My name is Helen Rose. I'm from Buckinghamshire in England but I lived in the USA for four years when I was a kid. I went to university in Canterbury, England. I have a mum, a dad and two brothers. I love to travel. Well those things were probably obvious anyway.
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| Me in Brittany aged 10 |
I love many things about travelling; combing through options on the internet, researching the destination, working out what would be perfect for me, booking it, researching, comparing and buying insurance, making a list of everything I might take, buying a bag that’s exactly the right size and suitability, packing it, telling everyone where I’m going, imagining it, looking forward to it, getting agitated a couple of nights before I go because I’m worried I’ve forgotten something or that something terrible will happen while I’m away either to me or to one of my family, and that very last thrill of anticipation when you’re at the airport (or wherever your point of departure is) waiting for your journey to officially begin.
The thing I love most about travelling though all comes from the fact that I find myself always waiting for things to happen (ironically sometimes waiting to travel again) and I’m often not adept at enjoying any given moment. The most fundamental aspect I love about travelling is that I have to live in the moment. Indeed I must because the moment will be short lived and then it will be impossible (or at least expensive) to retrieve. And it forces me to engage my senses when often in real life I am deep in a daydream and imagining I am somewhere else entirely. Sometimes it’s nice to feel and experience things in real time, whether it’s a stunning building, a fabulous meal, a new friend made, or that sense of exhausted despair when you realise just how lost you really are.
And, the above sentiment notwithstanding, I love remembering the adventure afterwards and, of course, writing about it to share with everyone. I generally prize memories over objects; unlike objects, memories only look better the older they get. And even something that may have horrified, embarrassed or upset you will just make you laugh with time.
I also love stories. I love hearing them and telling them and usually travelling can give me stories in abundance. I’ve always wanted to have plenty of stories to tell in my life and this seems like the best method by which to get them.
I also like rainbow stripes, Audrey Hepburn and mini-skirts.
