Today I began a new hobbie which is perfect rest and relaxation for a guy like me, climbing… well Bouldering.

An explanation of bouldering can be found here :-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouldering

It’s something that is perfect for me to relax with, boundery pushing, physical and rewarding.

Rob x

I’ve begun the arduous task of going through my backpacking snaps and writing a daily review of the trip. It’s been 3 weeks since my return and I’d only started today, naughty naughty.

No doubt an enormous amount of shenanigans we’re captured on my camera! That got me thinking about all the London shenanigans I’m missing out on! What about all those days and nights I haven’t brought a camera with me!!

I’m making a resolution to carry my faithful camera around with me more often! I love recording and looking back on all that I’ve done and I can imagine 2009 is going to be massive!

Digital Camera Love all the way!

Rob x

Hello,

Being dedicated to the art of improving processes I took the liberty to identify useful needs and tiips and tricks for backpacking through Europe. Naturally many of these tips can be reused for other continents, i’m going to keep this post updated throughout my life travels and learn as I continue to see the world.

Things to Have:-

• Inflatable neck brace – amazing for long coach and train rides
• Walking boots – an absolute must, try and make them as fashionable as possible for club entry, Timberlands are good.
• Sunglasses/hats/gloves/thermals – weather dependant clothing is seriously important
• Sleeping bag - Required if you’re taking long coach and trains, helpful in any hostel.
• First aid kit - I travelled without one but even a little one would be helpful.
• 3 to 1 adapter - Power plug so all gadgets can be charged at one go.
• Plastic flip flops – Required for hostel showers and general hostel use.
• Bag for dirty clothes – Required to keep clean smelling clothes smelling clean in a bag
• 50% less clothes - You always need less, maximum one smart shirt and one other evening top, you can always wash when travelling.
• Special Towel – I’ll talk more about this later.
• N95 Phone – Amazing for access to the internet, GSP, access to travel plans e.t.c
• Breathable Underwear -
• Multi-purpose Cream – Absolute Requirement
• Waterproof Jacket – Try and make it stylist. A waterproof mac to get you around the city and allow entry to bars and clubs.
• Flask (hot/cold) – If you’re backpacking hydration is important. You can fill up at a hostel with hot or cold drinks, Have a good flask handy. If you know the climate will always be hot then a water bottle should suffice.
• Satchel – Keep your expensive stuff on your person at all times and helpful for carrying an umbrella.
• Umbrella – Put that in your Satchel, getting wet when backpacking is the ultimate sin. It feels horrible and will lead to cold and flu when you’re run down.
• Underarm Roller – I’ll talk more about this another time.
• Lunch box and Steel Spoon Cutlery - Save money by cooking in the hostel and preparing lunch. Naturally you want to experience the local cuisine BUT you don’t won’t to be paying crazy prices on a train for a coke.
• Ear Plugs and Eye Cover - Purely for hostel use, can be really helpful when someone has a 5am train to catch and hasn’t packed (usually me!)

General Travel Tips:-

1. Eat DUO Spread/ Peanut Butter on long journeys. It’s not exactly healthy but it supresses your hunger and it’s easy to carry. Couple these spreads with a last minute purchase of huge amounts of bread and water and you have a mini detox.
2. Download hostel directions and currency information directly to your phone before you reach the next country. You may have phone issues when you reach a new country. Perhaps you can download all this info before you even leave home?
3. When on trains in Eastern Europe they have a tendancy to overheat, buy a cheap bottle of coke or water, drink it on the train and then stick it in the window, it keeps the room more airy. You’ll know what I mean when you see it.
4. Miss a day hostel. Travel in the morning or evening and miss a day booking a hostel. You can successfully do this if your trip is 10 hours long. Hostels have no problem with you turning up at 5-6 am even if you have a midday check in. Usually you’ll be welcome to use all their facilities free of charge.

Hello,

I’ve just had for most people the trip of a lifetime. I’ve travelled through 9 Countries starting in Estonia and ending in Bulgaria. It was awesome to do some serious backpacking and I’ve utterly got the travel bug back.

I’ll be updating the blog with all sorts of interesting things I’ve learned as well as a break down of each Country! Stay tuned.

Enjoy x

Hello,

Yet another post today!

I’ve been realising recently that your relationships are the most important thing in your life. Fuck your job, fuck how much money you have, fuck where you’ve travelled. People and your relationships are THE most important thing in your life.

That is a fact, I’ve learned it excellently over the last couple of months. I have some work to go to repairing some relationships but time is a healer and I’ll make that happen.

When it comes to your relationships you have to be proactive and keep the frequency of events high, minimum once a month, more like once every 3 weeks or fortnight!

This is my massive goal for when I get back from backpacking. I think a Christmas party round my flat is first thing to happen. Then a new years party and i’ll keep the events coming.

That’s the first major point out of the way.

A loving caring relationship where you care equally for the success and well being of each other is preferable over any one night stand or quick seduction. Actually being with someone you REALLY like that excites and challenges you is a truly beautiful thing.

Growing together with someone you share the same interests as, someone that’s happy and outgoing is a really empowering experience.

You can choose your relationships and you must choose your most intimate relationship incredibly wisely.

Hello,

I’m writing alot today but I think it’s important to get all these things off my chest.

For the last three years I’ve earned something like £75 grand after tax. Give or take, I haven’t done the sums properly. I’m walking away (after a deal done with my previous employer) with around 1/7 of that figure.

Had I been smart with my money I could be walking away with £55 thousand pounds, fact.

The truth is my finances for a long time have been in complete and utter chaos. I’ve purchased needlessly, I’ve bought on impulse and I’ve damaged my credit rating.

At the beginning of the year I made a goal to work out and sort my finances. Had I done something at the beginning of the year I could be 10-13 thousands pounds better off than I am today. That has not happened and I’ve learned a solid, important and yet financially painful lesson.

I deserve this lesson.

I’m changing my ways and that begins at the bottom. I’m learning and taking advice from various mediums, including, www.moneysavingexpert.com, The intelligent Investor and Mathematical books on Finance.

I have some time on my hands once I come back from backpacking, so within 6 months I expert to be an absolute expert in, “The Game of Money”.

I want complete choice with Money and do not want to rely on money nor be constrained by it.

I’ll be writing more when I understand more.

Thanks

Hello,

So I’ve been hanging out with Jeanine for a while now and her course forces her to undertake these, “contacts”. She has to go to various cultural places of interest and write about them. I’ve always found, “contact” a humourous name, so from now on I’m going to employ it’s use within this blog.

On one of these many contacts undertaken we ambled round Westminster and the houses of Parliament. It’s actually an incredibly beautiful area and seems utterly out of place in the local architecture. It’s worth getting as close as possible to check it out.

Goodbye and have a good day!

Hello,

I’ve had a great time being with Jeanine the last couple of months. It’s been absolutely amazing and exactly the reason I got into self improvement. We recently went to see the Dark Knight at the IMAX cinema. I’d never been to the IMAX before so I was excited like a little boy at 3:30pm on a Friday afternoon!

Great times!

x

Hello,

My Birthday today! I’m 26 years of age, which is absolutely crazy! I feel like I’m just getting a grip of my life and who I am which is great. I’ve never really felt like I know who I am, but as time rushes forward I’m really beginning to understand myself.

I’ve had a little bit of unusual news over the last couple of days which I won’t go into, so i’ll just write the following:-

• I’m really beginning to understand the man I am and becoming even more learned about myself and the world.
• I have a wonderful girlfriend
• I’ve got some great friends
• I’ve got the time to put into action all those things I wanted to put into action
• I’m learning about the game of money and I’m going to excel at it
• My social skills are unparralled with my previous self and i’m going to work hard at improving them even more
• I’m about to go travelling for a month and add 9 Countries and different experiences to my life.

Life is pretty sweet at the moment, so I’m thankful for what I’ve got and even more thankful for what I’ve worked for and gotten. I’m thankful for what the future holds too!

Much Love!

Hey all,

It’s been an eventful 3-4 days. I arrived at work on Monday morning with the news that I had to urgently pass on some training to an individual who would be covering for me over my holiday. My training had to take place in the morning. Alarm bells were ringing and I knew something was up, but at the end of the day if you know somethings up and you can’t prepare for it the only thing you can do it let the chips fall and react when you have the chance.

Anyway I’m not legally able to comment any further but all I can say is I’m looking forward to exciting new opportunities and I’m free from the world of work! I’m really happy with the situation!

Time to put into action some of the things i’ve been putting off!