“Take me back to the town where I was born, because I’m tired of being a stranger and I’m miles from home. We can hide by a lonely windowpane. We can walk the streets of my life while they still remain.” – Noel Gallagher. We have all had a ridiculously crazy journey on this planet. When we were…
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If you’ve followed the blog from the early days, you’ll know I covered my job history on here as I did it, especially the farming and bar work. Yet the Working Wednesdays feature still has at least 50 jobs I’ve done and not yet written about, so in an attempt to eventually get this blog…
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Thirsty Thursdays comes from North Down in Northern Ireland today, so it does. Northern Ireland punches above its weight time and time again. And I mean in the metaphorical sense, not just in boxing (though the likes of McGuigan and Frampton certainly justify the phrase). A country housing 1.6 million people, boasting some of the…
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My recent travels in Northern Ireland have proved something to me – you can travel in your home country and love it, and get surprised by it. After my adventures on the north coast of Northern Ireland, I returned to my home town of Bangor, which is in County Down, just 12 miles from Belfast…
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I’ve stayed in some obscure places during Christmas and New Year down the years. I’m talking homestays in Iran, sharing rooms in Parramatta Australia, camping in the mountains of Peru or hiking in China. In 2014 however, I was in Europe at Christmas for the first time in 6 years. I decided to spend some time…
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I’m pretty busy at the moment trying to go through all my unwritten posts, but it’s still nice to reflect on a top 12 travel moments of the year – something I did a similar post on in 2012 and 2013. This year I started off in Iraq on New Year’s Day and I have…
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It was a fairly emotional return to Northern Ireland for me recently – my longest stay in my home country in over 11 years which is crazy to think about it. I had lined up some really cool stuff to do when I was back, and after touring the north coast, (including Portbraddon) watching Northern…
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A calm Northern Irish wind reared its obvious head as I made the walk down to school. I hadn’t done my homework, my handwriting left a lot to be desired but I was on time, I had a grey shirt and school tie on and I was buzzing. I wasn’t a pupil any more however.…
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“Someday we’ll return here. When the Belfast Child sings again” – Simple Minds. How can you go backpacking in your home country? Is it even possible? You know the towns, you know the roads, you know the local lingo, you can talk your way out of a political argument. But then…I’ve been away a while.…
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“There’s a bridge to the other side, don’t take your eyes from the prize.”- Dodgy Get ready for it to pour out of me. It feels like some back tracking is needed to my teens and a follow up to last Friday’s Paddy Campbell story. This won’t fill you with wonder or excitement, but it’s something…
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