I am just an ordinary woman who has been lucky enough to have had some exciting adventures along the way. And my hope is that my tales of these adventures, the first of which is in my recently published book, The Impulsive Explorer, will inspire others to maybe shake things up a bit and re-ignite dreams that have been put into the ‘one day’ box in the back of their mind.
The Impulsive Explorer
1. What adventures?
In terms of the big ones - I’ve lived on a Russian base in the Antarctic peninsula, lived and worked in the rainforest in Ghana, travelled through West Africa using only public transport and campervanned my way around New Zealand and Australia during a mid-life crisis when I hit 50.
2. Seize the day
My sudden impulse to apply to go to the Antarctic was probably the most life changing event of my life. It set me off in a different direction away from a safe life in corporate business to a quest to find a life lived on my terms. If an opportunity presents itself to me that excites me, I will probably go for it. Even if it scares me. Say yes, and then work out the details later.
3. Calculated risk taker
That said, I’d like to think I’m not a fool who runs round chasing after rainbows, I do think things through. Though travelling through West Africa was singlehandedly the most foolhardy thing I’ve ever done. If I’d thought too much about it, I wouldn’t have done it. But, whilst it was gruelling and, at times, dangerous, it was a risk worth taking - what an experience!
4. Regret nothing
I try not to regret anything in my past. Mistakes? I’ve made a few (many). But what is done is done – learn from the mistakes and move on.
5. Not accepting the status quo
If something makes me unhappy, I’ll try to fix it and if I can’t, I’ll walk away from it. We’re a long time dead and if the events of the last 12 months have shown us anything it’s that we never know what’s round the corner. Let’s grab life by the throat and enjoy it.
6. I’m a saver
I’ve always saved money and the savings have given me choices. It allowed me to take six months off to have my midlife crisis in Australia and New Zealand and my business savings gave me a buffer during the last 12 months when I lost most of my clients.
7. Simple pleasures
I really understood this as I lived out of the most basic campervan known to man for three months. Having taken a suitcase laden with clothes and other stuff, I ended up living in the same few t-shirts and shorts. I took pleasure from long walks along beaches and being able to keep in touch with my friends via my blog. I didn’t need much else to be honest. Had campervan, did travel – in simplicity lies freedom ‘Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!”’ Hunter S Thompson
Who wants to join me?
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