Since starting my blog way back on the 13th of January I have had, as you might imagine, lots of varied experiences - adrenalin fuelled, nature focused, travel filled amongst many others. What I have managed to do here in just over two months is more than I may have done in a few years back home. Which brings me to what is I suppose the subject of this particular blog - the beauty of travel. I have gained much from this trip, not least the physical challenges surmounted and the tangible things I will come away with but more importantly the things I have learned, the mental and emotional changes I have felt and the wonderful affect the many people I have met have had on my outlook. There have been times on this trip when being completely alone, often in remote places after a bike or hike, has made me see who I am in isolation from everything else, peeling back the layers in a sense. Equally there have been times when being around new people has allowed me to add layers I never thought possible (if that makes any sense!). In the past few weeks I have, to go back to my cringeworthy metaphor,donned an extra layer I thought I had shed many years ago - this being my love of english and writing. The blog although started very much in a casual manner to keep people updated and for me to keep a diary for myself has really been the catalyst for this rediscovery. I have realised again how much passion I have for writing despite my amateurish ability. This for me is the beauty of travel because not only are you experiencing new things everyday and creating new memories as you go but you are also appreciating what you already have in life, reigniting the flames of interest in things or thoughts you may have let go of because you thought they weren't possible. Whilst cleaning plant pots and listening to the radio this morning I heard the new Jose Gonzalez song. The title really made me smile - "Stories we build, stories we tell". Every day, every one of us is building a part of his/her own story. How you choose to tell it, or if you choose to, is entirely up to you.