CURRENT MISSION

Cycling around the world!

ABOUT ME

On the 1st of September 2011, I left my home in Wales to cycle round the world. By the end of 2012 I had made it as far as Japan. Now I'm back in the UK, working as a cycle courier, writing a book, and planning my next big trip - Anchorage to Seattle, departing in early 2015 - plus a few smaller ones in the meantime. Next summer I'll be riding in the Transcontinental Race - an unsupported, non-stop dash from Belgium to Istanbul.

PHILOSOPHY

I don't have a personal philosophy as such - or at least, not a particularly coherent one - just lots of little bits and pieces.

I decided to travel because I didn't want to end up a fat mortgage-slave in my fifties always wishing I'd cycled round the world. Something along the lines of regretting the things you have done rather than the things you haven't.

And I believe in karma.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've done a lot of surfing, all the way across Europe and Asia and Iceland, and am looking forward to hosting, now that I have a couch of my own.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Thanks to Couchsurfing I've made friends all over the world, many of whom I'm still in touch with. I would rather stay with a fellow CouchSurfer than in the very best five-star hotel!

Interests

I'm a typical cyclist - obsessed with bikes and food. So if you're a cyclist or a foodie, we're bound to get on.

I'm also into books (a bit worried that I won't be able to bring my whole library with me on the bike), and particularly interested in reading them in the city (or village, or field) in which they were written.

And I really like people. I come from a big noisy family, and I miss all my lovely friends in London, so I'm looking forward to making loads more on my way round the world.

• writing
• books
• dining
• cooking
• reading
• traveling
• cycling
• surfing

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I turned away from a life of desk jobs and became a cycle courier - and this job completely changed the way I look at myself and the world.

It's made me realize that we need to be using our minds AND our bodies constantly. Not just one or the other. My mind has never functioned so effectively or creatively as it does when I'm cycling 50 miles a day.

And then I gave it all up for a second time, to cycle round the world. And I've never been happier.

Teach, Learn, Share

I don't have much to offer, but I can probably help you fix your bike, edit your essay, clean your kitchen or cook your dinner.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kosovo, Montenegro, Pakistan, Serbia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

England, India, Wales

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