Forever Adventures

Today at the grand old age of 33 I got my very first tattoo. At a time in life when many of those around me are wanting to get their tattoos removed or covered up I took a leap of faith! It was a belated birthday present to myself and something that I've wanted to do since my teens but back then I couldn't find anything that I wanted to get inked on my skin until it was old and wrinkly. That all changed about 6 months ago when I typed 'adventure tattoos' into Pinterest. I found something that was just right for me and though I have mulled it over for many months I finally took the plunge and now it's with me for the rest of my days. So, drum roll please...... here it is!

It's simple and concise and I'm really happy with it. Taking the chair in the tattoo parlour I was a little nervous about how painful it would be but I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't bad at all. It was really quick, ten minutes if that and then I was out the door and riding back home. I'm not sure I'd be so keen on the pain if it was hours on end mind.

For me this tattoo is a symbol of how I want to live my life. It's a constant reminder to myself to get out there and go on adventures. It's also a way of remembering the adventures I've already been on, particularly this years Bikes, Bothies & Booze 12 week bikepacking tour of the Scottish islands. I want it to help me to focus on things that make me happy and hopefully I'll still be doing adventures on a fully loaded mobility scooter when I'm old and decrepit so it's not a problem that it's permanent, haha.

This year has been a year of firsts for me and I'm also excited to be doing my very first talk about my trip at Yes Stories in Picadilly on the 13th September. It's run by a fantastic group of people behind the concept Say Yes More. It's a night where people can come along and listen to everyday people talking about their adventures. If you're interested in going then you can grab a ticket here. I hope to see you there!