9 books on my lockdown and Summer reading list
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25 (more) experiences I’m going to have before I die … updated!
Three years after first committing this list of my 25 must-do experiences to my hard drive, here’s my light-hearted look at what’s been accomplished, what’s still “on the list”, and what’s been ditched … Why I put my 25 experiences list in writing When I was in Bologna, I met Judy. Judy introduced me to […]
Lava, lingo, literature and light – “experiences before I die” progress
The first few months of 2015 have been pretty eventful. I spent two months travelling in Nicaragua, lapping up its spirit and diversity. I negotiated countless chicken buses, and fended off several questions about my solo travel status. I found new contract and freelance work back in the UK. And I met someone I thought I’d […]
Reverse culture shock: Why aren’t complete strangers talking to me, and where are all the chickens?
From chickens to clothes to children, strangers to straighteners to Spanglish … after two months in Nicaragua, I’m experiencing a little dose of reverse culture shock back here in the UK. Reverse culture shock 1: From morning person to night owl I’m quite happy not being woken up by chickens, monkeys and the 6am bus […]
My top 9 travel tips for Nicaragua
Grab a cuppa coffee – or a fine batido (smoothie) – and read my top 9 travel tips for Nicaragua, an often-overlooked slice of Central America. Nicaragua has a spirit you can feel. World-class wildlife and a growing eco-tourism movement combine with a cacophony of noise, and locals who aren’t afraid to talk politics. It makes for a destination with more fire and passion than […]
Is Spanish language school worth it?
To try and communicate better with local people when travelling, I enrolled in two weeks of Spanish language school in Nicaragua. Was it worth the effort? Seven years after first mastering enough Spanish to be able to order food, work out which bus I needed to be on, and make small talk about how cold it was in my […]
Hopes and fears for long-term travel: Miami, Nicaragua and Colombia
“I must be more nervous about this trip than I thought.” That’s what’s going through my mind at 3am this morning. I’m wide awake, random thoughts churning through my head. I only do this when I’m worried about something. Normally me and sleep are very happy bedtime buddies. Tomorrow I travel to Miami, the start […]