In the two months since my last post my energy and enthusiasm for next year has exploded and I am now literally counting down the days until I can pack my bags and hit the road. But whilst the countdown continues, so too does the day-to-day grind – and this I have been grinding harder and longer than I ever realised possible...
However, rewind two months and things were quite different. With two weeks off work I made a long overdue trip back home to the south coast of Devon, where here, the combination of rolling hills, granite tors, beach walks and fresh air made for one of the most relaxing weeks I think I’ve ever experienced.
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| Hay Tor, Dartmoor National Park. Devon, England. |
Save
Wherever I plan to travel, doing so riddled in debt is unlikely to make for an enjoyable experience and so my first priority is to save.
The 27th May 2011 marked a significant milestone in this plight as it this was on this day I finally came out of my overdraft, cleared my debts and began saving toward this upcoming adventure. This day has been nearly five years in the waiting, during which I have paid off in excess of £9,000 of debt, of which, and most remarkably £5,000 I cleared in the last six months alone.
Get Fit
Plan
The 27th May 2011 marked a significant milestone in this plight as it this was on this day I finally came out of my overdraft, cleared my debts and began saving toward this upcoming adventure. This day has been nearly five years in the waiting, during which I have paid off in excess of £9,000 of debt, of which, and most remarkably £5,000 I cleared in the last six months alone.
For the first time in five years I am no longer worth nothing!So with this milestone finally under my belt I can turn my attention towards the future and saving the funds to fuel my plans.
Get Fit
Having already lost 3½ stone over the past two years I am most certainly in the best shape of my life. Where once I would have struggled to climb a single flight of stairs without having palpitations or bursting into a sweat, I now attend the gym 3-5 times a week, eat a sensible diet and no longer smoke.
Despite all my efforts I am still far from being firm to the touch and with the world’s beaches beckoning, there is still a lot I want to achieve.
So with vanity as my number one motivator, my mission now is to widen my shoulders, expand my chest and remove the last of my unwanted fat around my middle.
Despite all my efforts I am still far from being firm to the touch and with the world’s beaches beckoning, there is still a lot I want to achieve.
So with vanity as my number one motivator, my mission now is to widen my shoulders, expand my chest and remove the last of my unwanted fat around my middle.
Plan
Time and time again I have read about peoples’ different approaches to planning their travel and whilst some go on a complete whim, leaving home with little more than a passport, some cash and no idea where they might go, others leave with a structured itinerary and could tell you what they’ll be doing, when they’ll be doing it.
After all, I want to be in a position to make the most out of what the world has to offer, not restrict it
Whilst I want my decisions to be fluid, I also want them to be informed, which is where having nine months time to prepare provides me a great opportunity. So if there are any specific places I would like to go, things I would like to see or experience, skills or languages I would like to learn, now is the time to make note so when making the decisions on the road I can include them should I wish to.