The End of Don’t Stop Living. The Best of Don’t Stop Living. Thank you and Goodbye Everyone.

(from a Northern Irishman’s heart, 31st December 2016)
“Tell me a story where we all change. And we’ll live our lives together and not estranged. I didn’t lose my mind; it was mine to give away. You couldn’t stay to watch me cry so I softly slip away. No regrets.” – Robbie Williams.

Monday's Money Saving Tips - Christmas Edition - put a Santa hat on and work over Christmas in a bar!

Where were you while we were getting high?

For the last 6 months, you knew what was coming and so did I. This website was once my pride and joy and my love. But I lost it. I lost myself. I got depressed and suicidal. I was too open about it. I shared my pain and tried to justify it to everybody. Nobody understood me and still nobody ever will. But one thing that you will understand I hope, is why this blog has to end today. It’s the 31st December 2016. This blog started in August 2007, so tomorrow would be the 10th calendar year of its existence, but let me just deliberately stop one day shy of that. Let this be the end. My glory days passed me by…

“We are not allowed to spend, as we are told that this is the end.” – Nicky Wire.

They passed me by; glory days…

For health reasons, due to my ongoing depression it makes no sense for me to continue on this platform. But as I bow out, I want to share with you some final cool moments, together for the first time on one post. The website will remain online and daily I still get messages from people saying I inspire them. That much is true, that sunk in when I went missing in Gdańsk and over 1,000 people messaged me in support, most not understanding my suicide plea. I thank you for that and I realise that something good came from my travel writing. I did help others in some way.

“There’s no love in your shotgun town” – Noel Gallagher.

It’s a good time to knock it on the head.

And this sunk in – I really backpacked the world. I should be proud of that you know. I properly lived in about 10 cities or towns across 7 countries since 2003. I worked in over 50 different jobs. I visited 117 FIFA countries, 136 disputed regions or countries and 845 cities and towns. I toured every continent, broke many rules, made new friends and let lots of people down. I went to the World Cup Final. I watched Northern Ireland at Euro 2016. I watched my beloved Cherries (AFC Bournemouth) get relegated and thrice promoted during the lifespan of this blog. There were ups and downs. On life’s ladder.

“Spend your nightlife table hopping, trying to keep your bag of bones in trim” – Noel Gallagher.

Back in the day – the loneliness and boredom

These were good times. Here is the best of Don’t Stop Living, in my opinion…please read and enjoy.

The Blair GAWA in Lyon the day that Northern Ireland beat Ukraine 2-0.

My Craziest Stories:
– Drinking Guinness on the North Korea to South Korea border
– Getting naked in Whaler’s Bay, Antarctica
– Fireball fight in Nejapa, El Salvador
– Showing my willy in Finland’s winter
– Feeding hyenas mouth to mouth

One of my crazy moments in Ethiopia- feeding hyenas hand to mouth and mouth to mouth

– My top 8 Shights
– Stroking an awake crocodile in The Gambia
– Losing $1,000 in a river in Laos
– Lobbing the goalkeeper from the half way line in Afghanistan
– Doing a sh*t in a broccoli field in Tasmania
– Getting spanked in Lviv, Ukraine
– Naked yoga in London, England
– Getting naked in Bavaria in the city centre of Munich
– Getting locked in a bus overnight in Sydney

– The night my mate John f*ked a donkey in my living room

“These sacred moments of silliness are where I find my heaven” – Gigolo Aunts.

The Day I…Lobbed the Goalkeeper From 30 Yards in Afghanistan

Some of my finest stories:
– Staying in the village of Xinaliq in Azerbaijan
– Watching the Mass Games in Pyongyang, North Korea
– The Journey from Dushanbe to Khorog in Gorno Badakhshan
– Touring Masar e Sharif’s Hazrat Ali Mosque in Afghanistan
– Touring Hebron in Palestine
– Watching the National Day Parade in Pyongyang, North Korea
– Touring the Titanic Museum in Belfast, Northern Ireland
– Touring the Imam Reza Mosque in Mashhad, Iran

Meeting the local lads of Xinaliq in Azerbaijan

Best Hotel Stays:
– Staying at the Sarovar Portico, Andaman Islands
– Staying at the Ibis, Kaliningrad City
– Staying at the Lady Hamilton, Stockholm, Sweden
– Staying at the Clarion Collection Hotel, Oslo, Norway
– Staying at the Park Inn, Copenhagen, Denmark
– Staying at the Mad Hatter, London
– Staying at Doxford Hall, England
– Staying at the Xanadu Resort in San Pedro, Belize

– Staying at the Coco Ocean Resort in The Gambia

I stayed in and reviewed over 100 hotels in the last 9 years

Three Days in Madonna’s Island: La Isla Bonita, San Pedro, Belize

“Last night I dreamt of San Pedro” – Madonna.

Best Hostel Stays:
– Staying at Abraham Hostel, Jerusalem
– Staying at Oki Doki Hostel, Warsaw, Poland
– Staying at Why Not Hostel, Tbilisi, Georgia
– Staying at YHA in Belfast, Northern Ireland
– Staying at Apple Hostel, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
– Staying at Ten Coins Hostel, Sofia, Bulgaria

– Staying at the Little Bucharest Hostel, Romania

I stayed in and reviewed over 400 hostels in the last 9 years

Happy times at Apple Hostel in Bishkek

Some of my City, Town and Village Guides:
– Best sights in Starogard Gdanski, Poland
– Best sights in San Salvador, El Salvador
– Best sights in Pyongyang, North Korea
– Best sights in Chittagong, Bangladesh
– Best sights in Escaldes Engordany, Andorra

I have written over 2,000 city, town and villages guides in the last 9 years

Backpacking in Starogard Gdanski, off the wall in Poland’s Pomerania Province

“This was my dream and now my dream has flown” – Noel Gallagher.

My Best First Hand Visa Advice:

Getting my visa in East Timor.

Teaching English in Hong Kong.

How to Get an Australian Working Holiday Visa
How to Get a Second Australian Working Holiday Visa
How to get a Visa for Gorno Badakhshan in Bishkek
How to get a Visa for Tajikistan in Bishkek
How to get a Tanzania visa on arrival in Kilimanjaro
How to get a Sri Lanka visa online
How to get a Letter of Invitation for Uzbekistan
How to get an Uzbekistan Visa in Bishkek
(Old post – not necessarily true any more – How to get a Turkish visa on arrival at Istanbul airport)
How to get an Antarctica visa (tongue firmly in cheek)
How to get a Kaliningrad visa

Arrival in Kaliningrad, August 2016 – veteran visa expert.

My other stories with a horrific history to them, down the years of my travels:

Stalin’s Museum, Gori, Georgia

All alone touring Saddam Hussein’s House of Horrors at Amna Suraka in Iraq.

Best posts on Countries or Regions that are debated:
– Wales
– Adammia
– Andaman Islands
– Gorno Badakhshan
– Chernobyl Exclusion ZOne

At the Gates near the Duga Radar in Chernobyl Exclusion Zone

– Andorra
– Don’t Stop Living
– The Vatican City
– Austenasia
– Sark
– Northern Ireland
– Uzupis
– Scotland
– Macao
– Frestonia
– Kosovo
– Transnistria

Backpacking in Tiraspol, Transnistria

– Christiania
– French Guyana
– Hong Kong
– Monaco
– Nagorno Karabakh
– Ladonia
– Lagoan Isles
– People’s Republic of Podjistan
– Taiwan
– Karakalpakstan

Flying my Northern Ireland flag in Nukus, Karakalpakstan

– San Marino
– England
– Herm
– Guernsey
– Jersey
– Druze People

Touring Sark on a bicycle – best way to get around.

Some Unusual Meals I Had:
– Turtle soup in Kaiping, China
– Dog Meat Soup in Seoul, South Korea
– Kangaroo Curry in Parramatta, Australia
– Wallaby Bolognaise, Tasmania, Australia
– Guinea Pig in Aguas Calientes, Peru
– Zeama in Butuceni, Moldova
– Yak Butter Tea in Zhongdian, China

Dining out in Butuceni, Moldova

Some of the best dates and girls I travelled with:
– Dinner with Panny Yu in San Cristobal, Mexico
– A visit to Noemi’s town, Debrecen in Hungary
– Dinner in Tainan with Natalja and Eva
– Panny Yu and I getting our diving certificates in Honduras
– Katia and I whackpacking in Ahmedabad, India
– A night out in Gdansk, Poland

“Thanks for that amazing night” – Tourist Friend.

My Regular Features:
– World Border Crossings
– World Travellers
– Monday’s Money Saving Tips
– Tuesday’s Travel Essentials
– Tuesday’s Travel Problems
– Working Wednesdays
– Thirsty Thursdays

Thirsty Thursdays: Top 5 Bars in Starogard Gdański, Poland

Thirsty Thursdays – With Paulina, Marta and Ola at Browar Pub in Starogard Gdański, Poland

– Friday’s Featured Food
– Studying Saturdays
– Sunday’s Inspiration
– Backpacking Buddies
– Travel Collectables

It’s a Lonely World After All

On that backlog of posts and features is a huge and hefty amount of work. Remember I did most of this for free from the goodness of my heart, the blog was only monetised from 2012 onwards. It was never meant to be a business.

Panny Yu and I deep sea diving off the coast of Honduras.

For those keen to know exactly where my journey took me, these two pages pretty much cover it all:

– Where I’ve Been
– Where I’ve Been by Flags

Standing on the edge at the top of Kaieteur Falls, Guyana

“and Arconada…Armstrong!” – John Motson.

Secret Senegal: Dean Court to Dakar Part 1 - Goodbye the Portman, Up the Cherries

Watching the Cherries at Dean Court, Boscombe, England

My Posts on Professional Travel Blogging:
– Tips on becoming a professional travel blogger
– Easy ways to travel the world
– How to become a professional travel blogger
– 10 lessons learned from 7 years of travel blogging
– Why not to become a professional travel blogger

Relaxing and updating my blog in the luxury of a 5 star in China.

“In a rare bite of pressure, I’m forfeiting love for fame” – Jonny Blair.

My feature in The Sun newspaper.

The truth about my Professional career as a travel blogger 2012 – 2016
I earned about $101,000 US Dollars in the last 4 years of being a professional travel blogger, I slept in over 700 beds in exchange for reviews, I received some free flights, free trips, complimentary travel gear, free dinners and beers and coffees and lots of people thought I was “living some kind of dream”. But I wasn’t. I ended up lost, in debt and depressed so I must pick my life up from here and try to smile again. Right now, I am actually in debt (due to the depression), working hard to pay it off and trying to get my life back on track.

7 lessons learned from 7 years of travel blogging.

“I’ve been before much too long, this is the past that’s mine” – Nicky Wire.

So without further ado, it’s goodbye from me on the Don’t Stop Living platform. I will have to cover the cost of this site to keep it live, so there may be some advertising from time to time but that will be it. Health and sadness comes first. Maybe one day, I will smile again and maybe some of my Polish friends will appreciate my new story and new website, which you can now follow – this is a hobby only, I’m still a tourist and a writer. Come and find me on these two platforms from now on:

Northern Irishman in Poland Facebook Page – https://www.facebook.com/northernirishmaninpoland/
Northern Irishman in Poland website- http://www.northernirishmaninpoland.com/jonnys-story/