Wow – what a crazy few months it’s been. It feels like the world has been turned completely upside down. People getting sick, people losing jobs, no longer feeling free to leave our homes or to hug friends and family. Everyone has been impacted in their own ways by this virus and I don’t think there is a right or wrong way to respond. But for me it has definitely forced me into action on some things that I probably would have held back from under normal circumstances. And so for that small blessing, I am choosing to be grateful. Mid-December last year, I boarded a plane for the first…

…and why I love it anyway! Everything is quiet. In the middle of the jungle in northern Guatemala and there is only the chirp of a few insects outside. The other travellers have finally settled to sleep. But there it is again.. That unmistakable pain in the stomach and then a wave of nausea. I lie still and hope it will pass. The bathroom is too far away… It’s down the stairs and outside, around the corner. Breathe slowly. Imagine nice things. I’m imagining the beach and being immersed in the ocean. But…uh oh…nope that ain’t working. Sh*t! Within seconds I’m out of bed and hovering over the waste paper…

Sleeping outside on the red desert sand, I’m wrapped up in all my layers and a sleeping bag cocoon in an attempt to stay warm. I wake up and can feel icicles forming on my nose, but open my eyes to a sky absolutely full of stars. Millions of tiny sparkling specs all with their own stories to tell, and the milkyway strewn across the sky in all its splendour. Desert cats and baboons howl in the distance, and it feels like perhaps I’ve drifted into another time. Life here has been like this, unchanged for countless ages and I am dwarfed by the magnificence of it all. My insignificance…

I have been so inspired to see all the hype around #climatestrike and #climateweek this year! And all this talk about the state of our environment has got me thinking. I often this about this actually, and it is so overwhelming. The problems seem so huge…can what I do really make a difference? But Greta Thunberg is proof that it can! What we ALL do counts. Do politicians need to take urgent action? Absolutely.Do companies need to think differently and place a value on the environment instead of only focusing on money? Absolutely.But what can we do? Can what I do make a difference? And what is the environmental cost…

Working for free while on holiday? Not exactly everyone’s idea of a good time. But there are some surprising compelling reasons to consider this as part of your next trip: giving back, making friends and experiencing life as the locals do are just the tip of the iceberg. I completed my third volunteering experience just last week, so I feel compelled to share some of this experience here. Each of the volunteering experiences I’ve had have been completely different. They were all wonderful in their own ways and also challenging for different reasons. The one thing they have in common is the sense of joy being a part of something…

Hi, my name’s Kate and this is my travel blog. I left home over 15 months ago with a one-way ticket, lots of ideas and no plan. I’ve always loved travel, but life and work seemed to get in the way.Honestly – I’ve never looked back. This was hands down the best life decision I’ve ever made. So, after a lot of deliberation I’ve decided to set up this site, share some of my stories and hopefully inspire you to take a leap of faith. Maybe the leap won’t be into an aeroplane with a one-way ticket to the other side of the world, or maybe it will, but here…