I have been truly blessed to be able to travel to many places in my life. The experiences I’ve had, the sights I’ve seen and the people and lifestyles I’ve encountered have moulded the person I am today.

Although not essential, I believe exposure to different cultures is such a good tool for finding your own way in life. To experience a way of dealing with life that is different to the approach of your own family/town/country helps you question your own habits and values and mould your life into something authentic, meaningful and personal. This in turn makes your happier, healthier and more fun!

In Europe, I have spent time in France, Spain, Italy (where I am currently living), Holland and Greece. Further a-field, I have travelled in America, Brazil, Peru, New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, South Africa, Finland, Russia and the Caribbean.

My big adventure

In 2004 I took a sabbatical from my job at Microsoft and travelled for 3 months. I planned this precious time in detail because I wanted to volunteer.

First, I taught English to musicians in Brazil for a month. Then I moved into Peru and hiked the Inca Trail. After that I visited Australasia and met up with friends. From there I flew to Finland, and then Russia, where I spent some time in the rural south of the country, working with 2 ethno-musicology professors helping to document traditional music.

These 3 months produced some of the happiest moments of my life and changed me forever.

Whilst there I wrote several travelogues to send back home. You can read them, learning about my adventures, here:

Thoughts after 2 weeks in Brazil (written in Brazil, mid-May 2004)

Boa Noite Tudos! (written in Brazil, end of May 2004)

Guinea Pig tonight….yum!! (written in Peru, mid June 2004)

Hungover ‘down under’ (written in Brisbane, Australia, late June 2004)

City life (written in Brisbane, Australia, early July 2004)

Greetings from Finland (written in Helsinki, Finland, mid July 2004)

Oh, those Russians (written after returning from Russia, early August 2004)

More recent adventures

Since September 2009 I’ve been living near Florence in Italy. It’s a country I love. You can read my thoughts on my life here by using the tag ‘Life in Italy’ located at the bottom of every page on the site.

Happy exploring!