A New World: Part 1

In the first of a two-part entry, Ben reveals his motivations for starting his journey on such familiar western ground

One of the most common questions I have found myself being asked this past year is what it was that made me start this adventure from up in Canada?

You see, where the vast majority of westerners seem to undertake their travels from either South East Asia or the Southern Pacific, few it seem choose to stay on familiar, western, ground.

As such, when in the past I have revealed that I began my journey from Toronto, most looked just a little surprised...

On The Cusp

On the cusp of a brand new stage, Ben invites you to take 1 final look back over the last 7 months, whilst also providing a quick sneak preview at what is in store for Stage 2 of The Ginger Revolution... 

Gate 27: As One Stage Ends...

In the concluding part of his Stage 1 Review, Ben reveals whether or not he found the one thing he has been looking for?

Aims, objectives, stages and legs… I realise I can perhaps make this adventure seem a little over the top some times, but fundamentally everything I find myself doing is motivated by just one thing – that is I travel in the pursuit of happiness.)

The Extracts

Continuing the State 1 Review, Ben uses extracts from his journal to relay his best and worst moments from Stage 1.

As mentioned in my previous entry, I have documented this first Stage of my journey from start to finish and selecting only the most pivotal moments I have for you given an insight to both my best and worst moments of the journey so far.

Making it Count

In the next instalment of the Stage 1 Review, Ben takes a closer look at the driving force behind his adventure

In preparing for this adventure I decided quite early on that I wanted to leave the UK with both purpose and direction. You see, I figured that if I am going to invest several years of my life in to this experience then I wanted to make sure I made it count...

The 4 Legs

From London to LA, Ben begins his Stage 1 Review by looking back at how his four legs have shaped the journey so far



For the first time in my life I was outside of Britain. Yes, it had taken 24 years but I had finally done it. I had actually left the country.

Dear America (Part 3)

In his third and final letter to America, Ben reveals what he really thinks of the “greatest country on Earth”

New Photo Album

California, CA, USA

San Francisco

The Golden Gate Bridge

Los Angeles

The Hollywood Sign

Santa Monica

Venice

Venice Beach

Yes... I am Gay

In his most intimate post yet, Ben Collins reveals his most personal experience of coming to terms with being gay and learning to accept and embrace his sexuality

Before you read on... This entry is a long one, I won't lie and whilst I have broken it in to parts for those who wish to read it in stages, I feel it reads best when read in both order and succession. So please, before reading on, put the kettle on and make yourself comfortable.

16.5hrs

In what was the longest journey of his life, Ben recounts the entertaining tale of how he made it to San Francisco

Not long after my episode on the bathroom floor in Portland the time came to once again move on and as per the rest of my transits in America, this would be via the legendary Greyhound.

This time though, things would be different for given my next stop was over 1,000km to the South, this journey would literally be the longest journey of my life. Yep, you guessed it... Sixteen and a half hours of non-stop Greyhound fun.

The Greyhound

Having travelled 2,500 miles on the Greyhound bus in America, Ben Collins reveals what this most legendary form of transport is really like

Famed for being the traveller’s choice of travel, taking the Greyhound it seems is as much a must-do activity as the Golden Gate, the London Eye or the Eiffel Tower. But what is this most recognised form of travel really like...?

Hansel

Making the best of a bad situation, Ben experiences perhaps his least favourite CouchSurfing experience so far

From Bellingham to Seattle to Portland, this 8hr broken journey landed me at the door of what may well be my least favourite CouchSurfing experience thus far...

The Fall is Coming

On the eve of a 3,000 mile journey South for the Winter, Ben Collins reveals a surprise change he has noted in himself since leaving the UK in March 2012

Both at home and abroad it seems, England has a reputation for being a grey and miserable land. But having not left this land before six months ago I was I guess somewhat oblivious to the problem, though writing this here today the problem is both stark and clear...

Double Backing

After an exhausting hike, a well timed email leads to Ben breaking one of his most fundamental of rules for his journey

Upon returning to the car I was in a word - shattered - and having hiked for nearly nine hours I was ready to take on the mother of all sleeps. But before doing so I went to check my emails where I discovered a rather pleasant surprise from a recent host...

New Photo Album

Ben Hikes a Volcano

Mount St Helens, Washington

Mr Wilson

After a night in a motel, Ben Collins fulfils a life long dream and hikes an active volcano

Mr Wilson was my geography school teacher and for perhaps half of my secondary education I was I am sure the bane of his teaching existence.

Since a very young age I have had a fascination with physical geography and in particular with meteorology (the weather), geology (the rocks) and natural hazards. In fact, this fascination was so much so that I for many years as a child operated my own weather station and taught myself the subject equivalent to what you might expect to read whilst studying at University...

Bone Stuff

Ben visits a real life Alladin's cave of horrors

The dark had set in perhaps an hour or so ago and as the temperature had dropped it brought with it a shrouding mist that made our welcome that ever more eerie. Most strange though was the complete absence of life. No people, no lights, nothing... just a small bungalow set in the woods, a million miles from anywhere. To say the very least, it was not shaping up to be a typical hostelling experience...

CouchSailing

Ben CouchSurfs on a sailboat

He lives on a sailboat, he canoed 1,100 miles of the Mississippi river, he spent 12 weeks in India and he took an 800 mile tour around Washington state on his bicycle... Needless to say, my next host was an adventurous guy, and one I felt I just had to meet.

A great host throughout, Dane and I shared in beer, laughs and conversation, the latter of which enabled us to hear all about one another's past, present and future plans for travelling the globe.

Tree Cum

Ben's week long visit to Seattle begins in the University District where he is hosted by a Portuguese neuroscientist

Having shown me around his working laboratory, Luis led me down a long, clinical corridor that despite being silent had many signs of a heavy and frequent use. The walls were plastered with both chemical symbols and equations and in between were extracts of papers that gave a slight glimpse in to both the type and level of research currently being undertaken...

Russian Tea Cakes

Ben publishes a much liked recipe from his time CouchSurfing in Bellingham

During my four night stay in Bellingham, Erica must have made several dozen of these Russian Tea Cakes and they were incredible (and really easy to make) so I urge you to get baking and try 'em out...