Category: Philosophy Of Travel
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Farsi Friday Week 9: Overcoming childhood fears
I leave for Iran next week. This is frightening. I am afraid. Last summer I spent an enjoyable afternoon wandering around London’s South Bank, stopping random passers-by and asking politely if they wouldn’t mind sharing their impression of Iran with my video camera. I was shooting some vox pops for a film about my journey in Iran. I expected responses along the lines of ‘dangerous nuclear-fixated fundamentalists’, thus setting the stakes for a film which would prove them wrong. But I’d underestimated the nuances of people’s views. Continue reading →
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The World According To… Tom Allen (Wanderlust Interview)
I was recently given this list of questions to answer for Wanderlust magazine; a rare opportunity to bang on guiltlessly about my opinions and experiences. Mountain/desert/jungle/ocean — which are you? Some of my favourite experiences have been in the desert. Life has to slow down in the heat and dryness, and that sense of calm is a welcome opposite from the busy lives we lead at home. I love the mountains, too – they breed a unique kind of culture and help remind us of our insignificance. First travel experience? I took a year out after school and went to the… Continue reading →
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What went well this year, and what did not. (And the lessons.)
On a long bicycle journey there is much to be said for stopping to smell the roses. For dismounting and seeking out a vantage point from which you can take stock. For looking back, and for pondering what may lie ahead. As with many aspects of a journey, this is a good metaphor for life. So maybe the idea of a 2012 round-up deserves another look. There’s a lot to be grateful for. And there’s much that I could learn from — especially if it involves admitting to some painful mistakes. Because 2012 has been a year of change and evolution. My… Continue reading →
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Looking Back At 2012, And A Glimpse Of What’s Ahead For 2013
At the beginning of this year I made a single resolution. It was entirely private; I did not post it on this blog, nor did I promise to keep anyone updated on my progress. Nevertheless, I have kept it. Continue reading →
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Lessons Learnt From Releasing A Stupidly Personal Adventure-Romance Documentary
Regular readers will have noticed that the blog has been rather quiet recently — specifically, since last Monday: the day before I launched Janapar. Continue reading →
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20 Questions Worth Answering Honestly (And My Responses)
Al Humphreys’ twenty questions — and I suggest you answer them too — came at just the right moment; when you suddenly find yourself wrestling with time and priorities and wondering if the path you set yourself on is still the right one. (It’s worth facing an uncomfortable truth or two sometimes. As a more talented writer than me once said, “no legacy is so rich as honesty”…) 1. Do you earn enough money? No. I currently don’t earn enough to keep a roof over my head and pursue my (inexpensive) interests. [At the start of 2012 I vowed to reconcile this… Continue reading →
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Adventure Does Not Require Any Fancy Gear. (Just Ask Rob & Maria)
I recently received an exasperated comment from a wound-up-sounding man called Rob on an article I published about trip sponsorship. ‘This is really annoying’, wrote Rob, referring to the fact that I’d got a 50% discount on an Extrawheel trailer five years ago. ‘Who needs celebrity bike tourers anyway?’ It’s not often that I find myself on the receiving end of an angry rant. I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve dealt a fair few of these in my younger and more obnoxious days, so it’s probably a case of “what goes around comes around”, as my mum would say. But… Continue reading →
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The Double Edged Sword Of Independent Film
I’m incredibly fortunate to be working with James on making Janapar. Not only is he a very talented producer-director, but he is one of the few with enough ambition (or recklessness) to turn down numerous well-paid TV gigs in favour of his own independent film. It’s an inherently risky business we’re in here. The majority of independent documentaries are passion projects. Most will never see a penny of profit. A startling proportion will bankrupt their makers. Why? Continue reading →
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Taking The First Step — A Half-Decade Of Adventure In Review
Five years ago today, on the 17th of June 2007, I took the first step. It was the step I’d been waiting to take all my life. Continue reading →
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Portland — Why I’ll Remember The People Over The Place
I would love to say that this will be an account of the wonders of the city of Portland. Because here is another city of the north-western States that manages to effortlessly exude its own particular flavour from the moment one begins to wander the downtown gridwork of avenues and cross-streets. [vimeo]https://vimeo.com/38385810[/vimeo] Continue reading →