Aloha!
I’m Craig, a 29 year old guy from England who just loves to see the world.
Bodyboarding in Newquay, England
Can we miss out how you love food, tech, family & friends, and just cut straight to the chase?
Ok then! If we go back a few years, I was doing or had done what we’ve come to expect:
- Working my way up my career ladder
- Got engaged, and wedding booked
- Purchased my first house with my fiancée
- Talk of having children in the near future
So that was me, pretty much set and ready to enjoy my 7-14 days abroad each year on the family holiday. However you’re reading a site called “no real plan” so you already know this story doesn’t have a happy ending and the above didn’t go…well according to plan! A few months before my wedding I found out she was cheating on me. The wedding was cancelled and I was obviously not feeling the best about life (to put it mildly without swearing).
The time I booked off work for my honeymoon to go to Hawaii, Vegas and San Francisco with her, instead turned into time I spent in Australia thanks to great family and friends. I loved it and that trip rekindled my passion for seeing new sights and experiencing new things. I spent what would have been our wedding day on Bondi Beach, then a mad night out in Sydney, instead of sat at home in England feeling sorry for myself.
Fast forward a few months and the company I had worked for for around 7 years went into administration. One morning I had a job, a phone call later and I didn’t. So in the space of less than a year, I had lost my future wife and my job.
Aww, shall I play you a little violin?
No, as it got me here now! Ever since going to Australia a few months previously, it had got me thinking more and more about travelling. So no job and no lady, but some money saved in the bank, meant I hit LA, Fiji, New Zealand and Tokyo. I had the best time of my life backpacking around those countries and experienced things I never ever thought I would in my life. I had many opportunities to stay out in New Zealand but declined them all as I still owned a house back in England with the ex, which needed to be sold.
Me travelling “alone” in New Zealand
The good news? That house sold last year. In the time since leaving Tokyo, I’ve had a couple of jobs which just haven’t fulfilled me like I had hoped. I have the best friends and family around me, but it’s been on my mind that having no partner, no mortgage, no children, but my health and some money saved means this could be the best, hell maybe the only time I can really go travelling in my life with no real plan.
So I’m going to take country by country as they come. If I love a place, stay longer than I thought I might, if I go to a city that doesn’t feel right, then just move on. I’m probably not going to retire until I’m 70/75 so that’s more than 40 years of work ahead of me, but how many years am I going to have in my life with no real ties? Where I can just see the world, experience new things and work out what I want to do with my life.
You’re going on a bit. We get it, you want to travel! Can you start wrapping this up please?
After months of debating, contemplating and boring my friends & family to death with talk of travelling, I decided to bite the bullet and I quit my job and handed my notice in on my rented flat, along with selling a majority of my stuff. Now I have a carry on sized backpack to go around the world with and a few gadgets to my name.
As for this site? I haven’t set it up to be that “travel expert”. I’m sure along the way I’ll pick up some tips and share them, but really just wanted to:
- Keep a record of my adventures and exploits
- A way for friends and family to know what I’m up to as I have no itinerary and hell maybe join me for a week or three!
- Hopefully be an entertaining read
- Learn new skills with internet/website/social media as I know the front end but not the inner workings (I know I’ll need to get another job at some point in the future and having a few new skills can’t hurt)
- To inspire others to travel or follow their passion
- To show others that it’s ok to not always have a plan. Deep down, a lot of us wing it but just put on the bravado we don’t
- To take up writing again. Years ago, I used to write a fair bit and then life got in the way (or really I just got lazy)
So ladies and gentlemen that’s pretty much my quick..ish story of how I got here. Where I’ll be this time next year is anyone’s guess. However I currently couldn’t be happier with my decision and wouldn’t want it any other way, so please join me on my adventure around the world with no return date and no real plan.
Any other questions? Check out the FAQ.
Click here to see my route so far.
