I am 32 years of age and like many people birthdays make me feel miserable. End of another year, edging closer to death. This is the third and final instalment of a series of blogs I have written to make myself feel better. I look back over 32 years and highlight 32 cool adventures and the lessons I have learnt along the way. If you missed the FIRST or SECOND part why not have a read?
22. Covid walks along Offa Dyke
The restaurants and pubs were still closed but things were starting to warm up after a rough winter and we were all out taking long walks. The Offa Dyke is a 177-mile walking trail that follows the remnants of Offa’s Dyke an earthwork that is thought to have been constructed to divide the Kingdom of Mercia from the rival kingdoms in what is now known as Wales. The Offa’s Dyke trail goes through my home town and I thought I would spend some of my time trying to explore as much of it as possible. I discovered many small little towns and villages that I grew up near but never visited. I was surprised about how beautiful these towns were and disappointed in myself I had never visited them. The area I was brought up in was beautiful and I learnt to explore locally.
23. Amritsar
When I was in India I took a visit to the Punjab region and visited Amritsar during Baisakhi, the day Sikhism was born. Made out of gold the Golden Temple is Sikh’s holiest site and it is thought that every Sikh must visit the Golden Temple at some point in their lives, during Baisakhi over half a million people came to visit the Golden Temple. Religion has never really been my kind of thing and it still isn’t but diving in to learn what other people believe in and have an appreciation is an important step everyone should experience.
24. Train through Romania
Travelling from Sighisoara in Transylvania to Bucharest was one of the best train journeys I had ever been on and it took me completely by surprise. Travelling along my eyes couldn’t stop looking out of the window as the train plodded along through beautiful mountainous terrain with views that blew my mind. Romania isn’t what I would call a country full of tourism however after this train journey I don’t understand why. This train journey made me want to see lots more of Romania and I look forward to my repeat visits in the future.
25. Experimenting with food abroad
There is so much food out there to try and when going abroad you get to discover new cultures and different kinds of cuisine. It is part of the travel experience to go out of your comfort zone and try something you would never normally try. Over the years I have also experimented with some more unusual kinds of dishes. Whale Steak, lambs head, fermented shark, Kangaroo burgers. These exciting dishes also make some great conversation.
26. Cycling along the Dublin Coastline
The cold air hits me and wakes me up as I cycle down the coastline. The wind is stronger than normal and is slowing my pace down but it is waking me up and making me feel more alive. The bike path follows the coastline and despite the weather, I just enjoy the views as I push through the wind. I reach the village of Howth a beautiful harbour village, such a cosy relaxing place. I grab some food and take in the atmosphere before heading back home but this time with the wind behind me pushing me along.
I have been living in Dublin for 4 and a half years now and an adventure that I keep on repeating. I don’t always have the time to do big adventures but sometimes it is brilliant to replicate the feelings of big adventures in a small simple cycle down the coast. Taking a break from the grind of life and letting the mind and body be somewhere else is important to prevent me from going crazy.
27. Cycling through London
Last year I set off from London on my bike and made my way to Istanbul. Starting is always the hardest part of any challenge or adventure. It is always so daunting, how could I possibly cycle a continent? Am I totally mad? It is the build-up of many months of nerves that you have stored and tried to ignore until the day comes and all the emotions come out from the shadows of your heart. My first day was to cycle through London and get to Chatham. I had visited London enough times to know it would be a task to get out of London but I had not expected a heat wave, bike issues, or pannier bags falling off dozens of times. I loved seeing London from a different perspective and seeing more than I ever have done, cycling anywhere helps you see more at a slower pace and I love it. Overall the day was eventful and confirmed I was out of my depth, this is how all my big adventures start, but you can't call it an adventure if you don't get out of your comfort zone?
28. Welsh 3000 over a summer
In the summer of 2018, I set out to walk all 15 Welsh 3000ft mountains in one season. It was a series of amazing adventures that helped me fall in love with the mountains. I love the idea that, when you are walking, you get to see everything. You have enough time to see every small stream, every cave, every crevice, every bend in the mountain and how it all looks different as the sun moves across the sky. When you walk, you feel a part of the land. You feel as though each step takes you closer to the natural world we live in and closer to an understanding of your place in it.
Want to read more about my adventures doing the Welsh 3000? I wrote a post about it! Have a read!
29. Skiing in Bulgaria
In 2011 I got my first experience skiing. It was so fun to learn a new skill and to see Bulgaria in a new light. The adrenaline hit me as I rushed down the snowy path. My heart beat fast as I got faster, man what a buzz, it’s a shame I was really bad at skiing.
30. Interrailing through Europe
On two occasions when I was younger I had interrailed through Europe. Trains have never excited me, back in the day it was more about the destination than the journey. Travelling excited me and visiting cities around Europe was exciting. Through my naivety, I look back at my city breaks around Europe with joy. Almost all the cities I have visited on these interrailing trips I ended up visiting again. I may have once thought that travelling was like a checklist, ticking off places I had visited but you can’t truly discover and learn about a city in a few days, you will have to revisit time and time again and when you do you will always find some hidden gem you didn’t discover last time.
31. Mountain courses learning to explore more
Last year after almost a decade of spending a lot of time in the mountains it was about time I started to learn how to hike properly. I never knew how to use a compass or read a map so I decided to invest some money in mastering the art of getting lost. The course didn’t just help me to learn essential skills (that I probably should have learnt a long time ago), but it also helped me see the mountains differently. It has helped me with all the basic navigation, given me more confidence to wander off the trail and explore more and helped me become self-aware of what is around me and how much there is to learn about everything around me from nature, plants, animals and the laws of the land. The mountaineering course has been a great starting point to help me create bigger and more exciting adventure plans and helped me become more adventurous.
32. Home For Xmas
The year comes to a close and I find myself running around buying Christmas presents with my headphones in trying to avoid any kind of Christmas songs, tacky tinsel and tragic trees lit up as I walk through the street in disgust. Through my greeted teeth of the many months building up to this one very uneventful day, it is hard for me to admit I rather enjoy it. The day is boring and it is meant to be. It is an adventure in itself going back to the place I used to live and seeing all my family and friends. Despite the tedious songs and tacky decorations, the one day in the year becomes an adventure I like to remember.