| Copyright (c) 2007 The College Of Public | | | | Punta Arenas, Pucon (Mount Villarica - 10,000 |
| Speaking | | | | feet active volcano), Bariloche, Esquel, the |
| | | | Argentine lake district, Santiago, |
| Have you ever upset your family with a crazy | | | | Valparaiso, La Serena, the Atacama desert, |
| decision? | | | | Arica, Nazca, Arequipa, Cusco, Machu Picchu, |
| | | | Lake Titicaca, La Paz, Manaus, Angel Falls |
| Have you ever wanted to walk on the wild | | | | and so on... |
| side? | | | | |
| | | | Do you get the picture? |
| Have you ever wanted to leave the office | | | | |
| environment and never return? | | | | Travelling together in a flat-topped Volvo |
| | | | truck we would share the wide range of |
| Driving up to Manchester one autumn's evening | | | | opportunities that the Americas had to offer. |
| in 1995, I decided something had to change. | | | | Having never done anything outrageous before |
| | | | and with the spectre of middle age looming, I |
| The three hour journey from Leicester had | | | | realised that I had to do something |
| turned into a six hour marathon, again. | | | | different. Would I break the mould of my |
| | | | boring office life or step out bravely into |
| It was cold, damp and desolate stuck in the | | | | an adventurer's world? |
| endless lines of slow moving cars. In my | | | | |
| briefcase sat an unsigned and rather overly | | | | I was single, no obligations and I had the |
| negotiated contract extension for my job in | | | | money. What is the point in having a big |
| Leicester. When I finally arrived in | | | | bank balance while life was passing me by? |
| Manchester at 11pm, bored, hungry and | | | | The following Monday morning, I handed my |
| miserable - I knew that I could not face | | | | notice in. Contract discussions had been |
| another winter of living and working out of a | | | | delayed and I had only ten working days to |
| suitcase. It was time for serious change. | | | | endure. I couldn't wait to leave that office |
| | | | - it seemed like forever. |
| A few weeks before, my train journey to | | | | |
| London had endured several more hours than | | | | Once the deed was done, I was walking on air. |
| scheduled. The woman in the adjacent seat | | | | Skipping down the corridor and whistling 'El |
| kindly allowed me to peruse her travel | | | | condor Pasa' - I never whistle... |
| magazine when she stepped off the train at | | | | |
| Luton. I had read my newspaper back to front | | | | It was a cathartic experience - no more |
| and on the second time of reading, I found | | | | endless miles up and down the M1, no more |
| nothing new. | | | | ironing shirts and resolving other people's |
| | | | problems... What a relief. Top priority on |
| I reached over and killed a little time by | | | | this project manager's list was buying |
| flicking through the glossy magazine, but | | | | outdoor gear, expensive sleeping bags, boots |
| each time I thumbed the pages, my eyes | | | | and all weather jackets. |
| returned to page 34 which advertised a five | | | | |
| month trip to South and Central America. | | | | For me, there was one special location that I |
| Setting off from Ushuaia in Argentina (the | | | | knew would be the zenith of my journey, Machu |
| most southerly City in the world) and | | | | Picchu in Peru... |
| finishing in Mexico City. The itinerary read | | | | |
| like a Who's Who of top travel destinations. | | | | If you'd like to read more about my |
| | | | adventures... then select the link below. |
| Buenos Aires, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, | | | | |