Today, Tuesday 30th January 2018 me and my girlfriend life team mate partner Helen fly to Kathmandu, Nepal. This marks the start of a six month journey taking in ten countries, fifteen flights, some boats, trains, rickshaws, tuk-tuks, and more, and,  plenty of walking – not least as we begin with a two week trek to Mt Everest base camp! Then, a cultural tour of Northern India; followed by two months adventure across Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos; rest and relaxing surfing and yoga in Bali, penultimately the Philippines, and finally Japan, for, amongst other things,  Sumo.

We have quit our jobs, sold our cars and rented out our homes. We’ve spent our savings and put ‘normal’ life on hold. After ten years teaching in a tough school in Yorkshire for me; and ten years in fast paced high powered finance management for Helen; this trip is a chance for us to take a break and find out what we want for the next ten years; and decide what we want ‘normal’ life to look like. Currently we are burnt out and exhausted, timetabled every minute of the day at work and working all hours at home. Keeping up to the gym twice a week, footie once a week, volunteering at Age UK, Netball, Walking, friends, family; maybe we’d like a dog, perhaps we’d like to have a family one day, but where would that fit in? It’s a cliché but we want find ourselves in amongst all that; and the crazy mixed up world we live in – and of course – have a big rest.

I’ll be blogging here over the next six months and let you know if I find owt worth sharing

So maybe we’ll be back in three weeks with a bad tummy and tail between our legs, or perhaps in five months time I will refuse to ever wear shoes and have opened a meditation retreat in the Ghillie Isles. Either way, we might love it or hate it, but we feel we have to do it, now, or we’ll never know. See you on the other side!

(Cartoon by http://chrismadden.co.uk. )