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Not sure where to visit next? Dip in to my blog, places I’ve been and places I want to travel for ideas.

Where next?

Inspiration calls to us, it beckons us to move in to the unknown to experience the wonders around us, to step in to another world…

I’ll share where I want to travel and things I want to do. There are many places I want to visit. The list gets longer, not shorter!

I will share places I have visited. I have journeyed in many different ways: backpacking, cycle touring, motorbike touring or paddling. Each is a unique adventure.

If you are stuck at home, suffering cabin fever, read Escape the Boredom. It will stoke your curiosity and keep life fresh wherever you live and work. You’ll get proven ways to manage the mundane so you feel like you’re on holiday at home.

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How to find the money to go traveling

Wherever you dream of going in the world, one of the biggest challenges is getting the cash for your trip. You need some money to be able to travel. It doesn’t have to be big bucks, not every trip needs to be first class and five stars all the way. But you will need some money, so if you are serious about going – how do you save for it?

Get clear on your financial goal. 
Work out how much money you need to save for your trip. How much will the flights, your accommodation and food cost? This is your minimum. What would you like to do while you are out there? Any special trips/ tours/ retreats? What is your total for the trip? You can adjust your plan for the trip until you get to a total you feel comfortable with, for example if you cut out the hot air balloon trip so you can save yourself $350 and go sooner.

Breakdown your big financial target into a monthly target.
To do this count the number of months from now until your intended departure date. Divide your financial goal by the number of months to get a monthly target. This is the amount you need to save each month.

If it looks wholly unrealistic, you need to modify.
There are three ways you could do this. One, you could extend your departure date, so you have more months to save. The more time you’ve to save, the smaller the amount each month, which makes it more viable. Two, make your trip cheaper, this reduces your financial goal. You can do this by finding cheaper flights, by staying in cheaper accommodation etc. Thirdly, you can decide to earn more money, so you can save more money. This could mean going and getting a second job in the short-term.

Transfer to your saving’s account.
Have a travel savings account that you siphon off 30% of your wages to every month. This will help you save faster for your trip.

Make sure you hit your saving target each month. If you want more hints and tips on how to be successful, sign up for Adventurous Spirit a four-week online course.  This course will support you in planning your own trip. There’s guidance on what to do and how to do it, but more importantly on busting your solo-traveller fears. Each week there’s a group call to answer any specific questions.

Is time to save for your dreams? Where will you go first?

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What’s stopping you travelling on your own?

Do you have dream destinations that you’d love to travel to… and no one to travel with now? The question is do you put your life on hold waiting for a travel buddy? Do you wait one year, two, ten, more for that person to come along? One that wants to go to the same place as you, do the same sort of things and has prioritised the time and money to do it. Or do you step outside your comfort zone and travel on your own? What are the common solo-travel fears that might be holding you back? In this blog, I’ll confront and dispel them, so you can choose to follow your dreams.

‘I’m worried about the cost of solo travel’
I can’t afford to go travelling on my own is a common view, but I disagree with this. You can choose how you want to travel and where you want to travel. You can set the budget, you don’t have to spend more that you want because you are travelling with someone that has a bigger budget than you. You’re in control. You can book rooms that don’t charge a single supplement or stay in a dorm in a hostel. You can decide your perfect holiday and you don’t need anyone’s approval.

‘Is it safe to travel solo?’
It’s a reasonable question. Some members of your family or friends will tell you that you’ll dies and get your stuff stolen. Those are their fears, don’t take them onboard. Like everything in your life, you do need to look out for yourself. Being in a group may make you feel comfortable, but you may get complacent and that’s when things could go wrong. Planning your trip, choosing carefully where to go and reading up about the place, will ensure that you have chosen a destination that you are comfortable with.

‘I might be lonely or feel homesick’
There will be lots of other people travelling when you go. You are guaranteed to meet lots of people and it is easier when you are on your own. People just come up to you and start talking to you and likewise you can just chat to other. Waiters and bar staff will often chat with you if you are on your own. Enjoy being on your own, read a book or write your travel journal. Let yourself be immersed in the beautiful place you are visiting.

‘I’ll feel guilty about going away’
But why? We should all live joyful lives, so get out there and have some fun. You will be great company if you’re enjoying yourself, visiting new places and having adventures. You only live once, don’t be held back by other people’s values. People that love you should want you to develop yourself by travelling and seeing the world. You can stay in touch easily while you’re away, so they know you’re fine.

‘I’m too old to go travelling on my own’
Utter nonsense! You don’t need to be a 20 something to get out there and have a wonderful time travelling. There are lots of diverse ways to travel. Find a way that suits you and what you’re passionate about. Being older means you have much more life experience to draw on. There will be lots of travellers of different ages who will be willing to chat and share top tips along the route. Age isn’t a problem. Have the right attitude is the key.

‘I can’t leave my job’
You don’t need to leave your job to go travelling. You can visit places all over the world in your one-, two- or three-week vacations. You need to prioritise and choose a way of travelling that delivers what you want. If you choose to leave your job and go off travelling for a longer period, it will give you time to re-evaluate your values and beliefs. This can be a catalyst for you deciding to live more inline with your values on your return, which will make you happier in the long-term.

‘I’m not brave enough or I haven’t got the experience’
You have a life time of experiences. You don’t need to be fearless, just determined to give it a go. There are tour operators that cater for single travellers if you want to go away but not be on your own. I suggest that you go on trips in your own country to build up your confidence and get used to talking to strangers and visiting new places. Each month I have a challenge in Women Travellers Tribe which helps you build the skills and confidence you need. You don’t need to be an extrovert to go travelling, you just need to be you.

If you’re thinking about planning your own trip and need guidance on what to do and how to do it, but more importantly on busting your solo-traveller fears, then sign up for Adventurous Spirit a four-week online course that will set you up for your first trip. There’s a weekly call to answer any specific questions. What are you waiting for? Is it time to make your dreams come true?

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5 Important life lessons we can all learn from a 40-year-old car

Last weekend, this 40 year old car with around 140 other Triumphs headed round Britain. Starting near London on Friday evening, we breakfast in John O’Groats on Saturday morning, and breakfast in Land’s End on Sunday morning. Then back to near London for Sunday evening. About 2,000 miles.

It’s fun but exhausting. No real stops, and team rotational sleeping throughout the trip. That’s the challenge! If you’re lucky you get around, but with these cars there’s always the danger of breakdown at 3am in the Scottish Highlands. Did we make it round? Well, before I answer that I want to share a few lessons from the weekend.

Just go for it!
Being new to the group I was thrown in at the deep-end, driving the car for the first time at the start of the event. I started it up and with a bit of encouragement we got it into gear and off we went. “Good grief, its heavy!” The first corner was a shock as it doesn’t have power steering. I had to drag it around the corner with brute force. It was a challenge, but when I was faced with doing it, I found I could do it. Don’t pigeon-hole yourself. Don’t decide what you do and don’t like, can and can’t do. You limit your life so much. Allow yourself new opportunities, new experiences, new challenges. Just jump in and have a go – you’ll figure it out along the way.

Plan, prepare and adapt along the way
There’s a route for the event. Participants get the instructions and transpose the information into whatever form works for them. I like to highlight the route on a map and then add it to a sat nav. It’s important to check for road closures but having done all that, life will still throw in a few challenges. Finding a road closure in Wales at midnight, isn’t the best time but having done the preparation, people know the direction of the route, so it was possible to improvise quickly on the move. The life lesson is plan, prepare (check the up to date information) and then you can nimbly change your plans if need be, because you know the parameters. You don’t feel blown off-course, it’s just a little corrective nudge.

Take time to admire the view
Life is full of rush, rush, rush. Even rushing to do stuff so you can have time to chill. It does mean that we can get in to our busy brains, thinking about the next thing that needs doing and not actually just enjoying the moment. Being captive in an old ex-Met Police Triumph 2500TC for 48 hours on a challenge against the clock, means leaving the day-to-day. Life is about now, this moment. What you see, feel and experience now. The views, company and cars. Being present and really enjoying the beauty of my own country, the magnificent sunsets and sunrises. The smells of the earth when it rains and the drips on your right arm as it leaks in! 48 hours can feel like a long time when you notice all the moments, but that’s what life is about. Be someone that really notices with all your senses, the experience is much richer. I now have a list of places I want to visit again and spend longer exploring.

Fill in your snagging list
I was intrigued by the sheet in the event handbook titled Snagging List. This is the space for writing down the car’s problems and what you’re going to do about it. I like to do my own snagging list when I go travelling. I think about what I’ve brought – too much not enough? What I did that I’d like to do more of, experience I have learnt from and want to avoid in the future. Reviewing, however you do it is important. I now do a weekly review on a Sunday that covers what went well, things that didn’t go so well and what I learned. Time for contemplation and reflection is important if you’re going to move forward in life. I also note actions, which give me structure for the future.

What else have a learnt from a 40-year-old car? Don’t think it’s in the bag until you cross the finish line! About 3 miles from the finish, the main beam lights went out, the whole car was plunged into darkness and we were heading down a dark narrow country lane. It was scary.

Thankfully, the dipped beam worked so we could struggle on to the end. If we’d been rallying round the corners like an idiot, we would have crashed. Always travel at a speed that you can stop before the danger!

Life lesson 5 is only risk what you can afford to lose
We made it to the finish in the private park on dipped beam with the blue headlights flashing. It was a great achievement by the car and the drivers. Here’s’ a link to a short film of us heading up Scotland: https://youtu.be/DQAVRyUWQlA

We’re now counting down the days to the next challenge next year in the blue car.

Please leave a comment below and let me know what challenge you fancy doing?

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What’s so special about wild camping? I’m a fire starter…

Part 2 of 2

Wild camping is back to basics. That includes heat and cooking. I love making fires, it’s a skill. You can’t get a fire roaring quickly if you don’t find dry dead twigs to start your fire. I don’t put chemicals or fuel on a fire to get it going, but I will use paper or saw dust. I prefer the challenge of starting a fire authentically. I have used a flint and that does require a high level of organisation and a dry kindling ball to catch the spark. Twigs and sticks need to be organised before you start, if you can’t feed the fire at the right rate with the correct sized sticks, it’ll go out and you’ll need to start again. Making a fire can be an unforgiving process. You need to learn what to do and how to do it, then you must be organised and do it.

When I go paddling in Scotland, after lunch, the agenda changes slightly we start looking for a suitable place to camp and for dry wood for the fire. The boat can be piled high with bits of wood we have found left stranded from a time of flood water. Sometimes we find drift wood, in other places branches have fallen off a tree, the best kindling is the dry dead twigs on the tree. They snap with a crack they’re so dry. Look at the tree – does it have leaves and do the twigs/branches bend? If you’re getting a yes to either of those questions, it is alive, so leave it. There’s too much water in the wood, it’s better to find dead wood. No one should be cutting down live wood, it’s selfish destruction and ruining the area.

On the edge of the loch we’ll use an existing firepit or make a fire on the stones of the shore. Don’t scorch grass by starting a fire on it, lift the turf for your fire (that way you can put the turf back and leave no trace. Make sure any ash is cold and you water the turfed grass before you leave.) If there isn’t a fire pit bring one. Don’t start a fire in a stupid position where grass and undergrowth can catch fire or tree roots and peat – you will start a wild fire that could do acres of damage and kill wildlife. You are responsible for your actions. When in doubt don’t! I like the Picogrill it’s small, light and you can cook on the fire.

Sitting chatting round a fire just feels good, not just surface gratification, but good down to your bones. Fire has been key to our success as humans. Nurturing a fire and cooking on it, feels good, fundamental and connects us to our ancient core.  Fun snack -take two sieves, add popcorn and pop on the fire. Obviously, you can grill meat, haloumi and vegetables. I’ve cooked fish in foil, calzones and flat breads are good on a gridle. You can make an oven with a gridle and a metal bowl and cook cinnamon twirls. The food tastes so good with the smoky flavour. My all-time favourite is scrambles egg done on a wood fire – slowly so it gets the smoky flavours – it’s delicate, yet rich and complex. The perfect outdoor breakfast.

Watching a fire flicker and dance is beautiful. It allows your mind to just sit empty and satisfied. There’s no where else you’d rather be, there’s nothing else to do, other than maybe put another log on the fire and watch it burn. Watching a fire is mindfulness, you are doing just one thing. No racing mind, no internal chatter, just being outdoors, feeling the heat, smelling the smoke, listening to the crackling and popping, watching the flames turn to embers. As the night closes round, you feel safe and content. The embers glow red-orange. As you drag a poker through them they spring to life, maybe flames for a few seconds, then beck to red embers that twinkle like the stars. The heat is intense, it’s like looking in to a volcano.

Watching the fire die at the end of a night is deeply relaxing. It seems to reset your brain. You feel a calm bliss, like meditation. It allows you to deeply relax and recharge. These sort of wild camping experiences keep you going for weeks in the frenetic modern world. The freedom and the simplicity allows us to get back to who we are, replenishing us. Make time for you. Find a way to do something that accesses the feelings of freedom and simplicity, whether it’s going for a walk in nature or something more… make time for you. You’ll feel calmer and happier. You get a better perspective on your life and the by-product is you’ll be a nicer person to be around.

Make time for simplicity and freedom.

What do you do to experience the feeling of bliss that comes from simplicity and freedom? Or what would you like to do?

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What’s so special about Wild Camping?

Part 1 of 2

My friend doesn’t do ‘outdoors’, she likes to sleep in five-star hotels. “Why would you give up the comfort and the warmth of a nice bed to be outside?” she asks me. To be honest if you’ve never done it then, you won’t know. Wild camping isn’t for everyone. It is for those of us that like to feel free, alive and the vastness of the world. Wild camping allows you to connect – connect with yourself and the world on a deep level. The distractions and nonsense have been stripped away, no tv, no hair dryer, no smart phones (if you’re somewhere without a signal). It’s back to just you and nature.

Wild camping with friends is special, you don’t have to be alone. Finding like-minded individuals that enjoy nature and the inner glow you get when you’re a self-reliant team, means you can share your adventures. Stepping off the rat-race, away from the media, the noise and back to the calm of nature. You can slow down from the hub-bub of life. Leave the challenges and step back into the very simplicity of existence – finding or making a shelter, making food and keeping warm. What you choose to use to fulfil these basics will depend on where you go and the conditions. In the UK we have lush green countryside, which denotes the fact that we often need a waterproof shelter.

After cooking a simple meal on my stove out of the wind, at Cow Green Reservoir I stepped outside into the darkness. There’s no light pollution, not a house or street light for miles, just the darkness that wraps you in her blanket. Venus and Mars glowed large and pink, low in the sky near the horizon. When I looked up I could see the Milky Way. The stars were in three dimensions. The big familiar constellations we often see in the sky, vast numbers of medium-sized stars and everywhere millions and millions of tiny stars that you never usually see, making the night sky into clouds of tiny twinkling stars. This view was sublime, its complexity was awe-inspiring. Our little worries and grumbles disappear as our brains try to comprehend the scale and magnitude of our universe and comprehend our emotions as we investigate infinity. Nature puts things in perspective, we feel small and our problems feel small. Wild camping moments like these are why I go. I feel part of something bigger than myself that is infinitely beautiful. Quiet time for contemplation is so important. It helps me listen to who I am and find my way in this complex world.

If you like being outdoors, enjoy being independent and you’ve been camping at a campsite before, then make a small step and go camping without showers and the toilet. There’s a leave no trace principle, so take all litter home, yours and anyone else’s. Follow the rules and camp where it’s legal. The rewards are huge, you feel better, calmer and more relaxed. You’ll also be able to relax and enjoy some of the best views at sunrise and sunset. Do you want to feel truly free? Is it time for you to Go Wild? Ideas and advice can be found on the Wild Camping UK .

If you already go wild camping leave a comment and share why you love it.

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Stuck or grow – which will you do?

The trauma of ending a long-term relationship cuts deep. The end of one part of your life allows you to create something new. In this blog I want to share why setting goals is so important to creating the life you want. I hope you will be inspired to set your own goals and make your dreams come true!

When I broke up from my long-term partner, I had to get used to being just me, not part of a couple. It was challenging changing my vocabulary, not using words such as we or us, it was now I or me. So, who was the I without the we? What had I given up to be part of a couple? I looked inside and realised, I’d given up on some of my dreams, to mould myself to be with my partner. Now I was on my own, did I want to follow my dreams? It was a clear choice, stay stuck or grow?

Growth objectives
It’s a simple question, but it applies to every part of your life. When you step back and look at all aspects of your life: work-life balance, career, fun/hobbies, finances, spiritual and mental growth, relationships, emotional growth and health/fitness, what do you think? Are some areas better than others? Parts of your life that you are happy with, that are running smoothly. But are there one or two areas that are dragging you down? You may already know what you want to change? These are areas for personal growth, they are your growth objectives.

Why would I want to have a growth objective I hear you say? It sounds like challenging work and I’ve no time or energy for any of that. I just want to plod along and have a quiet life. Okay, I hear you, but do you want a better life? The path to a better life, is sorting out the problems so you’re happier and more fulfilled.

Get clarity and set goals
Getting clarity about a problem can help you find a route to make changes. Sometimes problems can feel big, overwhelming and frankly impossible. If this is where you are, and you want to make a change, I suggest you get a coach. A coach will help you clarify your thinking. You can get clear on exactly what you want to change and create a goal. Having a goal means you can look at options and decide your best way forward. You create a set of small actions that move you towards your goal. Lists help, make them, do the action and tick them off. You feel good about your progress and this keeps you focused.

Achieving your goals
Do dreams come true? In my case, yes, they do! My dream was to ride a motorbike and go touring on a Triumph in the Dolomites. This was my dream since I was a teenager. I’d let other things get in the way, I hadn’t made it a priority, but inside I still wanted to do it. I looked around at other people who rode motorbikes, they didn’t seem to be any better than me. If they could do it, I could do it.

I decided to go for it! I’d try to get my motorbike license. In my mind this could result in one of three possible outcomes:

  1. Pass my license and I was on the way to making my dream a reality or
  2. Fail the test, but I was proud of myself for trying
  3. Realise that I didn’t want to ride a motorbike to the Dolomites, end of dream nonsense.

Any of the above options was a good outcome in my eyes. I found a local motorbike school that was supportive of women and I booked lessons. It was tough. I had to concentrate, learn and master new skills. It sharped up my road awareness and this has benefited me as a cyclist and car driver. I loved learning, challenging myself and developing new skills. As I made small steps, I was proud of my achievements.

My outcome was option 4! When I went for my test, I failed first time, but I wasn’t going to give up on my dream, I’d invested too much. I took my test again and passed. After years of developing my skills as a rider, I went to the Dolomites on my Triumph. My story is the same as many other people’s, I am not super-special or particularly gifted. I had a dream, I broke it down into steps and I just kept going until I reached my goal. I didn’t achieve it in a week, it took me years. But I can say with my hand on my heart that my life is richer. Motorbiking has given me a sense of freedom, squealing in my helmet, fun, respect and adventure. I’ve met wonderful people, visited beautiful, stop-you-dead-in your-tracks places that make your heart swell. As a teenager I had a dream, as an adult I made the dream come true.

Your time to choose
We all have free will. We all choose the life we want to lead. Which future will you choose? Same as always or doing what you want to do?

Start planning or if you want to get clarity, get a coach. Setting a goal makes an enormous difference when it comes to making changes in your life. The October Business Planning Guide 2017 from Rising Tide Society had a Harvard Study: that revealed remarkable statistics relating to goal setting and success: 83% of the population do not have goals; 14% have a plan in mind, but goals are unwritten; and 3% have goals written down. The study found that the 14% who have goals are 10 times more successful than those without goals. The 3% with written goals are three times more successful than the 14% with unwritten goals. Writing your goals down sets you up to be exponentially more successful. If you want to change your life make a goal and write it down. Be proud of yourself for choosing to change and making your life better. If you want to know what support coaching can give you to achieve your goals, book a free discovery call with me.

Make your dreams come true!

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Place I want to visit

I’m going to be honest, there are so many places, I can’t list them all here, but I will share a few that are high on my current list. This list will change as I’m sure your own has over the years.

88 Temples Pilgrimage, Shikoku Island, Japan
PlacesIWantToVisit - 1This appeals to me because it means travelling slowly. Time to contemplate and marvel at the beauty of the natural landscape. The slower you go the more you see. I haven’t been to Japan yet and this would be an incredible immersion in the history, food and culture.

I can imagine soaking in an open-air bath (Ryokan) after a day on the trail – feeling happy-tired. Proud of what I have achieved and awed by the magnificence of nature.

 

 

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Scottish islands and highlands

I fell so deeply in love with Scotland, I had a huge grin on my face. It was my first time visiting Mull on the motorbike. Our route to the ferries was glorious, hugging the sides of lochs, the sun glinting on water. Highland cows standing in the cool water up to their knees. As the road breaks away it twists left and right, up and down, cutting through the countryside. I could smell the bluebells in the woods, the trees have new yellow-green leaves. There’s fresh green grass and the countryside is clothed in a beautiful new dress of wild flowers in pink, yellow and white. Scotland looks so beautiful.

I have always loved Scotland and had many great adventures sea kayaking, walking and biking. Sometimes the weather is good and you see the mountains, sometimes she’s shy and hides in mist and rain. This weekend, the skies were big and blue, the colours were clear and vibrant. Just laying on the warm rocks and watching the clouds after skinny dipping in the beautiful clear river was pure joy. What more do you need in life? I was happy to just be in Scotland and I opened my heart to all the beautiful details. I remembered why I loved here and found new things to love about her. I’m looking forward to going back to see her again soon and being delighted by her wonders mighty and tiny.

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Mend our Mountains

Getting out walking is good. It clears your mind, your body feels stronger and energised. We have a wonderful selection of mountains to walk in Scotland, England and Wales, each with their own flavour. Different seasons bring different views. The opportunities and infinite if you want to go walking.

The other night I joined 600 people in the Peak District to make a huge piece of human art that stretched the length of the ridge you see in the picture. People had travelled from all over the country to show they value the mountains and want to make sure they are properly cared for. This raised awareness and funds to maintain to footpaths. You can find out more, donate and see the pictures of our head torches lighting the ridge at: https://mendmountains.thebmc.co.uk/

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Exploring by canoe

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Exploring by travelling down the local rivers is a different view of my local area. Being low in a Canadian canoe is such a different perspective. The magical moments are the flash of blue of a kingfisher or the whistle of an otter. Travelling nearly silently, we slip in to the natural world as a privileged guest. Its fun to immerse ourselves in this world, have a swim at lunch time, skinny dipping in a secluded spot. These are magical days that feed your soul.