Freelance Writer
“Adventure is the discovery of the self, it is both feared and desired.” – Joseph Campbell In these times of restricted movement, it’s good to remember that travel is not just about the places you go. Although unique cultures and natural beauty are worthy of our attention, there is always a common denominator in your experience…
Not every day can be like this, unfortunately. Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash Enniscrone, Co. Sligo. We are still locked down and Claremorris hasn’t drifted any further towards the sea, so I’m still reminiscing on pre-Level 5 surfing days. The sunny respite today from this strange series of storms reminds me of one of my last day’s…
Photo by Juri Gianfrancesco on Unsplash Here we go again So we’re facing into the strictest of lockdowns, and it’s just been announced that we’re not allowed to visit each other’s houses. We’re not even allowed (legally? No-one knows) step into our neighbour’s or our friend’s garden. You can practice anything, including being alone. And…
This is going to be the first of a series of articles about books that have inspired me, influenced me or otherwise entertained me over the last few years. The first one is Flow by Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi.
Morning and work routines are good for maintaining mental order in your life. But sometimes routines don’t work for you. It’s important to check in and ask: what is the point of all this?
The marking of the Wild Atlantic Way through Mayo and an overdue rise in interest in the great outdoors in Ireland has seen a welcome influx of visitors to a part of the country overlooked compared to Cork, Kerry and Galway. But you still don’t have to go too far to find the Loneliest Place in Ireland – and one of the best spots in the country to get lost.
Mountains beyond mountain. Photo by Yannic Läderach on Unsplash It started as a physical thing I’ve been doing yoga on and off, regularly and irregularly, for a few years now. Like a lot of lads, I started because I was interested in the physical side of it: the stretching, the flexing, the strength training that…
Photo by Fitsum Admasu on Unsplash After the scorching bank holiday weekend, I’ve realised that I might never have spent so much of my regular time outdoors as during the lockdown. In the last couple of months I’ve taken to running, walking, cycling and even just sitting outside as much as possible, often for a couple of hours…
Photo by Conor Luddy on Unsplash The Forty Foot, January 12th 2020 The weather has been pretty amazing so far in 2020. A stormy Saturday brought rain of the kind I hadn’t seen in a few months, but today was calm as we eagerly anticipate Storm Brendan roaring in on Monday morning. And what a calm it was.
Being willing to look foolish is a key part of being happy. Me, in Ha Giang, Vietnam, April 2018. I realised in the writing of this post that all of the lessons I’ve reflected on here refer to results that have come not just from WRITING articles, but POSTING them in the public domain as…