The Joy of Travel

Yours truly atop the Hereford Bull. Hereford, England. 2023

I've always been a person of extremes. I'm either running full-speed ahead or laid out flat in a nap that is so deep that it nearly makes one forget what planet they're on when they wake up. I either feel very passionately about something or don't have much of an opinion or capacity to hold an opinion at all.

Same goes for my sense of place. Those close to me know the deep contentment that I find in my home. I don't get cabin fever much because I'm always tinkering around with something, trying out a new recipe, or devouring something from a "to-read" list that grows at an absolutely unhinged rate. On the other end of the spectrum, I love a chance to go somewhere. And not just visit, really go and live and absorb as much of my surroundings as possible.

I have been extremely lucky in my life to have had quite a few adventures. From sitting with thousands of puffins after sailing out into the wild Atlantic to an uninhabited island in the Hebrides, to singing with a salsa band for an evening in Cuba, to getting hoisted upon the 12-foot iron Hereford bull while crashing a "Hen Do" in the middle of the Cotswolds, my travel is never boring.

So I thought it might be time to record it all in one place. Mostly for myself. Because the stories really are great. And because honestly, I believe that seeing the world and the way other communities enjoy life and solve problems makes me a more creative policy-maker and problem solver in my own neck of the woods.

I do hope you'll enjoy seeing a bit of my adventures to come, some reflections from trips I've taken before, and maybe a few insights along the way. Buen viaje!