THE BLOG
Falling To Earth... From 160ft.
Parking up, walking toward the lake, we saw the crane, and it was, rather tall...
Our first ever bungee jump!
I can blame the paragliding on Taran, but I actually booked this adrenaline-filled adventure..
So Taran was immediately reluctant when I told him about it in August. It was his birthday present and it looked like it might have been a bad choice by the look on his face... I was all "but it's a tandem, which means we hug! and go together! its romantic...". He was not keen!
Once over the initial wide-eyed "I'd rather not", Taran came around to the idea, and so the date was set for October 4th!
A nice view, horrid weather.
The morning of the jump I woke up nervous and couldn't stomach breakfast. I had a little cry (yes really) and a moment of being unsure if I wanted to jump, the tables had turned and it was Taran reassuring me about how amazing it would be this time :P The weather was looking pretty poor for the whole day, but it wasn't windy which would be the only reason for the jump to be called off.
So we drove to Windsor, Bray Lake Watersports, around midday, the rain didnt stop at all and we knew we were going to get a tad wet!
Looking a tad uneasy..
Taran looking a bit more happy about the jump..
Parking up, walking toward the lake, we saw the crane, and it was, rather tall... Oh crap. More nerves set in. It was raining quite hard now so I had cold shivers as well as scared ones.
First things first we had some forms to fill out. We were weighed, and then sent to the seating area opposite the crane. Fitted with our waist harnesses, we watched as the first people started to jump. UKBungee run the jumps, and everything ran smoothly and professionally.
Drowned rats soon to be flying rats.
One guy's jump was very much him flailing about, waving his arms in absolute terror. I hoped our jump would be more graceful.
So came the time for our ankle harnessing. All the guys at UK Bungee were super friendly and relaxed, which rubbed off on us. By the time it came for us to jump our nerves were totally under control and we couldn't wait now!
It was our turn! So we carefully hopped over to the crane cabin, ready to go up!
Taran teeters on the edge! I am in front of him, holding tight.
Here we go!!
The guy chatted to us as we rose higher and I winced at the view. It was an amazing view but I was just a little too apprehensive to let go of Taran and really look around.
Taran remarked it was like being in the cage from Jurassic Park 2, high up above the trees...
Within moments we were positioned, Taran with his feet half of the edge, myself with my arms tightly squeezing him, my chin tucked in. My job was just to cuddle tightly and enjoy the jump! And also not look up or we'd of had a big old head-butt.
Our bungee guy did the pre-checks and told us not to grab him, or the side of the crane when we jumped. This was the most scary part, letting go of the cage and just standing half off the edge!
We didn't actually have to force ourselves to jump, the guy would be helping us off the edge. He then proceeded to rock us back and forth, counting down from 5... Taran said "Your gonna push us on 2 aren't you..." he replied "I'm not gunna push you on 2" and with that off we went, on 3...
Falling through the air!
A happy taran!
Down we went, like a lead balloon!
I screamed, twice, with the initial drop feeling incredible, unlike anything we'd ever felt before. Brief weightlessness, flying, falling! Taran 'woohed' with excitement. I then laughed hysterically.
At no point did the drop hurt or feel jolting, it simply felt amazing. We were both giggling and Taran started seeing stars. Such a buzz, such a cool feeling!
We were then hoisted down onto padding where they took our harnessing off and I was in a bit of a daze, smiling like an idiot. The buzz was so awesome, it didn't leave us for quite a while that rainy October day :)
We would definitely do it again, maybe from higher up as it was the few seconds of free-fall that made it all worth it!
Yo!
We are Taran & Hannah from the South of England. After meeting online, we realized our mutual passion for travelling. Follow us, as we prepare to travel the world and set off on little more than our wits and a few £s, and maybe get inspired to see a little more of the world as well.
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Ever been bungee jumping?
Read 18-Year-Old Hannah's Diary!
Not my actual diary! My travel blog silly!
Not my actual diary! My travel blog silly!
If you've previously read about my U.S. trip, a month of backpacking across Murica' with my best mate Fi, then you'll know I have fond memories, but the other day I stumbled across the blog I wrote whilst I was on the trip! Totally forgot about it until it was unearthed in my mums email inbox!
We both wrote blog's on the website STA travel, the agent we booked our whole trip through. They must have supplied all customers with a web-page or account, I can't remember, but I'm so glad I took advantage of it.
My family and friends were able to follow us across the country and we kept a pretty regular diary of stuff we got up to.
Minus numerous spelling mistakes (internet use would of been costing me dollars so I wrote most posts in a rush) and some childish overuse of 'xxx' and 'hehe', there was some cool observations about things that I might have otherwise forgotten forever.
February 4th, Leaving England
"I leave in a matter of hours for America and to think this time tomorrow in England I could be on a plane to Boston!I
I'm just doing final prep,packing,printing,worrying,mani and pedicuring,thinking "do I need that many t-shirts"updating the ipod, making lots of mental to do lists i'm likely to forget!But getting excited mostly! So cyanara english people!"
No, you didn't need that many t-shirts. A few less touristy outfits would of been good though...
February 5th, 2009, Arriving in Boston
Pulling a bizarre face on my bunk-bed.
"Hello!! Fi and I arrived in Boston today on time, no delays or anything, thank god the snow stopped when it did in England."
I remember now, the weather was super bad in England that winter and I think our departure was in jeopardy!
"Lots of snow on ground here freezing cold, total culture shock but really good.
Already been awake for 20 hours and done a bit of subwaying and walking and lugging heavy goods and already had our first issue when it came to collecting our Amtrak rail passes!Our hostel is very clean and nice and welcoming and even better, 20minutes internet time for 2 dollars hehe"
Lugging heavy goods...
"Tomorrow were hoping to start off with the freedom trail and then were doing a tour of Fenway park, the baseball stadium followed by other stuff in evening!
Trying to manage money best I can but already shed out 10 dollars on subway, 3dollars on food, and thats all I can think of right now!I saw someone famous today on subway, and we only been in America 5 mins!!But hes not that famous so wont bother naming names lol"
I thought it was Seth Green, pretty sure it was just his doppel-ganger.
"Right now were nearly ready for bed because its midnight at home meaning we been up 20+ hours! Flight was quite boring and slow but had few naps!Just rearing to go now and is quite excited about New York on Saturday!
Boston feels so odd and bit overwhelming but everyone is very nice as were obviously tourists without a clue! Anyway, times nearly up so gunna do sum other net surfing, just because i'm away i still gotta know whats going on at home!!xxx much love xxx"
Haha, other side of the world on a trip of a lifetime but I wanted to keep up with mindless gossip from back home!
February 6th 2009, Boston
"Hello! Our 2nd and final day in Boston ends soon. The day started hilariously with us waking up at 5am thinking it was 6am, we were all confused and didn't set correct time, sorted it out now but were just reallly early for breakfast!"
I can't believe I ever got up that early.
"We were out and about by half 7 and did something called the Freedom Trail with a 3mile walk of all the key historic sights and buildings in Boston, did a lot of walking but it was fun, lots of nice buildings, Quincy market was particularly good with about 30 different food kiosks!
We then had a delhi lunch and headed back on the subway (which has eaten into our money has to be said). At 2 we did a tour of Fenway Park Baseball stadium, home to the famous Red Sox!Had quite a crazy Bostonian do the talk which made it a lot more funny that it was meant to be!Then we headed over by subway again to Harvard Square in the Cambridge district of Boston.
We walked around the Harvard square absorbing all the intelligence and history lol We went into a gorgeous book shop called 'the co-op' which has nothing to do with our English co-ops but we thought it was amusing."
Harvard.
I loved the architecture at Harvard, so cool!
"Bought the Barack Obama story and also 'the reader', got some long train journeys ahead to fill up!Were quite tired as obviously were still on English time but that asides we are really getting into the swing of things and I'm glad I got these ugly boots because there very good for walking and that we've done a ton of!
Overall opinion on Boston is that it has nice buildings, interesting people with very strong accents, the hostels welcoming and comfy and there's is quite a lot to see. Its very nice city but my heart belongs to New York where we head tomorrow morning!
Also, its been absolutely freezing here today, on our freedom trail walk I eventually couldn't feel my legs but Starbucks sorted that!!Anyway, see you all round, hopefully tell you a bit about New York this time tomorrow, bye folks xxx much love xxx"
So, I had an appreciation for nice buildings and liked absorbing history and intelligence. Oh, little Hannah.
More of Hannah's Travel Diary soon!
Yo!
We are Taran & Hannah from the South of England. After meeting online, we realized our mutual passion for travelling. Follow us, as we prepare to travel the world and set off on little more than our wits and a few £s, and maybe get inspired to see a little more of the world as well.
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What was your first 'big' trip out of your country?
Making Space Art - Taran's Hobby
Interested in space or art? Check out some of the paintings I have done over the past few years..
Making Space Art - Taran's Hobby
One of my very first paintings! All done with acrylic and brush. 'Dark Space'
In Late 2012 I discovered what is now my hobby of painting anything to do with the the universe and outer space, I started with a brush and did a few paintings which I liked but I always felt like there must be a better way of doing space art, one that meant I could make paintings look much more realistic!
I then discovered a way of making swirling clouds by using a lot of water with the acrylic, I was really pleased with the results and continued to make a few paintings like this:
Spray Paint!?
After wondering about new ways to paint, one of my friends showed me a video of a man in the street painting space art with spray paint, that was it! That was what I had been looking for!! I invested in a bunch of cans and did some research on the best methods on using them, and within hours of the cans arriving I had made my first piece of art with spray paint! It wasn't anything amazing, but it was my first attempt and it didn't turn out too horrible :P
One of the paintings done with a lot of water and diluted paint. 'Swirling Star'
Me happy after completing my first spray painted painting! 'Orange Spike'
After my first attempt, I started to get much better (in my opinion anyway) and I was doing at least 1 painting a week at one point!! I absolutely love working with spray paint as it allows for much more realistic cloud and star effects, the planets can also come out looking great!
Working on a piece, my friend bought it off me before I could finish it! 'Star Burst'
My Painting 'Frozen' looking great in the bedroom of the old couple who bought it :D
Below is a collection of my most favourite paintings made with spray paint, please let me know what you think in the comments section below :)
(click pictures to make them bigger)
Click HERE for my art FB page if you want to see some more paintings!
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, one half of NomaderHowFar. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, forcing Hannah to do crazy things, and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know us here!
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Mystical and Beautiful British Places [Camping in South Wales - 2]
Day Two of our trip was technically our last, as the next morning we would be driving home..
Mystical and Beautiful British Places [Camping in South Wales - 2]
Day Two of our trip was technically our last (read day one), as the next morning we would be driving home :(
We ventured out to Rhossilli bay, voted Britain's Best Beach by TripAdvisor Traveller's Choice, twice.
We didn't know this at the time, we just knew it was a popular tourist place. But now I totally think it deserves such an accolade.
The contrast of rolling steep green hills overlooking a pristine stretch of beach, is so epic to see. We didn't actually get down to the beach, as we found the walk along the adjacent cliffs too engrossing and lovely (and we were tired by 5pm okay!).
Taking in the view :P. No photo can really capture how beautiful it was to see.
Daredevil sheep right on the cliff edge!!
A windy walk across the green hills, marvelling at the brave sheep who traipse down the edges with no fear, we were struck by the stunning views down across the bay.
We spent a good couple of hours just walking the stretch down to where the hill curves and you can see Worms Head, a mile-long island shaped like a serpent, home to cute seals.
The famous welsh poet Dylan Thomas wrote about the island describing a day not dissimilar to ours...
"...The sea was out. We crossed over on slipping stones and stood, at last, triumphantly on the windy top.
There was monstrous, thick grass there that made us spring-heeled and we laughed and bounced on it, scaring the sheep who ran up and down the battered sides like goats.
Even on this calmest day, a wind blew on the Worm".
As soon as I (Taran) saw the island I wanted to visit it, as it looked so mysterious from the mainland as if there was maybe places that had yet to be explored.
And then when I read on a sign that it was possible to go across during low tide, I decided I would be going across today! We had to wait a few hours for the tide to go out, which gave us time to get a drink and some food and regain some energy to trek across.
Hannah being a bit unsteady on her feet (think baby horse) I went alone across to Worm's Head and took some awesome photos.
I didn't get to the see the seals this time, but its daytime, ya know, they got places to be I'm sure.
The foot of the hill on the island, which I then proceeded to run up :D
After trekking across the seemingly endless rocks, I came to the bottom of the island and looked up at the hill; what an amazing sight! It looked like something out of 'Lost' and made me feel like I really was on a mysterious island..
I had managed to reach it before anyone who was following me, so I took the chance to run up to the top of the hill while I was still the only human on this island.
Here are some photos I took looking back towards the mainland, and then on the other side looking out to sea and viewing the side of the island that cannot be seen from the mainland.
Standing on top of the hill, it was awfully windy up here!
We rounded off the day with a tired but smooth drive back to camp. Dinner was lots of macaroni cheese.
The previous night we'd had spaghetti, although the first batch ended up on the floor after falling out the pan, thanks to me not packing a drainer!
The next morning was home-time and despite it being only a brief taste of Welsh life, we cannot wait to head back.
We have been spoilt by the English coast having spent many a time in Cornwall, but this just about matched up to such beauty; we felt like I was in Lord of the Rings country, and its grand beauty is not just in the beaches or the cliff walks, but the overall feel of being somewhere just a bit magical.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
WANT MORE?
Things To Do For Free When You Are Poor (and Bored)
The hardest part about saving up your travel funds, isn't necessarily having a job that pays enough, or stopping yourself indulging in retail therapy every month, but its actually coping with a life suddenly less full of fun.
Things To Do For Free When You Are Poor (and Bored)
The hardest part about saving up your travel funds, isn't necessarily having a job that pays enough, or stopping yourself indulging in retail therapy every month, but its actually coping with a life suddenly less full of fun.
I suppose it depends on how you have fun, but quite often, it involves money somewhere.
Going for a walk into your local town can turn into lunch and those tempting 2-for-1 deal's at the cinema, can easily turn into a movie AND dinner; when you go out looking to entertain yourself, spending is tempting and inevitable.
Here are some tips for things to do, which don't cost much at all, if anything!
For the Internet-Lover:
1. I personally find I spent a hell of a lot of time at my laptop, and it's almost always doing fun stuff, not work!
My favourite sites are of course, Youtube (I get 20 videos deep to the point that I forget what my original search was), Buzzfeed (lots of puppies and 90's trivia) Jezebel (a gossipy but still mildly intelligent site), and Taran likes The Oatmeal (funny illustrations and stories), and Wait But Why (informative and interesting stuff).
All these internet destinations can be educational and engaging, as well as yep, fun! You can while away many an hour on these babies.
2. Pick a topic you want to learn more about and delve deep!
I like to learn more about dogs (being a dog-walker) and Taran is super into space, so we both find it interesting to rifle through the various inter-webs getting to know about these topics in-depth.
Make it a goal to learn new stuff about the things which interest you in life. Get more engaged politically, emotionally, and of course, immerse yourself in travel blogs in the pursuit of knowledge for your trip!
3. Get spiritual and do some self-improvement.
I love watching Ted talks on Youtube or reading the posts of TinyBuddha, all stuff which can broaden your mind and teach you a few things about how to be happier, something we talk about often here at Nomad'erHowFar (here, here and here).
For the Outdoorsy-types:
1. Go explore!
I have lived in the same city suburb my whole 24 years and I still discover new walks and places I never knew existed (helps that I walk dogs).
Get on your walking boots and tire your bones!
2. Find your nearest National Park or sight of natural beauty.
We live near the New Forest in Southern England, a stunning and huge landscape of woods, hills and heathland.
A couple hours here of a Sunday afternoon sets us right up for our Sunday dinner!
3. Take up running/jogging/fast-walking.
Running is easy, because you can pace yourself and really just enjoy a nice walk around the local area, even if your goals aren't fitness-inspired.
We spend so much time in life going from A to B never taking in the minute details of our surroundings.
Going for a jog, sticking on your headphones, or just a gentle walk, is a great way to reinvigorate and see your world in a different way.
For the homely-type:
1. Tidy and organize the shit out of your house.
If you read this post, you'll know we are in the process of de-cluttering in prep for our nomadic lifestyle change.
I have always liked to tidy and find it satisfying and relaxing, and due to the sweat involved in intense vacuuming, its a legitimate exercise too!
2. Read a good book.
Do you have a pile of books you've impulse bought and then never got round to reading, and now, looking at the synopsis, you think "Hmm not sure...", well, read them!
I neglected my books for a while then when I finally read one that I had been putting off, I was glued to it!
3. Meditate.
Yes really. If you find yourself at the end of your tether with your boredom, create a relaxing and calm environment, and set about clearing your head.
Light some scented candles or incense sticks. Put on some soothing music.
The result may be that you feel much less stressed and annoyed.
The other result is you might fall asleep, and I personally always enjoy a good nap :).
If none of the above work, well, you can always per-ooze through our posts :).
Hey!
Hannah here, one half of NomaderHowFar. I love reading, the beach, proper fish and chips, and a good cup of tea. But I mostly like to chat about minimalism, simplifying your life, the beauty of travel and sometimes I get a bit deep. Get to know us here!
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The Road To Restoration Island
After Months of waiting for a reply about visiting Restoration Island I got some news..
Restoration Island, here we come!!
Taran here today (Hannah's shutting up for about five minutes), if you know me or have read a few posts on our site then you will know that I have a personal goal of visiting Restoration Island when we go to Oz.
After watching the documentary on TV a few years back I was fascinated by the way David Glasheen lived on his island. I love the idea of being self sufficient, growing food, collecting water and just generally living a simpler life.
David Glasheen and Quassi standing on guard :P
And so when me and Hannah made plans to go to Australia, I realized this could be the chance to visit his awesome island and live like a castaway for a few days.
So, I started sending emails out to various email address's that could lead to him, but after not hearing anything back for months, I forgot about the fact I had even emailed him in the first place.
But then a few weeks ago I woke up and checked my emails, and to my surprise was one from a David Glasheen!! I immediately fully woke up to read it, full of excitement. I couldn't believe that he had actually got back to me! And even better, he had invited us to go visit his island :D Here is the email:
So Now that I have a green light from the man himself, I will be making sure that we get there 1 way or another. Restoration Island here we come!
Rad Sounds:
Yo!
We are Taran & Hannah from the South of England. After meeting online, we realized our mutual passion for travelling. Follow us, as we prepare to travel the world and set off on little more than our wits and a few £s, and maybe get inspired to see a little more of the world as well.
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Have you heard anything about Restoration Island before?
Travelling Will Make You Happier Than Ever Before...
...happiness to me means to travel. And I think it makes me happier than I have ever been. But I haven't always been interested in it, and thats because I didn't realize how awesome it is for the soul. So do you fancy being happier? I prescribe travel, read instructions below for why this medicine will make you feel great too.
*This post was compiled before we even set off on our Australia trip, but everything within it, remains truer than ever, in our new nomadic life!*
Happy feelings. Emotions. Tears of joy, laughter. These brief reactions, that we try to wrap ourselves up in like a warm blanket.
Sitting on sun-baked rock with sea lapping at my feet, I feel peaceful, calm, and at one with the world. Nothing bad can happen to me, no bad thought will pass through me, no sadness will take away that peace; not in the moment, in that feeling.
Happiness to me means to travel. And I think it makes me happier than I have ever been. But I haven't always been as interested in it, and thats because I didn't realize how awesome it is for the soul.
So do you fancy being happier? I prescribe travel, read instructions below for how to take this medicine.
IThe sense of awe when I discovered this view at the bottom of a garden, read about it here.
I like to think that pure, beautiful and calming experiences (like looking at the view above) can be a part of everyday life; hence why I want to spend as long as possible travelling, so I can feel amazement and wonder all over the world, for weeks on end.
Why I ask, should the majority of our time be spent in a hamster wheel, on a never-ending treadmill, trying to keep up with boring chores, work, bills, car problems, when all they make us feel is bad.
Some say it is how you choose to THINK about a situation, that makes it easier to cope with, meaning in essence, you can enjoy all life's moments, even sitting on a supermarket checkout for 9 hours a day (I speak from experience).
So these people would say happiness is down to how we think about a situation, not how it actually is.
It's how we CHOOSE to LOOK at things even if our immediate reaction is negative. But I am going to be controversial here, by calling bullshit.
In no rush to be anywhere, just enjoying the view and a slow drink. Read about this trip here.
Positive thinking is great for the short-term, e.g. a traffic jam at the beginning of a holiday, is short-term pain on a journey to somewhere nice. But in terms of your whole life, really, thinking positively is just a short-cut to momentary happiness, not true lifelong fulfilment. It is polishing a turd to put it bluntly.
Don't get me wrong, positive thinking will help you through many a scenario, but I'd rather not just settle for all the stuff which makes me unhappy by plastering a smile and thinking, 'Could be worse'; you get ONE life, not multiple in which you perfect things. Just the one, folks.
Everybody finds joy in different activities; some people break up the monotony of their jobs with hobbies like dancing, knitting, cooking, reading etc.
These are all obviously great, promoting relaxation, establishing a balance which is essential for a happy life. But sometimes we live FOR these moments, waiting for them, not quite enjoying the thing which takes up most of our hours, our week, month, year, life.
Even doing dog-walking (I have my own small pet-care business) thus working on my own terms, still interferes with happy feelings of relaxation and oneness. So even in a job I have designed for myself, I still get stressed and occasionally miserable. Maybe that's because I live intensely off of my immediate feelings and reactions to a situation (which is one reason why I love to travel, cause I let the rush take over).
A moment to take in the rugged yet exotic-looking Cornish coast, read about our trip here.
Maybe I'm guilty of not accepting that life is made up of dark and light, sad and happy; it can't always be fun or exciting or peaceful, can it?
Of course, people have good and bad days. We argue bitterly with our spouse one minute, and are cuddling the next.
And then there are times where our life is not within our control and things spiral; a sick relative, a job loss, a break-up.
Then we have those experiences we have gone out looking for, such as sitting on a bench looking out to sea, with no real purpose, just enjoying the inner quiet such a thing can cause.
So that is my argument as to why travel will make you a happier person.
Happiness is an intangible thing but it is predominantly defined by our feelings; it is our direct response to our surroundings and circumstances.
Standing right smack-bang in the middle of mother-nature, jumping in and letting the water crash over me. Read about it here.
If we decide to change things up, alter our surroundings, then surely we encourage pure happiness, without using the mantra of 'positive thinking' for our whole entire situation, just to get by.
All I know and hold true, is how nothing (not even chocolate or hugs or puppies) can make me feel quite so amazing as when I am visiting somewhere beautiful or different and simply allow myself to revel in it.
Maybe you get that feeling when you do one your hobbies. Maybe it's just a hobby for me, enjoying the world in its all its natural beauty. So yeah, you say, it makes sense that travel would make us at Nomad'erHowFar happy, we feel happy whenever we do it! But why would travel make you happy, you question.
The simple act of sitting on a cliff edge marvelling at the blueness of the sea, is us deciding to look out into the world, thus not look at our reflection, our mobile phone, our problems; we are no longer looking into ourselves.
We are not listing our insecurities and feeding our inner turmoil until it overwhelms us. We are not counting the bad things we have experienced, or crying over the past. We aren't lamenting the horridness and ugliness rife in society. Often the most depressed of people are those who live inside their own heads, never ever looking outwards.
Then there's those who choose a life of being less inward; one example might be those who do international charity work, travelling to help others, getting to see the world; this is certainly something I want to do. These people are taking in the bigger picture, widening the scope, zooming out; the ability to step outside of ones self, whether it be taking in a view, or working for UNICEF (the spectrum is broad) would seem a key ingredient for finding lasting inner peace.
Travel is a perfect mixture of experiencing the world and everyone/everything in it, learning of different cultures or people, enjoying natures beauty; all things which take you OUTSIDE, but make you FEEL happy on the INSIDE :)
Yo!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at NomaderHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers.
WANT MORE?
Where in the world is your 'happy place'?
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Experiencing the best of Britain [Camping in South Wales, 1]
Our trek around Oxwich Point In Gower, Wales. Some amazing views and deep dark forests leading out to the bluest of seas!
Experiencing the best of Britain
Arriving at 8pm after a mildly long and tiring drive across into Wales, we found ourselves pitching up in a pristine camping field, overlooking the sea at sunset, pretty much entirely alone (we were the only campers for one night).
The view from our tent :)
A brisk breeze and sounds of the sea-side serenaded us as we set-up home.
The Gower Peninsula was the first place in the UK to be designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and she certainly lives up to that title we quickly found.
Epically pretty, rugged and a little bit special, we definitely found peace, relaxation and enchantment here.
Just outside our camp-site was the start of some walking trails we decided to embark on come our first morning.
We found ourselves roaming through open fields of sheep, wondering when the edge of the cliff would come.
We then hopped a fence to join the designated path and so began a steep descent down to find the rocky coastal edge.
As we walked along the edge of some dark and deserted woods (bar a couple and their dog), we spotted a little opening which led us to this rocky beach, that had a rope to help people climb down to it! It was a great spot to get a little sunshine as the forest was not letting much light under its canopy.
We sat here in the sun for a while and had our sandwiches whilst taking in the view :)
An WWII lookout post on the cliffs, all overgrown and eerie!
After an hour or so of exploring the exposed rocky area known as Oxwich Point, we made our way back along the trail, up some hills, where we happened upon a large World War Two lookout post nestled amongst overgrown trees and bushes.
We gingerly walked inside, noticing all the old decaying fixtures and thinking how cool it was to imagine all those who had been in there before us.
Hannah topping up her cider levels :P
Taran mused that it would be awesome to set-up some sort of Cafe or hangout place in the bunkers, but the 45-minute trek to it might put people off visiting :).
Trying some proper Welsh ale!
We then headed back through the woods, finding our way into the tiny village of Oxwich next to the beach.
What struck me about the area of Gower in general was the lack of amenities such as large food stores or other such things, which of course made it an even more invigorating time, a true break from the overwhelming and built-up nature of a busy city.
The air smelt different here, the atmosphere was refreshing to us both. And what's more refreshing that a spot of cider/ale in the afternoon!
As we got our drinks we had a sharp intake of breath when the lady said "That's £9.25 please", I did well not to show the horror on my face.
And that was it for our first day of exploring, as we headed back to our tent in the lonely field and made some dinner before heading to dream land. A thoroughly chilled but interesting start to our trip.
Read Part Two :)
Yo!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at NomaderHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers.
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Yo!
A Weekend At Butterfly Paragliding
Our weekend of hitchhiking, paragliding and relaxing on the coast for Hannah's birthday!
A Weekend At Butterfly Paragliding
Our little sign, it did the trick though!
Our weekend away for my b'day celebrations, began with our first ever hitch-hiking adventure.
The main reason we decided to pop our hitch-hiking cherry this time, was due to the ridiculously expensive ferry cost for bringing the car along - £100 versus £30 total for foot-passengers. Plus we will definitely be doing it in our future travels, so we thought we had better gain some confidence!
Our first lift came after an hour and a half of trying; we were losing daylight and I urged Taran to ring the guy who runs the B&B we were headed to, which was when we got our first pick-up! It was from a young family man, an English soldier based in Germany, who told us about himself and how expensive a taxi is on the Isle of Wight; the things you can learn about complete strangers in a matter of minutes is pretty cool.
He helpfully drove us to Newport bus station; he was so quick off the mark once he dropped us, within about 5 seconds of getting out, I realized I'd left my hoody in the car...rookie mistake! TOP TIP, put any extraneous clothing in your backpack, don't tie it your waste or prop it through your straps...
The big old house was patched up in places but full of charm and character, it was impossible not to feel immediately at home.
Our caravan for the weekend, nestled in the bushes
Our next lift came from a lady who had fatefully delayed her drive home and then saw us standing with our sign for Chale (in almost pitch-black night at this time) which turned out to be a remote village, and she felt bad knowing there were no buses going there, so invited us to hop in! And so she drove us right to the door of our destination, navigating narrow, restricted country lanes like a pro.
Arriving at Butterfly Paragliding B&B at around 10pm, we were given a warm welcome, shown our caravan and told to come inside to join Dave and the other guests when we were settled.
Nestled amongst bushes and trees, sat our unassuming little vintage caravan; several spiders had made their home inside and the thought of sleeping in there put me in a tizzy...
In the end I made peace with the fact these spiders seemed quite comfy in their various little corners around the van and hopefully didn't feel like inspecting us scary humans during the night. Plus, they were there first!
A beautiful spot where we sat and read, drew and ate...all the best things in life!
Breakfast was a table abundant with choices, and so it was a relaxing and exciting start to the day. I think we had twice the food we'd normally have, then Dave (the b&b owner) brought out freshly made bread which we obviously had to sample too.
The breakfast fridge was open to us all day if we wanted, so it felt like a super cool experience all ready, with a cosy caravan, and a warm, welcoming environment, thanks to the effortlessly laid-back and easygoing host.
Then came time to do the thing we had come all that way for...
We absolutely loved paragliding, a exhilarating experience.
We came across some amazing Jurassic looking landscapes on our trek!
Read all about our paragliding experience Here!
After paragliding, and a quick sarni, we headed to the bottom of the garden to do some rock-climbing in an attempt to reach the deserted coast-line below.
We carefully made our way through the semi-marshland, and boulder-filled landscape, with me losing a foot into the bog, and Taran losing a foot in some sinky-mud. The beach was not as easy to get to as we'd first thought, so we had to settle for some awesome views of it instead.
After our Beach jaunt, we decided to walk to the nearby village Niton to fetch dinner supplies. Chale was quite a sleepy place and so a trek was required.
Me chilling briefly in a random field.
Here another rookie error was made, in that we didn't wear any sunscreen and ended up red-faced and little sickly... never underestimate the sun! Our walk was across rolling hills all the while loving the sea-breeze and far-reaching views.
Niton turned out to be a small and pretty village with pubs and a little supermarket were we stocked up on snacks and pizza. We got the bus back to the b&b because hunger and my poor walking shoes had got to me; always hasty and unprepared, I'd chose not to wear my good walking shoes in favour of my useless primark lace-ups.
Heading back, we made dinner and positioned ourselves back at the breakfast table, where we yet again languished ourselves reading and drawing, playing a bit of music and enjoying the sunset.
We both really wanted a couple days of no-frills relaxation (mixed in with some adventure) and this was fitting the bill, and then some.
The beach at the bottom of Daves garden!
We didn't want to leave come Sunday, and opted for the buses, seeing as Chale had little through-traffic for hitch-hiking.
Dave saw us off with a hug and a sincere goodbye, but at this point it was clear to us that we would be returning in the future.
We both loved our weekend at Butterfly Paragliding; even if you don't fancy the dizzying heights of flying, you can still bet on it being a really great stay here, feeling out of the rat-race, positioned right on the coast, but with all the warmth and comfort of home. I always end up wanting to stay and live in places like this, but then the fondness of it is knowing it's there, this grand old rickety house on a hill, with it's kind, smiling host, happily awaiting our return.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
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Why Being Poor Is Good For You
Today's post is pretty much me proclaiming, just how having less wonga, moolar, dollar dollar bills y'all, is actually not the worst thing in the world.
Why Being Poor Is Good For You
Today's post is pretty much me proclaiming, just how having less wonga, moolar, dollar dollar bills y'all, is actually not the worst thing in the world.
I come at this from an admittedly middle-class background. I've never really wanted for anything financially, unlike many many people across the country, across the world, do on a daily basis; some have no food or water, whilst some complain when they can't afford a meal out on a Friday night.
In reality, we all have different circumstances and are used to certain ways of living. I have never truly struggled for money, and even when I had periods of little to no income, I knew I had a family to fall back on. My definition of 'having less' is very much aimed at those whom are seeking to change their life, or create a more balanced situation, one where they have less money, work less but live more.
I don't believe that it is in poor taste to complain about not having enough money for 'things', like that dress you saw online that you just 'have to get!', whilst living alongside others who can but dream of such a thing.
However maybe it is bad to place so much importance on having something which is a luxury, when so many others have literally NOTHING.
We could try and look at the ways we derive our happiness, and try to find more sustainable and mindful ways to live, so we can enjoy our lives but still show thought for those who haven't enough money to eat this week.
A bit about my back-story and money: I grew up in a wealthy family, my mum had a horse and my dad drove a BMW, and played a lot of golf.
We lived in a 6-bedroom mansion for a short while. We had holidays to Florida when I was a kid, then Europe every year with just me and mum. My dad worked hard for years to provide us with these things, and when he and my mum divorced when I was 7, still, none of us went without.
I was (very) privileged to receive money aged 18, that my parents had saved all my life, which enabled me to travel to America and buy my first car. But despite all this I've never felt like I was entitled, or taken for granted that it would always be so comfortable; a part of me understood, these things can so easily be gone.
It's hard to explain where things changed, but it probably started when I started my first post-university job as an advisor in a bank. It was bullshit.
There was me, 22, with a job, a nice car, a comfortable home, but for many reasons, I was actually miserable. Spiritually devoid, mentally sick and physically unhealthy.
So I quit.
Despite my supportive mum, I didn't want to rely on my parents to pay my bills or fund my lifestyle and hadn't, from the age of 16 onwards, short of living at home with my mum (paying rent). So I set about finding a new career option.
Just because you have a wealthy upbringing, it doesn't mean you end up replete of a solid work ethic or a respect for money.
A few weeks of doubt and trying to cope with the anxiety of a failed job and unemployment, I set up a new business and began a few months of financial struggle and frustration.
For so long, I had been able to go and drop money shopping for random crap without a care in the world, yet suddenly I was foregoing all pleasures and treats, or struggling to part with my money when it came to it.
The less I had, the less I wanted to spend, on pretty much anything.
Even paying a parking fee stings, as does the price of the weekly food shop, or when you fancy a costa coffee iced smoothie on a hot day and you have to scrape the pennies together.
Hah, hardly the worst situation, going without my iced smoothie, but you get my point.
I went from being an active consumer, trying to buy happiness, to not being able to buy much at all.
source.
If your happiness is tied up in the big car, the house, the regular luxury holidays, the bedroom wardrobe, then what happens if you lose it all?
Will you feel as if your life is over, or will you recognise that money comes and goes, but true happiness can remain?
So here are some thoughts on how to enjoy a lifestyle of having less disposable money.
These things won't solve your worries if you are suffering genuine financial worries or poverty, but anyone can try to seek out a happier life on whatever income.
Maybe you are low on funds right now, and a load of bills just went out; either way, you feel poorer BECAUSE of not having as much money as you'd like. If so, keep reading...
1 > TAKE COMFORT in friends, laughter, movies, books, a sunny Saturday in a park, a camp fire, a beach, music, a home-cooked meal. These things really cost very little, but are the building blocks of a solidly contented life.
2 > FORGO THE LUXURY and go for cheaper options. You might think the more expensive option is better, thanks to years of advertising positioning things in this way, but often you are just throwing money away for something which you could of gotten for less, without the after-spend guilt.
3> VALUE YOUR RELAXATION TIME if you have chosen a life of part-time work or self-employment. You might have opted for the 'work to live, not live to work' mantra, which can be great for keeping your stress levels down. I sometimes got fed up with my off-hours because I had no money to go out and spend, then I realised, I needed to find better ways to use my free time that didn't involve money!!
4> GET YOUR TRAINERS ON and exercise! Running is free, exercise videos are a dime-a-dozen on Youtube, a good pair of long-lasting trainers will cost you 30-quid. There's no reason why you can't focus free time on building a healthy, strong body, instead of spending it in the shops.
5> WRITE DOWN THE THINGS WHICH MAKE YOU SMILE and even if you decide, 'Oi, I quite like my big expensive car', or 'hey Hannah! I enjoy my weekly trip to the shops, don't judge!' you can still appreciate what is right in front of you, all the things of real actual worth, things which most of the time, are free.
All I ever want, when I write these posts, is to get people thinking about things, because it's fun to plan for a happier life, isn't it? It's never a bad thing to do.
I am the happiest I've ever been because I've tried to untie my happiness from my bank balance; I still need money and want money, but I don't feel less happy for not having lots of it any more. I went through a period of adjustment, and came out better at the end.
I do want to make a slight disclaimer. I don't think money is bad, or the want to have it is bad, and I think it is naive to proclaim that poor people are happier/better than other people, or that rich people are miserable or out-of-touch.
If you want to have lots of money, for whatever reason, that's cool! But if you can be comfortable and happy with less, then one day if there is more, or if you suddenly lose it all, at least you will know where the true wealth was made.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at NomaderHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
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Paragliding Is Awesome! And Scary..
So we both tried paragliding, here's what happened :)
Hannah tentatively getting into the backpack
Who's bright idea was it to run off the edge of a rocky cliff of a sunny Saturday afternoon? Taran's, obviously.
A few weeks back I was presented with my birthday gift, via a youtube video of a B&B on the Isle of Wight, which specialized in, yep, Paragliding.
I was surprised and a tad bemused. I'd never thought about doing it before, and so up until the day we flew, I decided not to over-think it.
Then, all of a sudden, came the moment we sat in a windy field overlooking the sea, and I was volunteered to go first by Taran and the flying man Josh who tandemed with me and prevented my untimely death.
Helmet on, reinforced by a hat, then it was into the giant backpack/parachute thingy, strapped in and checked over.
Josh behind me ready to steer and Dave the owner of the B&B and Butterfly Paragliding, in front of me telling me to look at a patch of blue sky and focus on that.
He could probably sense the fear. And then we started walking, running, and I took a tumble, forgetting I had to provide a run-off to get us off the ground.
Then we were running again, and suddenly, the edge is approaching fast; this feels unnatural and crazy and I probably looked the most terrified I ever have. We go off the edge, and we fly! We don't drop like lead balloons, we actually fly, and soar through the sky.
Hannah flying through the air
Three words to sum up the 15-20 minute session; unbelievable, beautiful and nauseating.
I began to feel sick around the same time we gained height and I was looking down at nothing but the vast open ocean.
I felt light yet terrified to move so kept my hands still and my legs tightly bent.
Then we came in for landing, and lowered over a field and a fence in a perfectly-timed and smooth descent, thankfully. The first thing I did was stare silently at Taran who was waiting for me, forcing a nervous smile, and then I found myself crying a little bit...loser.
So I went and had a lie down so my stomach and legs could remember what it felt like to be, well, not flying and twirling through the sky, with little more than some straps and string to stop yourself falling.
I didn't yet know how I felt about the whole experience, as I watched Taran prepare for lift-off...
Here goes Taran!
I rushed in to take Hannah's seat and get in the air before I could really think about what I was doing..
The feeling you get when you feel the lift pull you up into the air is an incredible feeling, and is made even more amazing (if not quite terrifying) by the view down below your feet!
Off the edge we go..
Unfortunately we didn't have any cameras to take with us and we didn't want to drop our phones, but when you start to gain some height its really inspiring to look at the landscapes.
Towards the end of my flight we moved in front of the landing area and hovered in the same spot, looking out to sea and into the strong wind that was hitting us!
We got blown around quite a bit, and I have to say I was quite nervous, I then looked up at the wing and noticed the ends were folding inwards under themselves which I didn't like the look of, but was reassured that he was doing it on purpose to lose some altitude in the strong wind so we could land.
As we came in to land the wind forced us to make an off course landing in the field behind which was full of nettles which was when I regretted wearing shorts :P
Facing some strong wind!
In the end, I think my favourite part was the taking off. That was the easiest yet most frightening part, but wow, I can't explain the feeling of doing something that would, in any other circumstances, be certain suicide.
Scary things are the most fun I suppose. Why else do we watch scary movies and force ourselves to ride horrible roller-coasters?
Yo!
We are Taran & Hannah from the South of England. After meeting online, we realized our mutual passion for travelling. Follow us, as we prepare to travel the world and set off on little more than our wits and a few £s, and maybe get inspired to see a little more of the world as
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I Cant Wait to Just GO [The Travel Waiting Game]
Life is so overwhelming sometimes...
I Cant Wait To Just Go - The Travel Waiting Game
Life is so overwhelming sometimes.
*The lead-up to our travels was a stressful time! Now we are now on the road and having the best time*
It's a Tuesday evening and I am sitting at my laptop knowing there's a post in me but my brain feels like a jumble of tiredness.
So many things I am trying to maintain and accomplish right now in my daily life that I end up wanting to do anything other than what I NEED to do.
This is a travel blog, right? Yep, that's what it says on the tin. But behind these posts about places and holidays, planning for backpacking, and saving tips, are two busy people who are currently not 'living the dream'.
We are planning for it, building up to it, accumulating the funds and living a more frugal existence in pursuit of this future travel life which edges closer by the day. But whilst we plan, life doesn't just stop. Nothing pauses, or rests. God does it not.
Right now I have a few things stressing me out. I know I'm stressed when I spend an inordinate amount of time frowning without realizing I am doing it.
I also find myself trying to forge some relaxation time in the late evening only for it to fail; the internet starts playing up, Mad Men then won't stream properly (adore that TV show so damn much) and so I just go to bed, late, and no more reinvigorated by the time just wasted as I tried to forget about the day's struggles. Oh and I go to bed so late which only makes me more tired, silly Hannah.
You might know, from reading about us along the way, that I run a small dog-walking business; by small, I mean I walk up to 12 dogs a day, split into around 5-6 sessions.
I also dog-sit regularly (currently staying with Billy the bull-dog) and seem to be taking on a lot more work recently. It's just barking mad right now...
It's physically draining and mentally also, especially when the dogs misbehave or you end up late for a walk; there's the time-pressure and worry element to what I do that is found in so many professions. More things can go wrong than anybody thinks about, and it is NOT an easy job. But it is rewarding and so much better than any desk job or inside workplace, where your health suffers and you don't get to bath in midday sun whilst you toil.
So life as a dog-walker is not all puppies and rainbows (more like rain and naughty demon pups) but I think I have been feeling split in two by it even more of late; I will be terribly sad to leave it all behind, when the time comes, yet I am also itching to travel. I WANNA GO NOW!
I want freedom, I want exploration, I want relaxation, stimulation, something that often, really isn't mentally taxing at all.
Of course travelling too has it's stresses and pitfalls, I'm not ignoring that fact, but I can't help but seek escapism right now. I am just so focused on that feeling you get, those first moments when you finish work for the day, or when you step off a plane in some faraway exotic place; you breathe a sigh of relief and a weight lifts off of your shoulders. I am not getting that elusive and gloriously relaxed feeling right now, not even at the weekend. What happened to quality time spent just being, not doing.
This is one of the reasons I want to and am choosing to reject the 9-to-5 way of life; not just because of everything discussed before on the blog, but also because, man, life is tiring! It's so full to the brim sometimes.
There aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done. I need to go to work, then come home to do admin, boring life and house chores, errands and try to get some exercise in there; there ends up being very little time to be creative here on Nomad'erhowfar, or just sit and read a book, ignoring the time on the clock.
Life of course has it's ebb's and flows.
I'm not always busy, nor am I always working; we are off camping for a week soon. However it's times like this, that my wanderlust only intensifies.
Like I said, nothing pauses, life doesn't stop, even when you are trying the hard and admirable task of carving out a totally new lifestyle, or preparing for a big change of pace.
You could let it break you down, or, use it to motivate you more; be encouraged by your travelling dream, to save and not spend on meaningless things, to simplify your life, value your free time so that you don't completely lose your head, and actually enjoy whatever job or thing that currently dominates your life, because it will one day be done with, good riddance! Who knows, a part of you might feel sad when its gone too.
Yet so much excitement will be in its place. You will be starting a new adventure, that won't always be smooth-sailing or perfect, but it will be what you worked so hard for, and all that overwhelming crap, will have been worth it.
Yo!
We are Taran & Hannah, and come from the South of England. After meeting online, we realized our mutual passion for travelling. Follow us, as we prepare to travel the world and set off on little more than our wits and a few £s, and maybe get inspired to see a little more of the world as well. Get to know us here!
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Guest Post - Youthanasia by Around For Happiness
Hey everyone! Today we have a treat for you in the form of a guest post from our friends over at AroundForHappiness! They run a unorthodox travel blog which we really enjoy!
Guest Post - Youthanasia by Animals Of Progress
Hey everyone! Today we have a treat for you in the form of a guest post from our friends over at Animals Of Progress! They run a unorthodox travel blog which we really enjoy! Make sure you follow them on twitter and google+ if you enjoy reading their work below.
Warning: This post is a tad heavy ;)
Youthanasia by Animals Of Progress
Oh how the youth are trapped in such a state of madness at the moment. The spark that once burnt so brightly back in the late sixties has all but withered down to a faint glowing ember.
A friend of mine once asked me... "Can you imagine another fifty years from now?”
What will the horizon look like in the distant future for those born on this very day? At this angle it’s hard to fathom anything, but a desert landscape of craters filled to the brim with junk. Does the youth of the world even realize it? Are they even aware they are basically a doomed generation?
“You are all a lost generation.” Gertrude Stein in conversation with Ernest Hemingway
The werewolves and greed heads have been slowly gnawing away at our youthful bones since the late sixties and ever since that wave gently rolled back. You see we truly ignited a spark back then. One that would burn such a fear into the governments, so horribly and so gruesome that they vowed to secretly never take their beady little eyes off us again. They knew we as a collective held a savage superpower and one they had absolutely no control over. It was an era they would rather see erased from the history books. Never again would they let us remember just how close we actually came. So the silent war on life began.
The horror of it all is… This battle is fought as a psychological war. A war strife with magical tricks and a heavy dose of mind control. It’s main intent is for the sole purpose to break our very spirits and lobotomize our minds from the bigger picture, by instilling a false hope called the “American Dream”
Dolefully enough, at this stage in the conflict it has already destroyed most of our brain cells. Preventing anyone from fathoming any major form of resistance to its processes. A simple look around is all it really takes to see that people don’t even look where they’re walking anymore, let alone pay any attention to the jobbery or gaping cracks in the politics of a democratic system. There is surely no reasoning with some these bastards anymore, I tell you.
Everything to them is just the way it should be. And it will remain that manner, all the way up to the point where they will be indoctrinating and installing abnormality large, mutant octopi to guard the street corners, violently snatching up anyone dumb enough to have a second thought about it. It wouldn’t surprise me. I mean, just look how these beasts called man take the highest pride in manipulating nature. Even the majestic dolphin has the ability to blow up ships these days.
So when has this war on life gone to far? When is enough, enough? Does it take that unctuous octopus to devour your children before you realize this isn’t right? Or will you wake up and stop pretending everything is just okay.
By
Jeffery Adams
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at NomaderHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
10 Facts: A Little Bit About Us.
We share some tid-bits about our likes, dislikes, dreams and phobias!
Getting to know us....getting to know all about us.
1... Hannah: My favourite films are Castaway, Into the Wild, Sex and the City (mostly 1 but 2 rounds off the series nicely), the Back to the Future trilogy and Bridesmaids.
Taran often wants to watch something that makes him laugh, or any Sci-Fi films! But we both tend to like the same stuff, thankfully!
2... Taran: I absolutely love learning about space and the Universe, its so amazing to just sit and wonder about how much there is out there, and how small we are on this tiny blue dot...
3...Hannah: I hate bugs. I don't want them to suffer or become extinct, but I just don't want them to be in my vicinity. My worse thing is spiders, I get paranoid about the black ones with 5cm-long legs running at me or crawling on me as I sleep. We will be investing in some spider repellent objects once we get to Australia, like maybe a 24/7 beekeeper's suit.
4... Taran: I love painting, and I have recently got really into using spray paints! Below is one example of my work :)
5... Hannah: I eat meat but only red meat occasionally and chicken. I have fallen in love with pigs so can longer bring myself to eat a bacon sandwich.
6... Taran: I have been a vegetarian since about the age of 5, and have never really had a urge to want to eat meat, I also don't get bored of eating vegetarian food (as most people ask me)
7...Hannah: My favourite food doesn't really exist seeing as it changes weekly. But some things I think I will always enjoy; most Mexican food, Caesar salad, fancy gourmet crisps and hot buttered toast. My favourite drinks are creamy hot chocolates, fruit coolers from Costa Coffee, lemonade and tea!
8... Taran: I've never held down a full-time job for more than a year, I guess I've always felt like it just doesn't feel right to spend most of my time slaving away for money just to buy random shit.
9...Hannah: My dream is to one day, build my own tiny little house, situate it on some open land, and live a simpler, cheaper and more sustainable life. There would be a vegetable garden, a greenhouse and a removable deck area to sit and read, and maybe somewhere for a hammock to fall asleep on a summer's day.
10... Taran and Hannah: We cant wait to wake up in Australia and know that we're living the dream of travel that we have been saving hard for. Truly beginning a life of nomadic adventure, will be so worth the wait.
Yo!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at NomaderHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers.
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4 Steps To A Minimalist Life: Nomadifying Your World
Life is somewhat defined by accumulation; gathering memories of special experiences, meeting people and forming loving relationships. We accumulate these connections when we are living our lives to the fullest and they are part of what constitutes 'Happiness', in my opinion.
4 Steps to A Minimalist Life: Nomadifying Your World
*This is one of our first post's about Minimalism from way back in 2014. We have come a lot further down the road of simplifying, and we did indeed follow our nomadic dreams, and currently live in Australia. For more recent and expansive reading on this topic, check out the minimalism section*
Life is somewhat defined by accumulation; gathering memories of special experiences, meeting people and forming loving relationships.
We accumulate these connections when we are living our lives to the fullest and they are part of what constitutes happiness and fulfillment for most people.
The flip-side to this, is the accumulation of things, material goods and random accoutrements; many people also associate being wealthy and acquiring 'things', with happiness.
I disagree on that point, and so do followers of the minimalist movement. Many steadfast simplifiers come from big money backgrounds, who traded in the corporate lifestyle when they realized it wasn't the key to deep and lasting fulfillment.
An article written by Rebecca J. Rosen of The Atlantic interviews people who changed their lives radically and improved their all-round happiness and stress levels tenfold...
How did they do this? By adopting a minimalist style of living.
I had been thinking about making a blog post about de-cluttering your surroundings and your life, for quite a while, and happened upon this article which perfectly highlights the ideas behind my own changing relationship with consumerism.
The interviewees are consciously selective about what they do acquire, and seek to add only things with meaning and true usefulness.
That's only further spurred on my desire to Nomad-Ify my own life.
Nomad-ify?
Apart from seemingly inventing a word, I really mean, simplifying your surroundings and belongings, so that you are truly prepared for a nomadic travel lifestyle.
And if you aren't planning to travel any time soon, you can still follow these ideas, and achieve the same positive effects for your own life.
Wouldn't it be nice if every time you moved home, it wasn't such a stressful process, because you simply had less stuff to move?
How pleasant might it feel if your cleaning routine took half the time and you suddenly created a more productive day with time to spare?
Step 1: Time To Off-Load
- Pick a drawer. Pick a cupboard. Pick a whole room in your house if you like. Just begin somewhere. Choose the space which is stressing you out the most, or, select the smallest space.
- Question your possessions. For example, go to the kitchen cupboard and question, why do I have 40 mugs, when I only have one mouth? Now go up to the bathroom. Why do I have 8 varieties of shower gel on the go, when all I do is wash it down the drain?
- Before you try and fix everywhere in your home, really focus on the space you either spend the most time, or the place you go to feel relaxed. For me, that is the bedroom... I love having a minimalist and tidy feel to mine, it creates a really relaxed feeling in there. I have cultivated that by spending months slowly getting rid of stuff. Go over to the wardrobe or drawers....it's time to tackle the clothes. Get some plastic bins or baskets, and label them Charity, Donation and Bin. Charity for the charity shop, donation for those huge bins they have in supermarket car parks where you can donate clothes that are not quite good enough for resale, and then the bin, well, that's for the stained pair of comfy jogging bottoms you can't bear to part with. Of course the clothes you want to keep, put to one side. Also, if you wish to sell some things, create a separate pile for this. Bear in mind that we often set aside clothing we believe will make us some money back and we just never set aside time to actually list them for sale!
We're not just discarding stuff without thought here, we are reassessing it's value in OUR lives and whether these items are useful to US. When the answer is no, then this stuff becomes useful to others, or is just junk, and it's time to say goodbye to it.
RULES: HAVE I USED THIS ITEM WITHIN THE LAST 6 MONTHS? WOULD I BUY THIS IF I SAW IT IN A SHOP TODAY?
If you answer No, then put it in the chosen pile.
Pheww! you are already nearer to the minimalist life.
Step 2: A Shopping Detox
Is it a big hobby of yours to peruse local supermarkets or head into town to the shopping centre, just to mull around, even though you always end up buying SOMETHING. Well, you are now on a shopping ban. Don't worry, you can still buy food, we aren't talking about de-cluttering our bodies here (food is my one spending vice, it keeps me sane).
- If you are shopping to quell boredom, find escapism or seek that momentary buzz associated with acquiring something new and shiny, could you be using that time and money more healthily?
- Do you struggle to pay bills or are you unable to repay your debts because of what you spending on random things?
- Confront yourself. Are you guilty of needless and impulse spending? Are you one of those people who comes home with several shopping bags a few times a month? STOPPPP ITTT. For a while at least. It's more of a bad habit, not a fun hobby; you need to see it that way in order to realize you can stop doing it so much.
RULES: DO I REALLY NEED THIS DRESS? IS IT OF SUPERIOR QUALITY TO ANYTHING I ALREADY OWN? DO I NEED THIS PAIR OF HEELS WHEN I LIVE IN FLATS? DO I NEED ANOTHER THROW CUSHION WHEN ALL I DO IS LITERALLY THROW THEM OFF THE BED EACH NIGHT?
Be honest with yourself, nobody needs eight cushions.
Step 3: Make Money, Make Room
So you've tidied up, and thrown lots away. Now it's time to tackle the stuff you could make some money out of.
- List items of quality on Ebay or gumtree (craiglist if you are American) and set yourself a target of how much extra money you want to make selling your things. If you a figure in mind you will feel more motivated to follow through on listing, advertising and selling.
- Go to a car boot sale (or have a garage sale), and let your things find a new home. Just because you no longer need this item, doesn't render it useless or unappealing to someone else.
- Consider if some of your things could be repurposed, like old furniture or decorative items, that you could then re-sell at a decent value.
RULE: WILL I BE USING THIS AGAIN ANY TIME SOON? WILL I BE ABLE TO REPURCHASE IT IF I EVER DO NEED IT AGAIN? DO I SOURCE ANY DAILY ENJOYMENT OUT OF THIS OBJECT?
Step 4: Envision A Simpler Life
When I clean or tidy, or throw stuff away, I feel physically and mentally lighter.
Whether it's all in my head or whether its my energy responding to something different in my surroundings, it brings a sense of calm and peace. I feel so much more prepared for my nomadic dreams knowing my clutter footprint is reduced.
The idea of travelling becomes even more exciting to me and the thought of leaving behind what belongings remain, incredibly easy.
As I witness myself saving money and not buying more random stuff, I imagine enjoying a day on the beach in Australia, where my last concern will be for the stuff I threw away; it will just be Taran, me, a towel and the sea.
What do you see when you imagine a simpler life?
What steps do you need to take to reach that? Maybe begin with the above 3.
Possibly it's about changing your attitude towards consumerism.
Maybe you need to take up some hobbies which don't rely on accumulating stuff or spending much money. If we can develop passions that are independent of our financial state, that can withstand times of difficulty, we will learn to be happy with less; less stress, less push for money and less financial commitment, but, more joy.
It's not just about throwing things away, it's a re-imagining of your relationship to material things; your happiness can come from so much more than what's in a shop window. When I felt lost and passionless, I also had massive debts and a huge shopping addiction. I was miserable and misguided in how I used my money. When I fully embraced the multiple benefits of a minimalist life, I did indeed find my dreams, follow them and start afresh.
Your bank balance does not define how full your life can be. It's how you use your money, your time and your energy that will lead to long-lasting fulfilment.
So take control, de-clutter, and Nomad-ify yourself.
Why? Because it feels really, really, good.
Hey, before you go...
In 2016 I released my Book: Minimalism: Cleanse Your Life, Become A Calmer Person
If you're into minimalism or reducing stress, its really worth a read!
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at NomaderHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
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Versatile Blogger Award
We are so pleased to be nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award!! Thanks to the lovely Crazzzy Travel for nominating us! We were previously nominated for a Liebster Award
Versatile Blogger Award
We are so pleased to be nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award!! Thanks to the lovely Crazzzy Travel for nominating us! We were also previously nominated for a Liebster Award.
We chose to nominate 5 bloggers instead of 15, who we think really deserve it.
* Thank the person who nominated you.
* Nominate 5 bloggers for the award and let them know.
* Share 7 facts about yourself.
5 blogs we nominate..
5, Dez Cutchey
7 Facts about us..
1. We met online. I liked the look of Taran's picture, and had a feeling about him, so I messaged him. And here we are today :). I was only on there for a laugh, instead I gained a boyfriend. Who said you only find weirdos online was right, but some of them are lovable :)
Doing our best Blue Steel's :P
2. Our first trip together was to Dorset to stay in a wooden pod at Lulworth Cove. It was windy and rainy the whole time but we still had fun building sand turtles and taking silly pictures in Weymouth.
The force is strong with Hannah!
3. I (Taran) like to do space paintings with spraypaint, I started it as just a hobby, but I've gone and sold quite a few so far!!
One of my Paintings, now hanging in someones house somewhere :)
4. Hannah spends her days walking dogs, which she loves and gets paid for it! Which is a pretty cool set-up for saving for our travels :)
6. I also painted my car, fully covering it with space, stars and the universe.. I love it :D
A few heads have been turned when they see this flying past :D
7. Our first experience of proper travelling will be the day we step off the plane in Australia to embark on 2 years of it!! Yes we are kind of jumping in at the deep end :P
Well there ya go! We enjoyed sharing some fun facts with you, and look forward to hearing the answers from our nominations!
Rad Sounds:
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
The D Word: Hannah and DEBT are DONE!
I feel like all the big 'D' words are always bad things that people don't like talking about i.e. Divorce, Death, Dentists. I suppose not everyone likes to air their financial laundry in public but I am an open book...
The D Word: Hannah and DEBT are DONE!
UPDATED POST: This post is from 2014, when Hannah finally cleared her debts and was able to begin saving up for our travels in Australia. In 2016 we remain debt-free nomads!
YAY!! No other word so majestically describes the feeling of finally being debt-free.
I did mention in a previous post that June would be a big month for me as I would finally clear my debts; debts in the form of a student overdraft and a credit card.
So here it is, June 2014, and I have paid everything off. I am now debt-free!
I feel like all the big 'D' words are always bad things that people don't like talking about i.e. Divorce, Death, Dentists.
I suppose not everyone likes to air their financial laundry in public but I am an open book; and I write a travel blog about minimalism and living a fulfilling life on a small budget. I have to be a good example to all our readers of course. Which is why I wanted to share this milestone, to inspire and enthuse everyone else, who is trying to eradicate their debts.
Clearing debts is not so easy for the likes of us who are self-employed or part-time employed, as it might be for people earning the big bucks.
But it's probably just as difficult for those on a hundred grand a year as it is for those on ten grand!
Why? Because we generally adjust our lifestyle to our income, and plenty of people become quite accustomed to a life of luxury when it becomes affordable; sometimes wealthier people who feel more financially secure and actually accrue a lot of debt (despite a high income) in order to go for the bigger, better, more expensive; the house, the car, the holiday, the new kitchen extension.
But I doubt these people are the same whom might be wanting to ditch material possessions, escape the trappings of 9-5 society and go all nomadic.
Maybe they are! Who am I to generalize, we can all become tired and disenchanted by our lives and want to enact big change.
- Choosing to leave behind the 9to5.
- Embracing minimalism to let go of my material obsession.
- How travel turned out to be the best thing I have ever done.
- Where my dreams have brought me today.
Either way, I am proof, that despite living on a low and unpredictable income (my tax return for that period showed that one month I earned £1000, the next only £500, all whilst paying out £100's on fuel) I still got myself out of debt in the space of 7 months.
7 months, it really has gone by so fast.
I so clearly remember envisioning this time; it seemed so far away but so exhilarating, because I was determined, and I knew I was going to get here, with time and pressure. Not to say I haven't slipped up, because I certainly have.
On one occasion I went to my local town to buy 'a couple of new tops' and spent way more than I had intended. I am not perfect but I have still come along way.
My top three realistic suggestions for debt clearing:
1. Always Question.
When you are in a shop, holding something, weighing up buying it, is it a NEED or a WANT; is it something that will be useful and that will last?
Is it worth the expenditure when that money could be elsewhere clearing debts quicker?
If the answer is YES, then to maintain balance you'd need to spend less in the coming days/weeks after making the purchase.
Is this sacrifice now, worth further sacrifices later?
Is the item going to bring instant gratification or long-term satisfaction?
People waste their cash and then don't repay their debts as fast as they'd like, when they consistently spend money on random and useless stuff.
Buying a good-quality pair of trainers is not a spending sin, but buying a new pair each week? Buying duplicates of things simply because you enjoy the new and trendy?
There is no room for excess and luxury when it comes to debt clearing!
2. Don't let disposable funds sit in your current account or wallet.
A sure-fire way to accidentally (on purpose) spend your cash is if you leave it sitting there in your wallet or debt account, tempting you with it's come-hither papery pull.
I always move my funds away, either straight toward my debts, bills, or into a savings account which isn't linked to my debit card, so that I can't waste that money on day-to-day life.
If I am using a cash method (leaving debit cards at home) that week to pay for my groceries, I will resolve that I can't then touch my debit card to pay for food.
If I frivolously blow this cash, I also then can't eat for a week...the way I organize my money has actual painful consequences, so I manage it more strictly.
I move funds for each bill into a specific bank account and I do the same with spare cash, but I usually just send it into the black hole of debt straight away and then I can't feel the loss of that money too acutely.
When I would get a large influx of cash, say, when a customer pays an invoice, if I can spare that money and if it isn't required for bills, I don't then view that as play money, instead I send it straight to the debt!
I believe extra cash influxes aren't truly yours to enjoy whilst debts linger over your shoulders.
3. Always look for the best deals.
When I do my weekly food-shop I always buy the cheaper version of what I need.
I do try to buy healthily and organic where possible, but I will help my bill with buying the cheapest meal staples plus buying frozen fruits and veg.
I always take a list to the shop with me, which is based on a meal-plan I would have designed the previous night.
I account for snacks and a few treats also within my meal plan. If you have nothing in the house to eat, the temptation to head and out spend outside your budget will be your undoing!
I also always write on my list what I already have at home to prevent extra wasteful spending.
Other ways to maximize debt repayments:
So here I am.
I have reached this pivotal moment when I can enjoy the relief and bask in the fruits of my labours. Now, I get to watch my savings mount up, knowing each earned penny is all going toward an awesome, life-affirming travel adventure. My money is now going to work for my goals and my dreams, as opposed to making me feel enslaved by its pull and the push to consume mindlessly.
Of course I'm not yet rich, I am merely unburdened by debt, and I won't get too far travelling on a couple grand, but I will get to Australia with my gorgeous partner within a few months, and that makes all the sacrifices feel so justified.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
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Jet Boarding Is Insane!
I got to try out something super awesome.. Jet-boarding! I love surfing and body-boarding but this is another level!
Jet Boarding Is Insane!
I have been waiting to do this since Christmas, and the day finally came!
So to start with you are instructed to do some 'swimming' which is actually just laying on your front in the water with your hands by your side and propelling yourself forward.. Which is quite fun by itself, but you best be prepared for the real fun to start!
Falling with style :P
You will be told to move your legs under you, so you are standing straight and the power will start!
As you rise out of the water like some kinda water demon for the first time, its an incredible feeling but one that will probably be over in seconds when you fall straight back into the water after you lose your balance haha!
Falling without style!
After a few falls, and these falls are from about 15 feet so it is quite a knock when you slam into the water, you start to get the balance figured out and you'll be able to hover above the water really quite high!
Its a weird feeling, standing on a little board that high above the water!
I was loving it so much that I started trying to do some turns, which ended badly to start with.. but I managed to learn it pretty quick.
Then as the session was coming to the end I shouted and asked the instructor if there was anything cool I could try, and he suggested because i was getting the hang of turning that i should try a loop around the jet-ski he was sat on, which I managed to ace :P
Zooming across the water!
I look like I'm posing here..
It really was great fun, and if I had the opportunity/could afford it, I would definitely do it again!!
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
Recommended Reads:
A Week On The Beach In Cornwall
Cornwall is our kinda, spiritual home; neither of us come from there, but feel more relaxed when we visit, than we do in any other place in England.
A Week On The Beach In Cornwall
Cornwall is kinda like our spiritual home; neither of us come from there, but feel more relaxed when we visit, than we do in any other place in England.
Cornwall is a total escape for us both.
I am always much more at peace when i am sat on the Crantock sands.
So off we went, onto the beach and into the tent, for a weeks break.
Somehow we got down there in one, tired piece, leaving Southampton at 5am in Taran's 'classic' car.
Luckily it waited until after the 5 hour drive to ditch it's exhaust muffler, how kind...
Car Trouble!
And so began a week of tinned food, walks, wind, beach views, more walks, cider, more tins, and some surf and sun somewhere in all that!
We once again pitched up at QuarryFields campsite near Crantock Village. It's a great spot, being a short drive/walk to the local attractions of Newquay, Perranporth and Watergate bay; we walked to local Holywell Bay, another pretty beach, just along from Crantock.
What awaited us in Cornwall :)
Arriving Saturday, we hit the beach the first afternoon after a power-nap and surfed the sand-dunes.
We also body-boarded for a while in the lovely waters, testing out my new wet-suit, which felt so exhilarating.
You don't think about anything other than the incoming waves and the feel of the water when your out there, its awesome. Then once we went back to surfing the dunes, Taran buried me in the sand and i had a mild claustrophobic panic; standard beach afternoon.
Taran dune jumpin'.
I managed to make it down without falling off!
One the days we body-boarded it was a pretty grim weather but the water still felt good!
View of Crantock.
Lovely first day of our Holiday, but we were knackered already! So after sleep, come Sunday, supposedly the day of rest, we walked a 6-mile round trip to Holywell Bay, where we took in the views and had some cider! We then walked back, making our way through the fields as opposed to following the coastal path.
Holywell Well beach couples photooo.
All the time the weather was all over the place; sunny then cloudy, then it seemed like it might rain, so pretty good walking weather really!
At the beginning of our walk, we also went along the caves and inlets on Crantock beach and it was super cool to discover all the little secret pools; the cave below had a mini beach inside! Needless to say we didn't traipse through, a lot of birds had made their home on the inner walls so the water was less than appealing!
Some more walks we took included walking to the edge of the hills surrounding Crantock bay, with Newquay and Fistral Beach visible on one side, and Crantock and the River on the other.
Some lush cornish ice cream on the way back was just one of the yummy treats we had that week :)
We headed to Newquay quite a few times this trip, and one of the times we went was to try and fix the space-mobil, Taran's car. While walking through to the town centre we spotted this place, we were super hungry and so thought we would stop for a bite to eat.
And we have to say, we wouldn't recommend it, the service was non existent, the food was cold and looked as though it had been sat in the kitchen for a long time.. We ended up getting some chips later on from a great little chip shop to fill our tums! :)
Another cool view of Crantock.
This house in Newquay is precariously perched on top of a rock, linked only by footbridge. Taran wanted to get to it so bad!
I'm so glad the waves look scary here, they were pretty tame in real-life!!
In the middle of our week we had a little day-trip to Perranporth, a bustling but small seaside town just 15 minute's down the road from us. I really liked this place, it had little boutique stores and cafes with pubs on the seafront and a stunning beach with a cool rock formation you could safely climb!
View on the way to Perranporth.
We had some super crazy weather toward the middle and end of our week; we were amazed our tent withstood the storm winds! Our neighbouring tent wasn't so lucky and they hot-footed it into the warmth of a caravan! We benefitted though, and got extra tent pegs to batten down the hatches with.
Before we hunkered her down!
She really did hold up well in the end!
Unfortunately our bargain £30 tent now does have some mould and mildew stains, as we made the dumb mistake of not fully air-drying it after our last trip! Water from the groundsheet and outer-tent made for a nasty surprise three days before the trip.
We did salvage it though, with the help of some Milton sterilizer, warm water, lemon and fresh air. She's not as clean as before but she worked fine through the two nights of torrential downpour.
Ci-derrrs.
Some of the days started miserably thanks to this crazy storm-front but they then ended up glorious, so one night we decided to walk along the coastal path to a local pub to watch an England friendly football game (we seriously suck) and nicked some electric too to charge our phones!
The camp charges £1 a charge and takes forever, and i just love using my phone to snap pics so we had a cheeky use of the pubs plugs and they didn't mind!
View from the pub, The Bowgie inn.
Despite being a lush warm day it was ridiculously windy and the beach sands whipped our face and legs!
The Cornwall waters looking more like Grecian seas!
Thankfully the last day of our break brought more sunshine, and we decided to hit Newquay Zoo, but then got tempted by the beach and ended up having an afternoon down there instead! It was a pretty lovely way to end our stay, the beach reminding us of Cornwall's place as a truly beautiful, must-see gem on the coast of England.
Yo!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at NomaderHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers.
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Where is your favourite place to camp?
My Travel Inspiration: 'Time'
Over the last year I've listened to a lot of Pink Floyd, and i remember being sat in the garden one afternoon in the sun listening to Dark Side Of The moon..
My Travel Inspiration: 'Time'
I've listened to a lot of Pink Floyd in my time, and I fondly remember one summers evening almost a year before starting to travel, being sat in the garden in the fading sun listening to the album, 'Dark Side Of The moon' and the song 'Time' came on; the lyrics really hit me about how quick time flies by! "One day you'll find, 10 years have passed you by".
It made me start thinking about how the last few years seemed to have gone by so quick, and how I could easily just do the same routine and soon enough 10 years would have passed me by and I would probably still be doing the same jobs, in the same place, without any real goals or ambition.
It got me to thinking about travelling and seeing the world and all that it has to offer! I liked the idea of saving up and travelling cheaply, but also loved the idea of getting involved in different cultures and meeting different communities, in the far reaches of the world!
So it was around that time that I decided I wanted to see Europe for 3 months, staying in hostels, so me and Hannah made some plans for this.. But then about that same time, a friend had just returned from a long working holiday in Australia and from the moment I saw the pictures and heard a bit about it I was hooked!
So this became our new plan, which was obviously a lot bigger and required a lot more planning! We eventually set out on the road in early 2015 :D Check out what we are up to now, and where we have been HERE!
So I have Pink Floyd to thank for opening my mind to the world of travelling, if only I had been saving up beforehand for something, then I would of had some better starting funds haha!
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, one half of NomaderHowFar. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, forcing Hannah to do crazy things, and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know us here!
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Taran & Makoto here, together we form Nomader How Far photography.
Check out my photo journals