10 years! Good grief!

I’ve just had a surprise. This month I’ve been a freelance travel writer for 10 years! I’d not realised! Good grief have they shot past.

I’ll never forget the sensation I had when I started out on this. I knew that I could be making a huge mistake, but it would be an adventure. If I didn’t try then I would never know if I could.

One of my all time favourite quotes comes from Paul Theroux. “Take the leap. Go as far as you can. Try staying out of touch. Become a stranger in a strange land.” For sure, writing and publishing are very strange lands! But fascinating.

I knew that I would fall off, but travel teaches us all that when this happens you can pick yourself back up again, and try again. Sometimes you just need to find another way around the boulder in the road – there is always a way. And sometimes it’s way more interesting than the route you’d planned.

And yep, I’ve taken more than a few tumbles and detours along the way, but I’m still smiling and still writing, and still trying to share the fun of the road and this amazing world of ours. It and the greater percentage of people in it, by far, are fantastic.

To my mind there is no better way to explore it and to experience it than by motorcycle. The freedom to ride, to stop, to see, to smell, to talk, to learn, to take advantage of possibilities – well – wonderful.

I’ve always liked this quote from American writer Tim Cahill “A journey is best measured in friends, not in miles.” There is no doubt that I would not be smiling so much if it were not for all the friends who have helped and worked with me along the way. You guys know who you are. Thank you.

And of course I can’t miss thanking my partner Birgit. She is a brilliant person to travel with and a man couldn’t wish for a more wonderful woman to be with. She has been an amazing support and encouragement for all this time. She also has a great sense of humour! She needs one to be with me!

My thoughts also apply to all the friends I’ve made along the way. You are reading this, so that includes you. Thank you for being in touch, for buying my books, reading my articles, listening to the audiobooks and for all your words of encouragement. It’s you guys that give me the biggest smiles. Cheers!

It’s brilliant to be in touch. Thanks to you for all your support. Cheers.

10 years! Good grief!