Boots, Bikes and Border Crossings
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Three Classes, Fifteen Kids, and a Bag of Lentils
Okay… so this is the part where things could go wrong. I had happily agreed to help with cooking classes at the alternative school in Sofia. In my mind, I imagined turning up, smiling politely, and helping the kids follow some well-prepared recipe someone else had organised. Then their message arrived. “To save time you
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What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Just when I think I finally know what I’m doing… my plans change again. I’ve just been offered a Workaway at an alternative school in Sofia. Now, this is slightly amusing because I’m not normally known for being particularly “child friendly.” Yet somehow I’ve agreed to help teach cooking to children aged 5 to 13.
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When the Farms Fell Silent
Over the past week I’ve been wandering through several of the nearby villages. While they are peaceful and full of character, it’s hard not to feel a little sad seeing the condition of many houses, the roads, and the signs of poverty. It wasn’t always like this. During the communist era, large state farms planted
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Ten Days in Egypt… and a Change of Heart
Well, sometimes life’s great adventures come with the occasional speed bump. After just ten days in Egypt, Jane’s grand new chapter has taken a bit of an unexpected turn. It turns out that Egypt might not be the perfect match for her—or for the dogs. The excitement of a new country has quickly been replaced
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The Bride Market I Didn’t Visit
This weekend, somewhere not too far from where I’m staying in rural Bulgaria, a rather unusual event is quietly taking place. You won’t see posters for it around town, and it definitely isn’t listed on the local tourist calendar. In fact, unless you already know about it, you’d probably miss it entirely. It’s known as
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Winter Lavender and Quiet Remembrances: Celebrating Bulgaria’s Liberation Day
Today is 3 March, officially the “Day of Liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman Dominion.” It’s a day to honor the volunteers who fought in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 and helped set their country free. I marked the occasion with a wander to the nearby village of Sredno Gradishte. My path led through sleepy
Visited Countries
Interactive World Map
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Route Plan (Eastern Europe)
Here’s the planned route PDF. Download below.
Route Map
About Me
Happy, grateful, and full of joy – that’s how I see my life. Growing up in the small country town of Karaka, New Zealand, I was a curious little girl who dreamed of seeing the world. At 14, I took my first trip overseas to Fiji, and since then I’ve explored 66 countries, each adventure filling me with wonder at new cultures, unexpected moments, and the thrill of discovery.
I’ve leapt from planes, dived into unseen depths of the ocean, pedaled across borders, and roared through deserts on motorbikes. From crossing the Gobi Desert on two wheels to cruising down to Antarctica, from riding through roads less traveled to moments that took my breath away, I collect memories, not possessions.
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