A far cry from the exotic destinations I write about, I was born and raised in Kingston upon Hull in the East Riding of Yorkshire where I currently live. I recently graduated from Sheffield Hallam, after three years studying Creative Writing and this is my first time writing professionally for a company.
I was instantly attracted to Pure Breaks brand in particular, due to their sustainable approach to travel and their focus on investing in and improving the lives of local people. Far too many travel companies offer a sanitised and environmentally harmful holiday experience, so the authenticity and integrity of the brand was a real breath of fresh air.
I’ve wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember, and visiting new places is one of my favourite things to do, so writing travel articles seems the perfect combination. I’m a big reader and love history and anthropology but I always prefer to visit the places and talk to the locals rather than just reading about them in a book. I am very passionate about politics and social issues, and the fact that Pure Breaks offers me the opportunity to write about these serious issues within my travel articles is a real bonus.
Ultimately I’d love to be a full-time writer of novels and short stories, but I’m also an avid film photographer and would love to document and publish a diary / photography book about my travels around the globe.
I may not be as well-travelled as I would like, but of all the places I have visited Venice is the crowning jewel. Whether it was resting atop a gilded pagoda wading through the narrow canals of the Venetian lagoon on my way to the Palazzo Ducale or witnessing first-hand some of the iconic triptychs by Hieronymus Bosch in the elegant Gallerie dell’Accademia, this holiday was an experience I’ll never forget.
Every time I’ve been travelling, my mind is always stuck on the itinerary: which monument are we visiting today, have we got enough time to visit that museum, which of the shows should we watch tonight. But after all the places I’ve visited I can safely say that my favourite times and the memories which will stay with me the longest are the little everyday interactions I had with local people. The friendly banter with a cafe owner, cultural debates with your fellow hotel guest or some futile haggling with a street vendor – it is people that make a holiday.
