The World is your Giant Scratchie

The weekend I graduated from university, my parents gave me a gift - a world map that was a giant scratch card, with the idea that you can scratch off the top layer over each location as you travel to reveal the actual map beneath. Underneath, there could be joys or disappointments and you won’t know which to expect - that’s all part of it.

As far as graduation presents go, this was pretty damn thoughtful - aimed at inspiring travel and discovery, with the underlying message of "the world is your oyster - go, explore and conquer!" Then again, maybe they just know I love scratchies. 

Since receiving that map a year ago, I’ve ticked off Nepal, Hong Kong, England, Wales, Uganda and Kenya. 

But I’ve got an itch that all this scratching doesn’t seem to help - the more I travel, the more I need to keep moving. I’m working in an office where I’m surrounded by fellow travel-lovers and spend my time talking to volunteers heading off to exotic places, so it can be a struggle to mentally escape the need I have to physically escape.

I started this blog as a reminder to myself of my most treasured moments. And of course to inspire myself to continue finding ways and places to travels (and the funds to allow it all, of course). It can be easy to lose your place and drop your pace when day to day life jostles for your attention with it's alarms, emails and reminders.

Until my next trip takes a more solid form, it feels a bit like I’m holding all my travel memories and plans together with a piece of string and a paperclip.