ABOUT

In 2012 after rainy days in Manchester dong night work in the hostel, I decided that if i wanted to change my life i couldn't wait for anyone else, the stage was already set, I worked in a hostel as a means to travel easily to other hostels in europe which at the time was great because i used to get free stays being under the same hostel network, but i had yet to embark on a big defining solo adventure which would push me completely out of my comfort zone. I asked a friend of mine if he wanted to join me at the time, but the indecisiveness was only holding up any long term planning to make it happen, then one day it struck me that in the end I would need to go this route rolo, i can't wait for life to happen based around anyone else, I needed a change and this all started on my solo backpacking trip to Cambodia which also pathed the way for my life in travel.

I went out wondering the streets of Phnom Penh one night with a group of french backpackers who i met on the first night at the hostel i was staying in the city centre. We came across this small market just over the river and in one of the stalls I found this really cool shop with all the products made out of natural wood, the shop owner was also about 10 years old, a common theme found in Cambodia back then with its very young population as a result of the troubles of the past, but yet still the young people were all happy vibrant and enthusiastic despite the challenges. I bought a small paper diary made from bamboo with a pencil carved out from a tree, I also picked up an alligator hand drum which is proudly displayed in my room. I needed a way to reflect and write down everything witnessed and experienced during the solo trip, I thought well, a travel diary is a great way to scribble my thoughts and would allow me to take a moment for myself in a therapeutic way to slow down and capture the most memorable times spent. When I returned home I got the diary out and started to re-write my notes onto a digital platform, this is the origins of how my blog started and the years that would follow. After everything I had experienced in Cambodia I returned home but nothing else quite felt the same, I decided at this stage that life is just too short and I just wanted to travel and the see world and did everything possible to make it happen.

I set a mission to make the most of any opportunity to travel but also understanding and having to contemplate with some of the difficult life choices a long the way, also accepting the fact that my lifestyle would be very much indifferent to others back home and opposite to anything passing as stability and building a home. I don't have any regrets because the experiences have shaped me into a stronger more conscious and just better human being as a whole. Travel has taught me to grow, how to perservere, how to love and lose, how to struggle but also keep going to find a light at the end of the tunnel, but most of all i've learned humility, tolerance and respect and how we are all just people at the end of the day who share the same challenges and needs. The blog exists today as a way for me to share all new travel adventures and memories but also some of my social thoughts nad personal reflections. The blog is also ever evolving, I've tried to keep the original wording from back in 2012 without editing for it to be as genuine as possible, but over time i've also learned to become a stronger writer and i've matured so the tone has changed since the earlier days.

Back in the year 2012 I was on a path as a Winter sports athlete, I traveled around the European continent to compete as a Semi-Professional Freeride Snowboarder, and also that same year I volunteered at the very first Youth Olympic Winter Games in Innsbruck for the Athlete Support Team in Seefield, Austria. I did pretty well and became a sponsored rider for a French Snowboard manufacturer called Windlip Snowboards for roughly around 5 years until I eventually took a step back away from the sport in pursuit of other goals in life. I found my love for the mountains and lakes thanks to snowsports and the dedication at the time to travel and find new freeriding terrain to ride. I draw my inspiration from the incredible people and culture i've experienced during these times which have kept me motivated to keep exploring as i get older.

Nowadays the pace of travel life is a bit slower, I have a love for motorcycles albeit the slower ones, I would like to explore more of the surrounding countries now that I am closer than ever to the European continent. My interest in Motorcycles started actually during my travels in Cambodia when discovering the sheer amount of bikes out on the road being used for daily life. I also got the opportunity to explore the Cambodian countryside as a pillion with a local biker guide who shared with me some of his incredibly courageous life stories living under the Pol Pot regime, I will never forget that guy he was truly one of my life inspirations and possibly the first time I felt the pain and pull of the world from first person perspective learning the disparity between rich and poor but how we are all ultimately just people who are doing our best to be brave and strong with the life given to us. I also witnessed just how much is possible on two wheels, from transporting goats, sofas and families of 4, however the one thing which everyone has in common is the love and respect for their motos regardless of the horsepower, and it made me learn to appreciate the freedom of two wheels.

The year in 2025 was the start of rekindling the fire for my blog after staying pretty dormant with no posts for many years. I would say it was also the start of a new chapter in life, being ready to reinvent myself and discover new challenges and pursuits which combined with my previous experience of the mountains and exploration opens up new ideas and ways to explore. I did the impossible from a person who enjoys travel and adventure, I attempted to settle, and for the most part I do appreciate it has brought me a level of happiness and stability I have not had in my life for quite some time back home, but it also come at a change of lifestyle and personal interests.

So what is next?

I am going to try and re-visit a destination which I unfortunataly had limited time to truly experience first time around. I would like to capture some great pictures for visual storytelling on my blog, i feel there are lots of incredible things to be said about this place in particular and this trip will be the ultimate re-connection with my travel past, retracing the steps I took last time but also exploring further afield now that I am familiar in the surroundings.

I am a big fan of point and shoot photography, I currently own a Coloursplash lomography film camera but the irony is I also enjoy the simplicity of black and white, So either expect to see very colourful abstract photos or very neutral grainy moody photos in the near future. I have always been interested in finding amazing street art and sharing some of the work i've found whilst out and about, I was a big early groupie of the Lomo Fisheye Camera and 35mm film resurrection, the grainy 35mm captures the experimental side of street art in pure form, unfortunately film itself is pricier than ever, however i still show love for it and I would like to try and use those precious film shots to capture the best of the best of the photo opportunities during my travels.

I also would like to fulfil a trip which was unfortunately cancelled due to Covid-19, in many ways finishing this trip would be a big personal accomplishment, mainly because of the battle of life i've had during this time to be in a position to go for it again after the uncertain times.

I have been very fortunate and eternally grateful for the opportunities i've had to see the world but I also hope that people everywhere get to accomplish their travel dreams, it doesn't matter if it is 1 trip or 100, what matters is that you keep pushing and believing you will make it there one of these days.

I experienced a big personal break up in 2024 which left me broken and lost in direction, however I realised that the only way to get myself back stronger is to return to the challenges which have defined me over the years, and hopefully this way to find some fellow wanderers who are just as excited to share some new adventures together.

OK well nothing left to say, I need to let my legs and imagination do the talking now, see you out there!