So who is Ash? Why has he made a travel blog? and what can you expect? Join me as I explain everything.
About the Man behind Ash Adventures
So yeah, I’m Ash. I live and grew up in Hampshire in the south of England. A beautiful part of the United Kingdom with rolling hills, beautiful national parks and quaint, cute villages. From Winchester originally, the city is the former capital of England and the city taps into its past for its identity. I didn’t have the opportunity to travel often, except to wonderful Cornwall for family vacations. These were my fondest memories as a child, and gave me exposure to long travel journeys from a young age.
Ever since I was a child, I was fascinated about the world outside of here but never really realised my dreams of travelling the world. Geography was one of my favourite subjects at school, learning about different cultures, flags, climates and nature. British schooling back then could really put you in a bubble.
It wasn’t until I went to University where I really met people from outside of Hampshire. Plymouth University at the time had around 30,000 students, with a lot of international students.
I lived with people from Manchester, Brazil and Ireland but had travelled around a lot as a child, hearing these people stories and experiences of the world really inspired me to break out my comfort zone and see the world!
So I bit the bullet and did what could be considered a right of passage as a young British adult… I booked a trip to Amsterdam with friends. Today, I’m fully aware that Amsterdam doesn’t represent the Netherlands. My girlfriend is from Gelderland and not everyone partakes with marijuana. But this trip showed me that I loved discovering new cultures and meeting people from all over the world.
Some of my blog posts will shine light on the most amazing people I’ve met during my travels over the last few years. To me people are beautiful, and the world is full of beautiful people, and I love to meet them. It’s one of the reasons I travel.
Today, my full-time job is working in education, supporting secondary school children with special educational needs, accessing the curriculum and reaching their full potential, especially with Maths. People say English is the Lingua Franca of the world, But really, Maths is the universal language.
It’s an incredibly rewarding job, and it really taps into my deep desire to help people, just as people have helped me in various aspects in my life.
Why am I making this blog?
Since graduating from University, trying different jobs and travelling around, I’ve learned that I love to help people. If i can make someone’s day better just by giving them valuable information, giving directions or anything really, it gives me a deep sense of reward.
As I started to plan big trips, I used travel blogs to get the valuable information I needed. What backpack to use or what’s the best way to get from Istanbul to Belgrade, a couple of examples. These are underrated sources of helpful information for the uninitiated like I was at the time.
Now I’ve been around and seen some amazing places, There’s a few things I’ve realised:
- You weren’t born with all the knowledge
- It’s okay to make mistakes
- Everything will be okay
- Other travellers and locals will help you, all you have to do is ask.
The world can be an intimidating and sometimes, scary place to some people, me included. It’s scary booking plane ticket alone if you’re scared of flying. Travelling solo for the first time is intimidating if you’re ‘introverted’. It is scary talking to people you’ve never met before.
But I want to tell you, you can!
There’s no reason why you can’t do something you’ve always wanted to do. Don’t let anyone or anything make you feel like you can’t do something you want.
And that’s why I started this blog. I’m still learning myself, but the more I see, the more that goes wrong and the more I speak to and learn from people, The more I can help other fellow travellers in the same boat I was in.
How do I travel
My job fortunately allows me to have a lot of time off. Every time I’m able to take a week, 2 weeks or even 6 weeks, I love to travel as often as possible. Here are some of the ways I travel…
Overland – Taking planes as little as possible. Now I know sometimes it’s just not practical, living in the UK. But I love long train/bus journeys, whilst not being completely still, I find comfort in just waiting, thinking and taking in the places around me, all the while doing my part for sustainable travel.
Culture – Whenever I’m in a new place, or somewhere different to home, I want to immerse myself within the culture. Street art, music, dancing, and meeting local people helps me feel what the destination is all about.
People – As a solo traveller, even though you move about on your own, you’re never really alone. Hostels full of people from everywhere, amongst them other solo travellers. Conversation over a beverage of our choice, about our adventures and what we plan to do in the place we are in. You never know who you could meet.
Nature – I love, love, love(!) to be in nature. I’ve seen some amazing landscapes during my time, including Kravica Waterfalls, The hills around Sarajevo in Bosnia, Vintgar Gorge and Lake Bled in Slovenia.
Cities – Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy nature, but I also like cities, old and new! Historical cities, coastal cities, nightlife cities, you name it! Each place has it’s own unique vibe and I’m here for it!
Where I’ve been
I like to think I’ve been to a lot of destinations, but really there’s so much more to explore. I’ve mainly been around Europe, But I plan to see much, much more. And that’s what makes writing this blog exciting. The more I see and the more places I go, I can see how far I’ve come.
What to expect
- Solo Travel stories
Everywhere I go, I’ve written about it in my little cork book. I hope these stories will help and inspire you when planning your own trips! - Travel Tips
Backpack choice, what to pack and how to pack. Travel tips such as travel routes, how to find the best hostels, how to get around this beautiful world. These are some of the examples I want to share with you! - Destination reviews and other reviews
Places I’ve been to and what I got up to. How best to see the places I’ve been to, Services I’ve used and anything that’s helped me on my travels.
So that’s Ash Adventures! I’m incredibly excited to share my journeys, my tips and tricks, my photos and stories. If you have any questions, any recommendations or just want to just chat about the places I’ve been. Leave a comment down below! I’d love to hear from you.
Safe and prosperous travels.
Love
Ash x