Welcome to Beyond Blighty! I started my blog back in 2011 in the run up to a seven-month trip in South America, and I never could have anticipated the way this decision would change my life.
A few years on, I’ve lived and worked in Australia, taken on some of my biggest fears in New Zealand and made my way through Central America and Southeast Asia.
The main focus of my blog is solo adventure travel. In all honesty, I’m a bit of a wimp when it comes to any activity with an element of risk, but life’s too short to pass up on interesting opportunities, and I’ve had no regrets.
I became a taekwondo blackbelt at the age of 17, completed two marathons in my 20s and gained my divemaster certification in one of the world’s most challenging locations – Komodo – at the age of 32.
During my travels I’ve always been enticed by the idea of a challenge. Activities have included canyoning, bungy jumps, skydiving, piloting a stunt plane, white water rafting, jet packing, and hiking treacherous icy volcano footpaths.
I still haven’t overcome my fear of heights, but I live by the mantra that I’m more likely to regret the things I don’t do than the things I do.
When I was a small child, my parents would drag me on long hikes through remote parts of Europe. I’d ask why and they’d reply ‘because it’s there’. Sadly, my mum’s no longer with us, but she taught me a valuable life lesson. The world is filled with incredible sights and experiences, and it would be a tragedy not to take every available opportunity to be a part of them.
