Please help me to raise money for such a great cause!!!

This is a request for help. This is Peter's Non-profit organisation that Sandra and I will be volunteering for in Indonesia, in just over two weeks.

Please follow this link for more details.

Peter has been and is currently doing some fantastic and amazing work out there on Gili Trawangan, for people and children that have nothing, and a lot of them are very ill.

I myself cannot wait to get out there and help out as much as possible, but am aware that this may be a very hard hitting experience.

The reason for this blog post is because the organisation needs to get sponsorship for the great work that they/we are doing. Our job is do help Indonesians help Indonesians. We help by teaching them technology & setting up new non profit projects.

For example, Endri is an Indonesian (who is 1 in a million). All he wants to do is help all the sick children in Lombok. Endra also comes from a poor background and is very trust worthy and also works for free, which is very rare. One of our many aims, is to set him up with systems, and spark his dream to be able to help his fellow man. We will help him set up his own trust. Some of this money raised will help Endri to do his job and help the distributions of the food to the people that need it most. 

Also, funding can help these extremely poor families so that they can use Indonesian hospitals to get operations for these kids.

We will be using Facebook feeds to report, show photos etc. (and I will use this blog) to show all of our donors that 100% of their/your money is going to great use, and exactly what it is going on.

If you read over Peter's website you will see that none of this money goes towards us, the volunteers, we (all the workers) pay for our own food, transport etc. So all the money raised, YOUR MONEY goes towards the cause. And I am a little bit proud to be a part of it.



"So what am you, Mikey, doing to raise money!?" I hear you ask. Fair question. I have been back in England for just over a year now, and ever since I have been back my brother has been trying his up-most to get me to grow a beard. But he has had no luck, I am not keen on the idea at all, I think...well it doesn't matter what I think, I just don't really want a big beard. But about 2 months ago, down our local pub, after having a few drinks, my brother finally got me...."I will give you £100 towards the charity of your choice if you grow your beard 2 inches!".... how could I say "No!" to this offer, so I took him up on it, and straight away I know the charity I wanted to donate that £100 to, http://npogilitrawangan.weebly.com/
Unfortunately for me, about a month later, down the pub again with my brother and a few other friends, he brought the issue up again. Not content with me just growing my beard 2 inches, in that it wasn't making me unhappy enough. So now getting more people involved in on this monstrosity that is my face, but the rules have changed now, it's not only for 2 inches, oh nooooo, now people are sponsoring a certain amount per inch that I grow it.....now there's no limit to how long this can go!

That's me in the middle. This photo was taken the day after the original deal was made back in March 2014.

So my plea to you is, as much as I hate this thing on my chin, the longer it gets, then the more money that goes to such a good cause. So please either just sponsor the 2 inches, or sponsor my beard per inch, and it really really does go to such a great cause....once again http://npogilitrawangan.weebly.com/

Sadly, Peter doesn't have a registered charity number yet so I looked into setting up on other fund raising sites, but these companies take a percentage of the money donated, so I want to cut out the middle man and make sure all of your money goes towards the projects. So this is a trust thing on your part, people that know me, know that I mean it when I say all the money will go to http://npogilitrawangan.weebly.com/ but to do this, if people would like to sponsor me then they will need to get in contact with me, tell me how much they want to sponsor, and for what for (i.e. per inch or a certain length), and I will have to send you my own bank details to pay the money. It works on, if you know me and trust me, and want to sponsor such a great cause, then please do, please get in contact with me, and you have my complete guarantee that all the money raised WILL go to http://npogilitrawangan.weebly.com/. However, if you think that this all sounds a bit suspect, or you don't trust me, or you just don't want to sponsor, then all is good. But non of this money will go towards me, or any other volunteer, we're all just trying to do a good thing for people that are sadly a lot less fortunate then ourselves.

Thank you for reading this post, really all of your money will go to help people that are so much more worse off then we are. But what ever amount you can donate, and what ever we can raise would be great. My brother has very generously already donated £100 to the cause (assuming that I get my beard to 2 inches), but I would like to AT LEAST double that figure, so with your help lets make this happen.

Only 3 weeks to go!

Yoyoyo....I hope that everyone is well!

On Thursday I handed in my notice at my job, so it's official, I AM LEAVING ENGLAND AGAIN! Real soon in fact, I will be leaving here in 3 weeks today, the next May bank holiday (and here's hoping it's as sunny and warm as this current bank holiday!).

I now only have 3 weeks left at my current job, but that's only 8 working days now! Good times. Off to Barcelona on Wednesday for two nights to meet with my Swiss mate Claudia (whom I meet in Lima, Peru last January), before heading to London next weekend, to see a few other friends up there before coming back to Southampton  as I'm taking the old old man to Super Saints' last game of the season.......and whata season we've had, hopefully end it on a high. COYR!

So carrying on from my last post a couple of months ago. I am aware that my travel video was having issues with the sound on Youtube. So if you wanted to watch it, with sound, please follow this link to my Viber account here.

My plans for this trip then: Well I got my 2nd 1 year working/travel visa approved for Australia back in October last year, so the plan is to eventually head there somewhere between July and October. This time is different however, I am not doing it alone this time, I will be doing it with my German girlfriend, Sandra, whom I met in Paihia, New Zealand well over a year ago now. So it is kinda weird planning stuff with someone this time, but (when we're in the same country) it is easy to plan, danke für das! So I will be flying from London Heathrow on Monday 26th May, to Frankfurt, Germany, and spending the next two nights in Germany, before we both take a 19 hour flight (stopping in Hong Kong) to Denpasar, Bail, Indonesia, a country that neither of us has been to before. We plan on staying in Bali for a couple of nights before getting the ferry over to the Gili Islands. I have had a lot of contact with Peter Honey (a good friend from Paihia) all this year in regards to doing voluntary work on his projects on Gili Trawagan. It really is a great cause, and Peter has been working very hard out there. We haven't decided for how long we will be staying there yet, but due to visa/entry requirements for Indonesia, we have to have flights out of Indonesia booked upon our arrival into Indonesian customs. So we have booked a flight to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia for the end of June. But we've decided that we're not going to plan anything further until we at least arrive on the Gilis.

This last year back in England has been great fun, and it's always good to come home. My friends and family have been amazing (as expected), Saints have been awesome, and the weather's been............. My job has been OK, it has kept me busy and paid, and I have really enjoyed working with the people in my team, and have enjoyed (not always) the experiences. I have had many trips over to Germany since October for the weekends, and one trip to Zurich, Switzerland over the New Year. The more I'm in Germany the more I love it. My German has been improving, but as a result, my Spanish has been suffering (so that should be fun in Barcelona this week). But I am looking forward to moving on again, and getting active again!

So to summarise, Mr Sheen's travel blog is up and running again, with more posts coming real soon!

The nights are long, but the years are short when you’re alive. Way back when will never be again, it was a time. It’s gonna catch you, so glad I met you, to walk the line.

This is a long long video of the whole of my travels starting from July 2010 when I was still in England, going all the way through all 22 countries that I visited, and going right up to earlier this month, back in England and Germany. I started working on it in November/December 2012 whilst I was staying in Paihia, New Zealand, putting some work into it whilst I was travelling through Central and South America, and finishing it off only last week, back here in England. It then took 27 and a half hours to convert to a video, starting on Friday night and carrying through most of Saturday as it is 8.34GB. And I gave myself the first viewing of my finished product on Saturday night.

Even if no one else ever watches this, I assure you that I will over and over again, and if nothing else, it’s a great memory, for me, of all you amazing people that I've met, and the amazing times that I've endured....er...I mean, enjoyed with you (however long or short they may have been).

I'm kinda hoping that the photos/videos/music choices that might seem weird and random to some people, will actually get noticed by the people that it was aimed at. I know that this video is for me, but I’d like to think that people know when a shout out is for/to them. 

I'm also sorry if this isn't produced as well as I would have wanted, but anyone who has worked with Windows Live Movie Maker will understand....those that will spend some money on a video editor won’t!

I would also like to point out that although I did try and successfully (I feel) kept my blog very PG, however this video is not completely PG friendly. But (and this note goes out especially for my parents) if you think some of the stuff in this video is bad, well then just try and think about bits that I had to leave out!

However I do hope you enjoy watching “Mr Sheen’s Epic Adventure” just as much as I have enjoyed making “Mr Sheen’s Epic Adventure”

So I suppose this is a big THANK YOU for everyone who made this badly constructed/edit video awesome. And I apologize to anyone that is not in the video, please don't take it personally, you are not forgotten I just probably didn't have my camera with me when I was with you!
        
And if you feel that I've taken the piss out of you then you’re probably right, and I probably have... but if you look through this you'll notice that I take the piss out of me too!......Lots!

PLEASE FIND CHAPTERS (by song) BELOW:
(Or check out here!)
Also, use the dates if you would like to read up on my blog from the last 3 and a half years

Minutes – Location, Date
Chapter Name – Reason behind song choice.

0:00 – England, August – September 2010: 
The Start of ‘Mr Sheen’s World Adventure’ and ASC's send off! – Saturday night at Reading 2010

3:14 – England, July – September 2010:
Family’s Goodbyes! – Closing act at Reading 2010
 
4:21 – Rhode Island and Massachusetts, USA, September – October 2010:
New England – Drunken Karaoke man. I honestly picked it for that reason only.....but it does fit more than I planned! Ironic!, no?

6:11 – Washington, USA, October – November 2010:
What’s wrong with Marmite! – Dyn-nooo-miiiiit

8:41 - Oregon, Nevada and California, USA, November 2010:
My 1st ever real road trip – Cali Styley Road Trippin'

11:57 – British Columbia, Canada, November 2010:
Welcome to Canada – Canada’s finest
 
13:28 – Alberta, Canada, November 2010 – January 2011: 
(a real) Winter’s in the air! – Tuesday night’s Open Mic Night’s in the Grizz!

18:48 – Alberta, Canada, January 2011:
Leaving Jasper – Kim’s song!
 
19:51 – Alberta, Canada, January 2011:
Rocky Road Trip – Cos every great Road Trip needs a great drinking and fighting song!
 
23:12 – Ontario and Quebec, Canada, January – February 2011:
A Capital Keenan Tour – Come on, it’s Ke$ha
 
24:50 – British Columbia, Canada, February 2011:
Cruising into Vancouver Island! – On the flight

26:04 – British Columbia, Canada, February 2011:
Jurassic Park the 1^st – Couldn't sum it up better myself
 
28:09 – Hong Kong, February 2011:
Probably not the best directions – The best music you’ll ever be able to find on a flight from Vancouver to Shanghai...I promise!

31:01 – Vietnam and Laos, February – March 2011:
Really out of my comfort zone now....and loving it! – Couldn't not have them in here! (Again)

37:56 – Thailand and Australia, March 2011:
Thailand’s Thailand – No reason, it just fits!

40:35 – Queensland and New South Wales, Australia, March – August 2011:
I'm finally here – “Ya Ya Ya Ya Ya” 

42:53 – Queensland and New South Wales, Australia, April – August 2011:
The first few months – “You know me, you know me all too well”

49:54 – Queensland, Australia, July 2011:
Queensland Road Trip! – When it happens (and it will happen) this is where it’ll be at!

56:12 – Queensland and New South Wales, Australia, June – September 2011:
Good Times – Good feelings!

1:02:51 – Queensland, Australia, October 2011:
Goodbye Danny G, and James and Lee – Parklife

1:04:49 – Queensland, Australia, October – December 2011:
Chilled Islands and Hectic Brisbane – "The nights are long, but the years are short when you’re alive. Way back when will never be again, it was a time. It’s gonna catch you, so glad I met you, to walk the line."

1:12:06 – New South Wales and Queensland, Australia, December 2011 – January 2012:
Into 2012 we go! – No plans on growing up any time soon on a Blue Mountains road trip!

1:17:21 – Queensland, Australia, January – March 2012:
Australian summers! – Messing around with ‘girls’ like you!

1:21:55 – ACT, New South Wales and Queensland, Australia, March – June 2012:
Messy times – Messy beats!

1:25:56 – Northern Territory, Australia, June 2012:
The Red Centre – Where haven’t we been!?

1:29:12 – South Australia and Tasmania, Australia, June 2012:
Adelaide, home from home. – Adeliade’s finest Hip Hop

1:33:53 – Victoria, Australia, June – July 2012:
“It’s not even next to the Ocean” – Australia’s finest Rock

1:36:11 – Queensland, Australia, July 2012:
More Messy times – Same Messy beats!

1:38:06 – Queensland and New South Wales, Australia, July 2012:
Last month in the “Smart State” – I just had to have it in here somewhere!

1:40:39 – Queensland, Australia, July 2012:
Time for me to say goodbye – Burn the evidence

1:42:48 – South Island, New Zealand, July – August 2012:
I love it here, but I dunno if it’s gonna work for me... – Queenstown living

1:43:33 – South Island, New Zealand, August 2012:
...But I'm gonna make the most of my time here! - Jurassic Park the 3^rd

1:45:06 – South Island, New Zealand, August – September 2012:
I live up a mountain! – Go on Tom, you know you love being 'That Guy!'

1:50:51 – South Island, New Zealand, September – October 2012:
We really are sexy...and we know it! – Who wouldn't wanna wiggle!

1:53:20 – South Island, New Zealand, October 2012:
Time to move on.....again! – Come on, it’s Ke$ha.....again!

1:55:28 – South Island and North Island, New Zealand, October 2012:
I wanna come back here! – Ok, Ok When it happens (and it REALLY will happen) this is actually where it’ll be!

1:57:16 – North Island, New Zealand, October – November 2012:
Taking it North Side – I couldn't think of a song for this part for ages, then I randomly came across this old timer again, and just thought “Yesssss!”

1:59:47 – North Island, New Zealand, November – December 2012:
Kayaking Cruises – Change the Playlist Tay...No!?...OK...well, just wait until I leave then!

2:03:15 – North Island, New Zealand, December 2012:
A month that changed a lot – And now you’re in my head

2:04:45 – North Island, New Zealand, December 2012:
Tail end of a Fijian storm – Getting your groove on with your brother and nephew on your annual Christmas Skype

2:08:05 – New Zealand and Costa Rica, December 2012 – January 2013:
Time to move on....again (but a lot further) – "Where do we go, nobody knows"

2:09:53 – Costa Rica and Nicaragua, January 2013:
A Latin style of Birthday Cake in your face – Show us the moves Colin

2:12:35 – Nicaragua and El Salvador, January 2013:
Free turtles – “I'm addicted to you, buaguessbabmissyopobar, Baby I'm addicted to you, algelobelohalhulesesgera”

2:15:28 – El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala, January 2013:
“Papa don’t prick” – Tchê tcherere tchê tchê

2:18:49 – Guatemala, Belize, and Mexico, January – February 2013:
I've been waiting to go here for years...and it didn't disappoint! – “Because, everyone always has a great time with this one (even though the song is “sad”)”

2:25:08 – Mexico, February 2013:
I study Hard, I party Harder – More Latino loving!

2:29:05 – Peru, February 2013:
The beginning of the end!  – A gesture from so far away!

2:34:54 – Peru, February – March 2013:
We should just train ourselves! – From Seattle, to Brisbane, to being lost anywhere in the world.

2:40:27 –  Peru, February – March 2013:
We will just train ourselves! – Rolling Floyd (Another episode with Claudia!)

2:44:45 – Peru, Bolivia and Chile, February – March 2013:
Still not as bad as riding Segensowrth to Hedge End – Just wanted to put them in here

2:48:25 – Chile and Argentina, March 2013:
Getting well lost is well fun! – “I will wait I will wait for you!”

2:53:34 – Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil, March – April 2013:
Big Fields and Big Falls – Cos the Sky is actually falling!

3:02:11 – Brazil, April 2013:
Just cos I can! – “So you’re English, you must know Led Zeppelin”

3:05:53 – Brazil, April 2013:
Rio and the Favelas, before heading home! – Time to practise your Spanish 'Rrrrrrrrrrrrrs' with an Anthony Kiedis 'Gggggggg'

3:09:23 – England, April – May 2013:
Home? – Will you be the same as when I saw you last, time how much time has passed!

3:10:36 – England, Germany and Switzerland, April 2013 – February 2014:
Dusting off – One epic ending deserve another!

Mr Sheen's Adventures will return soon!

Sooooooo 'when' are you leaving us again!?'

So I was kinda half and half as to if I would do a last post after my last 'last' post, but I kinda figured that my blog has always been a travel blog, and a big BIG part of travelling is returning home! So I suppose it makes sense to write one!

Returning home is...well it's easy! You have to start again in a new country, opening up bank accounts, getting a phone number, finding a home, finding a job, and finding a social network (not a website, an actual physical 'social network')! Sweet as, I'm from England, I have two and a half of them straight away (I didn't need to open my bank accounts, just obtain new cards). But I had the main two, a house and a social network!

Returning home is easy! Returning home at first is the easiest and most excited I've ever been....at first!

It was amazing to see my parents and my sister at the airport and spend the evening with them on my return home. It was so cool to spend the following morning with my bruda and my nephew (he really can talk now, he was 2 when I left), it was amazing that Danny G got me a ticket for the Saints - West Ham game. It was so weird walking back into St Mary's, I really cannot explain that experience! It was exactly the same........exactly the same, but....uh I dunno, the whole stepping into the terraces again after so long away.....no seriously, I really think that is the only way that I can explain it! But it really was awesome to see all (well nearly all) of my ASC again! That was an awesome messy night! I forgot how cheap it is to drink in England! It was always sweet to come home to them dirty skate bastards getting relegated for a THIRD SEASON IN A ROW! Who's laughing now! Ohhhh how I hate the blue corner of Hampshire so much!

The main reason I came home when I did is for my brother's wedding, but mainly his stag! We had his stag last weekend, all I need to say about that is that he had an amazing time, and we brought home home ALIVE! Job done!

Trust me, there's still a few of you that I haven't caught up with yet, it's not cos I don't want to, it's because I haven't had the chance yet! (or cos some of you have "your reasons").

That's the thing with it all though, I have always been expecting everyone to get over me being home again way before I was used to being home. But I really didn't expect it this quick! I think I'm gonna have to get use to text messages like "oh sorry mate, we would have invited you, but I gotta get use to you being back"......uuuuummmmm, yeah maybe that's something I don't really wanna get used to! It really does feel like hard work again, with them all, but then when I actually think about it, it's exactly the same as when I left!

I can't help but think about Melissa, not like "oh I  Miss her", but more along the lines of the last time I was in England, walking the exact same streets that I am again walking down, I was working, I was studying, I was excited about my travels, and I was about to reunited myself with 'the most amazing person in the world'...now I'm walling down these streets again, and I have a new and amazing someone on my mind (notice how there's no "'" over the amazing), but no plans set as of yet!

I'm hoping that this is just a case of not working, and not having a plan set, I'm hoping that once I'm back in the system and earning, and have a plan set that this will pass, but the grass really is greener!

I really miss being an hour or two from the mountains, or the islands, or the national parks. I really miss the carefree lifestyle (and I'm including Brisbane in that where I was working full time), I miss struggling with a foreign language! I miss being away from here. I miss not caring about the weather and having to get excited when the sun comes out for 5 minutes! I miss there not being an end to the night...I was home at 12:40ish tonight, and that was it, night over! I miss having an English accent (now I just have a weird Australian/American twaaaaang apparently (depending on who I speak to)). I miss people understanding that I don't get everything about where I am (Seriously I've been gone for over 2 and a half years, laws my have changed, and I get confused with what was a law in one country and not another)

I would like to point out that the whole time I was away from England, I really did miss my family, my ASC, my friends, football ((the original and only football), English dry humour, and some foods!

Aber mehr als alles, Ich vermisse dich



So, I wrote everything above about two weeks after I arrived home in England (so about the middle/end of April), after a Saturday night out in the local Botley pubs! And after I wrote it, I didn't wanna publish it, and I have edited it only a tiny bit today (not to correct it, but to make sure I could understand what I wrote when I was slightly drunk), but I thought that I should publish it, kinda sticking with what I said then, coming home is all an included part of the travelling experience, similar to now! So I thought I should publish the post above, but also include about where I am now, 3 months after getting back to England! Plus I enjoy writing this!

So I think overall, my mood is way better than it was back then, especially compared to that night! It did take me a while and the holiday blues didn't really kick in until after my brother's wedding. He got married back in the middle of May, and it was a great day, and I really loved doing my best man speech for the newly wed couple and their guests. The following day I went to the last game of the Premier League season at St Mary's as Saints could only manage a 1-1 draw with Stoke (wherever that may be), but then the Monday morning after that, the holiday blues really kicked in. Like I said, the main reason I came home when I did was because of my bro's wedding, and as soon as that was over I think the thought crossed my mind as "hang on, what am I doing here!?".....and honestly that was hard. It wasn't helped much more that one of my favourite person in the world was heading to one of my favourite locations in the world...I really did look into booking flights to New Zealand for the week after the wedding to reunite with said person in said location. But my sense got the better of me, and I started thinking more long term....(but still bearing that person in mind, just several different locations).

So since I've been home, I have been helping my brother out as he has his own plastering and decorating company, actually I think it was more him helping me out for money and to get myself out of my house. I then started working for my town's local Medical Centre, where I just filled their records......just to keep me going whilst I was looking for work. But it did give me a great chance to work on my German through the days.

I have had a couple of trips up to London since I've been home, to see an old friend from school, Luke, to see one of my Aussie friends from Brisbane, Nat, my old Australian manger, Rich (who now lives in Japan), and to see a few of my friends that I met in South America, Angela, Ruk and Clare. Twas good seeing you all again! And a fair few adventures in Southampton with my friends since I have returned, including Beer Festivals, Rat Races, Camping, BIG FIRES, Cheap Comedy Shows......etc.........etc.........etc........ And I have also been catching up with (nearly now) all family members.

I have now started working as a Test Technician for an Avionics Company after getting offered a job and starting (just for a few weeks) as a Test Technician for an underwater ROV (Remote Operated Vehicles) company, but I felt I got offered a role that would help me better my career. I've been at this company (the avionics company) for just over a week now, and I think that I'm gonna like it there.

Sorry that there's no pictures up here, but I didn't really wanna put too many on, plus it'd just be photos of people (mostly) I don't have to many of many epic English landscapes!

But since my last post, like I said, my frame of mind is better, my friends are used to having me home again, and I get included in all things again. I am down a gym and learning German to keep myself occupied in the evenings when no one is around. I do have to get used to the fact that most of my friends have partners or kids now, but I suppose that's just my age now...or friends are moving away from Southampton. It is great to be working again and earning for  sure, I can commit to doing cool things again! I do still need to get my drum kit out of my loft though!

Seriously though, I still get asked the 'subject/heading' all the time! And I'm really starting to question it myself too! I haven't giving up the bug to travel, and I am really looking into heading back to Australia, but I need to wait to see how things go in September.....

......Oh, Und mein Deutsch ist viel besser.....oder........eine klein besser!

Thanks Dad for just walking in my room and giving me a close off....."I can't have been that bad of a Dad if you're listening to Pink Floyd!".......
Bring on September is all that I can say to that, und dieses - Immer noch fehlst mir, und ich kann nicht warten sehen dir und Roger Waters' The Wall


And finally hanks to all that have still be reading my blog including a lot of people from Latvia over the last month.....and myself.....I've started reading my blog from the very beginning!

Today, for the first time this year, I was able to flush my toilet paper down the toilet!

So Ilha Grande was awesome, beautiful, peaceful, but maybe not the best place for night-life  I pretty much spent two days last weekend wondering the Island on my own. I walked from the north to the south on Saturday where I found a secluded beach and I swam out to a smaller island. Then walked up Pico do Papagaio (Parrot Peak) on Sunday. I was joined by a group of Brazilians half way up. After the (about) 3 hour hike up through proper jungle, singing much Led Zeppelin, there was so much cloud that there was no view at all, but it soon cleared for some amazing views of the island, spending a “moment with Bob”

The beach at Vila do Abrão, the area that we were staying

Pico do Papagaio (982m tall) from a distance

Arriving at Dois Rios beach after walking through the jungle

I decided to swim out to this island, which turned out to be further out than I thought it was, and it also turned out to be the end of my camera

The following day, half way up Pico!

And the view from the top...at first!

Real case of vertigo!!!

Looking down on Vila do Abrão

Walking all the way up and down in just my flip-flops might not have been the smartest thing that I've ever done!

Leaving the island on Monday, finally headed to Rio de Janerio, my last destination of all of my travels! Whata amazing city, GO THERE! It’s been a few days, of tours, drinking, chilling, loving the amazing views. And finally the last thing I did, going for a walk in the woods (a rainforest in the middle of the city), never really setting to obtain anything, but Lisa, Ruk, Monika and I ended up reaching the top of Cristo Redentor. Whata amazing way to finish my time in Rio, and Brazil, and all my travels. Rio really has everything, huge city with a lot going on day and night, mountains, forests, beaches, not may clothes…..if I could speak Portuguese it really would be a great place to be!

Copacabana beaches, it wasn't too great weather on Monday, but still warm!

Sweet sign for the hostels we were staying in!

Cristo Redentor (or Christ the Redeemer) on Tuesday, not such a great view really!

But it did clear. Pão de Açúcar (or Sugarloaf Mountain) in the distance

Escadaria Selarón

Not quite as colourful on route down!

Rio at night from Sugarloaf Mountain

The following morning in Rocinha (Little Farm), the biggest Favela in Latin America

A.D.A - Amigos dos Amigos - Friends of Friends

Bullet holes!

And just like that, the favela ends, and you're in the "normal" world

And the start of yesterday morning

This time it was a lot clearer from the top!

More monkeys on route down

And the sun setting over Copacabana just before I got my shuttle to the airport, yesterday!

Brazil was honestly amazing, and I will go back (hopefully) one day, and see a lot more of it. The people are amazing, full of character and so friendly, and it really was an amazing place to end my travels!

Sorry this update is brief but I'm a bit pushed for time, and I really wanted to get this on-line before my next flight. I've just arrived in Lisbon airport, Portugal, so I'm back in Europe for the first time in over 31 months (2 years and 7 months). 31 flights done, 1 more left - Next stop is London, England! Before heading home to Southampton!



I can’t begin to explain everything that I have experienced, but I hope that me writing this blog has given you some idea of it all. If not, at least it’s there for my memories, and I have enjoyed writing it all! I have tried to keep it ‘PG’ and clean throughout, but I have also tried to be as honest as possible. Having said that, keeping it ‘PG’; means that at times some stories or details have been missing, but some of them stories I’d be more than happy to tell / brag about in actual conversation. I have also (well at least I hope I have) tried to write in a positive way, and be pretty informative in certain areas. There has also been several jokes that have just been included for my benefit or just for a person, or a small handful of people, so I apologise (just a little) if things have not been clear or have gone over your head at times.

• From topless snowboarding in Mount Marmot Basin, Canada to snowboarding in a 'painted on bikini' up Mt Hutt, New Zealand.
• From talking with a 17 year old Novice Monk in Vientiane, Laos looking out to the sunset over Thailand to not remembering how to talk at Parklife festival in Brisbane, Australia.
• From seeing System of a Down at Soundwave in Brisbane, Australia to seeing live Peruvian flute bands all over Peru.
• From living in the mountains in Jasper, Canada to living up a mountain in Methven, New Zealand
• From waking up to natural hot pools somewhere in outback California, USA to going to sleep in a hammock under the stars on the remote beaches on Poneloya, Nicaragua.
• From working on radars that read rock movements to help predict potential land slides working as a Reliability Engineer in Brisbane, Australia to taking people out on kayaking tours to and under Haruru falls in Paihia, New Zealand.
• From partying with a load of tourists for a full-moon party on Koh Phangan, Thailand to arriving at a random festival where they plant trees in the middle of the road then partying with loads of locals with live salsa music on the streets of Chachapoyas, Peru.
• From (somehow) surviving the hecticness of Hanoi, Vietnam, to being completely remote and lost off of the beaten track on a mountain bike in a random cactus field somewhere outside San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
• From watching the Red Sox turn over the Yankees at Fenway Park, Boston, USA to watching (not that I can remember much) Queensland beat New South Wales by one point in the deciding game of the State of Origin at The Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, Australia.
• From scrambling rocks surrounded by amazing scenery in Arthur's Pass, New Zealand, to concurring Death Road – downhill mountain biking, again surrounded by amazing scenery (not that I could look too much) near La Paz, Bolivia.
• From hiking, in just flip-flops in less than a day, a huge chunk of Abel Tasman (one of my favourite parts of the world), New Zealand, to completing the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu on a 3 day hike, near Ollantaytambo, Peru.
• From walking on frozen lakes around frozen waterfalls at night near Jasper, Canada to waking up at ‘stupid o’clock’ to climb a mountain in the dark to watch the sunrise at the peak of Mt Warning, Australia (a year ago today).
• From watching Saints lose to Rochdale 2-0 in League One in September 2010 to (hopefully) watching them beat/thrash West Ham in the Premier League tomorrow again at St Mary’s!
• From Boston, USA to Rio de Janerio, Brazil in 2 years and 7 months, covering 22 countries over 4 continuants!
• From Thursday 9th September 2010 to Friday 12th April 2013, I'm finally coming home!

1. USA
2. Canada
3. Hong Kong
4. Vietnam
5. Laos
6. Thailand
7. Australia
8. New Zealand
9. Costa Rica
10. Nicaragua
11. El Salvador
12. Honduras
13. Guatemala
14. Belize
15. Mexico
16. Peru
17. Bolivia
18. Chile
19. Argentina
20. Uruguay
21. Paraguay
22. Brazil

Most importantly though - Thank you to EVERYONE that I have had the pleasure of meeting / remeeting over all of my travels, you have ALL played a massive part in making everything so amazing, all in different ways. I can’t thank you enough for all the great memories created, the things that I've learnt or taught, the crazy epic times and adventures. To list you all would be stupid, but you know who you are. I hope I get to meet lots of you again. Thank you for showing me round your awesome countries and/or cultures, thank you for sharing these epic times with me, thanks for: making me laugh; making me smile; helping me have a better understanding; teaching me; listening to me; getting messed up with me; taking me to the hospital; the list goes on and on. And some of you I will always hold so close to me wherever I am in the world! And again, you know who you are. I miss you a lot, and I can’t lie, leaving Rhode Island so early on felt weird and wrong, leaving Australia just didn't feel right at all, and leaving New Zealand really just made me feel sick, but when you live in places for so long (or plan to, in the Rhode Island incident) and get so close to people it’s never easy! Much love goes out to all you people, and I really mean that! THANK YOU!


To pick a favourite time/occasion or to pick a favourite location/country would be impossible, so all I will say is that the last 31 months have been amazing, and all 22 countries have also all been amazing, all for their own unique reasons!


If anyone is ever thinking of travelling I’d always be more than happy to help, give advice or recommend anything, but my main advice will always be…JUST GET OUT THERE AND DO IT, why not!? You only live once!


I managed to write all the above on my flight from Rio to Lisbon, and at Lisbon airport, but (again) I was unable to post it due to internet issues! I have since arrived back in England, and I'm currently typing this in my old/current room. Last time I slept in this room was the night before I flew out to Boston to live in Rhode Island, USA. Earlier this afternoon I left Portugal  and flew over France, with not a cloud in the bright blue sky (I was actually listening to Pink Floyd's 'Goodbye Blue Sky' when the called for "boarding to London"), and as I arrived over England, I couldn't help but laugh to myself as I could not see my home land below! I really was laughing out load to myself on the plane......'typical!' I haven't actually been this excited arriving in a country for a while, crossing new boarders doesn't really seem weird or daunting to me at all any more  but coming home to England felt crazy! I knew I was back in England straight away due to 3 things, 1: The weather, it was spitting and cold, I haven't felt that cold for a while ("Oh, maybe I should put my jumper on" cold), 2: As soon as people got on the escalator they moved to the right, so that people (like me) can just by-pass them on the left (I love my English for that), and 3: When I went through customs (which was really really easy) I approached the Customs Officer and as I handed him my passport I asked him "Hay Buddy, how's it going?" with a response of "nhwuh"....yep, I'm back in England! And everyone has an accent here, like really, I never noticed it before!

My parents (whom I haven't seen since I left England) and my sister (who I haven't seen since she left Australia about a year and a half ago) came and picked me up from the airport. I don't think I've ever met anyone as excited as I was to get back to Southampton, seeing all the London posters made me realise I was close, but London aint quite home! Was awesome to see them all again (I have to write that, they read this). We then headed home for a chilled out evening, a few beers, a catch up, and fish and REAL CHIPS, a meal my Mum asked me about two months ago! I haven't had real chips in sooooooooooo long.

Tomorrow's catching up with my Brother and nephew, watching the Super Super Saints, and then out with the boyssssssssssssssss..................

I'm home, what more can I say?!!!!!