My best friend at school who was born in the Philippines invited me to visit his family and travel home country for 6 weeks. With the permission to take extended leave from my job as a Nursery Nurse and a month after my 21st birthday, I began a journey that would unlock my travelling habit, which led me to return to the country various times over the next couple of years.

Between 1998 and 2014, I went on various package holidays but realised they were not for me. A year before this trip, I chose to commit myself to a simpler life that involved travelling and had an initial plan to travel for an extended time in 2015.

After initially planning a week away to the USA to introduce a friend of a friend to the basics of travelling we visited New York, Philly and DC. Instead of returning to the UK with her, I chose to stay for a further 5 weeks to circumnavigate this truly astounding and beautiful country.

Following my travel blog in 2015, a friend from Yoga went on her own travelling adventure. Before she left I said if she wanted someone to travel with at any time, let me know. One Monday in May, I received a text saying “Bangkok?”. I booked a flight and arrived shortly after.

A friend attending a conference in Vancouver didn’t want to travel there alone, so he offered me a free flight. As a committed traveller, I was not going to turn down such a kind offer.

It is one of the most intriguing places with its beaches, culture, history, heat and many military personnel carrying rifles, even on the buses. 

Walking across the border from Eilat in Israel, Jordan was an amazing experience that has left me wanting to explore more of the middle east.

Following the death of my dad in early 2021, I wanted to give my mum a purpose and something to look forward to. So we arranged a trip.