this one-step approach on the web called "Panic away" which told me to invite the fear on. So I grabbed the sink in my pyjamas with a bacon and egg pattern on them and had a word with myself in the mirror. In that bathroom I leant that fear will sometimes be there but accept it. Did the gig, died on my ass. Ha. No joking. Great night.

The Melbourne International Comedy Festival runs March 23-April 17. As part of it, Jimeoin's show, For One Night Only, is on April 15-17 at The Palms at Crown Casino. See comedyfestival.com.au.