About Me

I'm Christina, age 33 and on October 29th 2012, I flew from London Heathrow to New Delhi, India, the first stop of many on my Around the World adventure. Now, almost exactly a year later (when I wrote this article) and after 9 months in South East Asia, I'm in Australia starting a new adventure, working as well as travelling in a new country. Plus, in a complete first; I'm in the southern hemisphere!

It's always been a dream of mine to travel but most of the time I just kept telling myself...one day! University, work, money issues, no one to go with: they all seemed to just get in the way. But then I realised that they don't have to get in the way, if you refuse to let them. So after a particularly hard few winter months in the UK, spending but unable to save any money for what I hoped would one day bring travel, I decided to quit my perfectly dreamy job as an Assistant Editor on Disney and Marvel Childrens books and travel the world that same year.

How did I do it you ask? I woke up one day, completely depressed and broke down over the phone to my mother, in that same phone call I did what some would say was irrational, but I would say was the beginning of the best days of my life; asked if I could come home, save and then go and do what I've always wanted to do, travel. My mothers answer? I thought you would never ask, nothing will make you happy, until you've done what I know will make you happy.

So I quit my job in May 2012, sold my car, moved from Bath back to Cambridge to live with my parents, worked 2-3 jobs for 4 months, saved my little ass off, booked everything, said my goodbyes...and on 29th October, I did it, I began the gypsy life I'd always dreamed of. Proof that you can make it happen with a giant step fueled by passion, and a little hard work!

I began this blog not only for my friends, family, fellow travellers and wanna-be's, but also for myself and perhaps my own children and grandchildren, so that I and they and you, can hold onto the memories. So that I can inspire others to make the leap into the unknown, take on the dilemmas solo travel can throw at you, experience the beauty, and immerse in the culture.

Over this year I have had some truely memorable experiences: I’ve ridden Camels, slept under the stars in a desert, been to an Indian wedding, partied in cities where alcohol is forbidden, been to the Taj Mahal, seen incredible sunrises + sunsets, trekked many mountains/viewpoints/waterfalls/rice paddies, spent Xmas on the beach, celebrated 6 new years, been to 4 full moon parties, had a motorbike accident, disabled myself for 2 months on NYE, danced on many tables and bar-tops, drank too many buckets, covered in too much paint, took an impromptu trip to the Philippines, rode ATV bikes up an active volcano, ridden rollercoasters to waterfalls, sand-sledding, almost left teddies in Vietnam, Monkey Republic burning down, shooting AK-47’s, getting lost in a jungle and almost being bitten by a snake, Bamboo trains, Angkor Wat, tried happy pizza and laughing gas, SONGKRAN, held a wild poisonous snake, played with tigers, volunteered with elephants, played with monkeys, lived in a treehouse in the jungle, taught English in Luang Prabang, tubed in Vang Vieng, volunteered at SaeLao, got two tattoos, became an advanced diver, climbed an active volcano...and most of all, I spent all those times with some truly incredible people!

So how could I not share all those memories, how could I not write them down for your amusement?!

I hope you enjoy my Yolo ramblings. :-)

XOXO
Xtina

P.S - Take a look at my Pinterest Travel Board for some Travel Inspiration!