After living abroad for over 4.5 years, I had enough. I just wanted to live like a normal person for a while, for daily life to be easy and to not be a struggle. I loved living abroad but it certainly wasn’t a walk in the park. Even simple things like buying groceries can be extremely frustrating and stressful. I didn’t just pack up and leave Moscow though, I spend 2 weeks to give it the send-off it deserved. I’m so glad because otherwise, I would have left Moscow frustrated by its problems, rather than being awed by its brilliance. A friend was kind enough to let me stay at her lovel ..read more

I lay on the soft, luxurious sun lounger, the blazing sun warming my pasty skin. In my hand was a glass of fizzing, dry champagne. I decided to walk the twelve steps to where the Indian Ocean met my private, white sand beach. I spotted an eagle ray darting through the shimmering turquoise water. As I working-class woman, the Maldives had always seemed like a dream destination. Somewhere that celebrities or the super rich go on holiday. Inconceivable for a woman like me. Do you want to know the best thing about my trip to the Maldives? It didn’t cost me a penny. In fact I got paid ££££ to go ..read more

At this point in time I’ve travelled to 42 different countries in the world. 38 of them solo. I’ve travelled for long periods of time and shorter periods of time. The reason I can afford to travel so much? I mostly stay in dorm rooms. Yes I know, I’m 32. Although I do enjoy going out I’m not the same party girl that I once was. However if you choose the right dorm room, budget travel can be both cheap and fun. Staying in dorms is a great way to make new friends and find out information about the place you are travelling in. In the past I stayed in mixed dorms, mostly because they were all that ..read more

I sat on the window side chair and took a sip of my molten hot cup of tea. I had been back in England for 3 weeks now, an extremely long time for a wanderer like me. The thrill of ‘normal life’ was fast wearing off. Part of me enjoyed the easiness of life back in Cheshire, but most of me longed for an adventure. I booked it. A one way flight. My heart pounded as I realised that I would be jetting off in just 2 days, with no plan and no return date. This was more like it. I packed just a backpack and a sensation of deja-vu overcame me. For the past few years I’ve been unable to spontaneously tr ..read more

I have an amazing life. I honestly do. It’s not perfect but It has a good combination of security and adventure. Last year I travelled to 12 brand new countries and this year I have been on an epic trip across Turkey. That’s not including the many places that I’ve visited in Russia. Just this year I have gazed at the Northern lights in -27 degrees and sunbathed next to the black sea. I have a nice apartment in Russia, many friends and a jam packed work and social schedule. It has been pretty epic! But I have been spoilt. Not many people have the opportunity to travel for 10 months straight. No ..read more

I still remember the anticipation before he picked me up. What was I doing waiting at a tiny shop in Northern Thailand to go and live with a man I’ve never met. An ex monk no less! He pulled up on his scooter and spotted me immediately, The only non-Thai person in the small cafe shack. After a quick introduction I was on the back of his bike, helmet-less and clinging on to him for dear life. Was I allowed to touch an ex monk? This thought quickly evaporated from my head as we accelerated over undulating hills and swerved across tight bends. I held him tighter. The rain started softly and was r ..read more

I had never even heard of Murmansk until a friend visited there last year. It’s a place in the arctic circle in very northern Russia, right next to the arctic ocean. My friend saw the mystical Northern lights and had fun dog sledding in the snow. Ever since I was a child I’ve been fascinated with the Northern lights. I think it’s because it’s a natural phenomenon that only happens so far North. I dreamt of seeing it with my own eyes. Luckily in Russia we get Woman’s day as a public holiday, so I decided to book a long weekend in the mystical North. After being there for 4 days I saw the Northe ..read more

In 2013 when I travelled solo across Asia and Oceania I travelled extremely slow. I’d bought into the idea that slow travel was the only real way to travel. The only way to fully immerse yourself in another land and culture. I had a great time and visited many places off the beaten path. I saved a lot of money by travelling slow too because I wasn’t paying for planes, trains or busses every few days. Looking back I kind of think I wasted a lot of time on that trip. Yes I was exhausted after years of fruitless studying and working but I visited just 10 countries in 10 months. I was so close to ..read more

One of the highlights of working as a teacher isn’t playing with paint or toys everyday, It’s having an amazingly long summer holiday each year! This summer I will have 2 whole months off. At first I planned an epic trip to China and North Korea but I changed my mind after Trump’s threats. I think it would be an extremely interesting place to visit but I value my life to highly to go there at the moment. I’ve actually been extremely stressed trying to plan my summer holidays. I decided to go to India and Nepal but I found out August is the height of the rainy season. I also nearly booked an An ..read more

Moscow seems like a scary city to arrive in. It has four airports, Domodedovo, Sheremetyovo, Vnukovo and Zhukovsky airport. You will probably arrive at Domodevdovo or Sheremetryovo. Throughout the years I’ve read many horrifying accounts of how people were confused or ripped off when they arrived into the city. I’m going to tell you exactly how to avoid this. Passport control Russian customs can be quite daunting for someone who doesn’t speak Russian and who isn’t familiar with Russian’s naturally moody faces. *As soon as you exit the plane, follow the signs in English to passport control. Whe ..read more