Since I can remember I’ve always had a passion for travel. I’m not sure where it came from – it could be that my family took me on regular holidays since I came into existence, or that I lived abroad for a while with my mum when I was little, or just the fact that the world is a wonderful place.
Whatever the reason, I love it. I love everything about it from the excitement of rushing to the airport to stepping off the plane into a completely different world. The landscapes, buildings, culture, wildlife, language, food (always the food!) but most of all the incredible friendly people of every place I’ve been to. No matter where in the world I go I’m always welcomed with open arms and big smiles (sometimes even with a ukulele) and the people are usually the biggest memory that I’ll take away from a place.
The incredibly happy children at an orphanage we volunteered at in Moshi, Tanzania
I made the decision to first go travelling when I was 16 years old. My poor helpless boyfriend had never stepped foot outside of England and, shock horror, didn’t even own a passport! So of course I had to open his eyes to everything else there was to see out there and, after a few small European holidays to ease him into it, we started to plan our first round the world trip which ended up being a very long honeymoon.
This trip just made my travel bug a hundred times worse and almost as soon as we arrived back home I began planning our next trip. This seems to have become a habit now as I always have to have some sort of travel arranged in the not too distant future!
To me, travelling is a huge part of my life and I know I wouldn’t be happy without it. I am completely obsessed, addicted, whatever you want to call it, and it completely consumes me. I know that I am the biggest pain in the bum to my husband as all I ever talk about is which country I want to visit next, which mountain we can climb or what new city I want to explore. He’s come to the point where, although he still likes to travel, he has a business to run and other important things to deal with, and seeing the world just isn’t as high up on his list as mine. But despite that he still tries to make room in his busy schedule to come on all my adventures with me which I truly appreciate as I wouldn’t want to do any of it without him.
Although I drag him on a lot of trips Mr Ayla does enjoy all our adventures
Although I now have a full time job and a mortgage and so unfortunately won’t be jetting off on any more long trips any time soon, I still try to squeeze in as much travel as humanly possible and, if I’m lucky, just about manage to fit in a few hours of sleep as well! But I have been on a fair few adventures, from climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge to wrestling with lions in South Africa, underwater cave diving in Fiji to sleeping under the stars in Namibia. If you follow me on Twitter you’ll already know that I love talking about my adventures as well as having a very unhealthy addiction for Africa. I also tend to crave the weird and wonderful and the bigger the culture shock the better. I would much rather camp with an African tribe in the middle of nowhere or visit a ghost town like Chernoybl than sit on a beach and relax.
I don’t claim to be the best writer out there, far from it, so this blog will just be for fun and for me to share my stories and photos with anyone who’s interested – and any advice if anyone wants it – about both my past adventures and my future adventures both in London and the rest of the world. I made a promise to myself at the beginning of the year that I would do something different at least once a month for the foreseeable future so this year has been a very good one so far, including climbing the O2 in London, attending charity rallies and of course visiting some new countries. I also have a couple of upcoming trips planned to India and South America so I’m sure all of these will give me plenty to talk about!
Hope you enjoy my adventures! 🙂
Mama Ayla's Adventures 
Great post! We are in very similar situations 🙂 and we too started our blog to share our adventures with anyone who might be interested but also to capture for us our travel experiences and stories 🙂 happy travelling 🙂 if you love it, don’t stop!
Thank you! That’s exactly what I intend to do! You’ve done really well with your blog 🙂
Hey twitter buddy & fellow traveloholic, a fab first post that really gets your passion across! Can’t wait to see lots of pics of your adventures, especially of your forthcoming India trip 🙂
Thank you! Can’t wait to share them all!
Good job.. Very well done! Congrats on your first blogpost 🙂 Looking forward to more! Good luck and welcome to the blogosphere 🙂
Thanks Nita! It’s quite exciting!
Great job!! Enjoyed it 🙂 Congratulations on your first blogpost.. Looking forward to more! Good luck and welcome to the blogosphere 🙂
Awesome Ayla. I enjoyed reading your first blog,,, I shall look forward to many more. Glad to see you are enjoying life to the fullest. If you ever find yourself back in South Africa, let me know!
Thanks Kelli. I didn’t even realise you we’re living in South Africa! Quite a change from London!
indeed…but a good change. I ADORE it here!
Congratulations on your first post! Now you have started don’t stop. Thankfully your visit to India will give you a virtually endless list of post topics.
Thanks Shane! I’m sure it will! 🙂
Dude, love…this is one of the better blogs I’ve read 🙂 I’m not saying that because I’m biased as one of your bffs. x
Hehe thank you lovely xx
I think. as your mum, I’m now trying to catch up with you and the different countries you’ve been to… I’m not quite as adventurous though and do in fact like lazing on a beach!
About time too! xx
Hey Ayla, loving to see you joining the blogging world and great first post! Look forward to reading more about your adventures:)
Brilliant! I didn’t get a passport until my early 20s! I’ve more than made up for that since 😉
This is a great first post, looking forward to reading about India and South America.
Good going! Thanks Rachel 🙂
Great post! I think you really captured the things that us world wanderers feel. Never long enough in one place and I too am always planning two trips ahead! India is on that trip list so I’m very excited to read about your experiences over there. GO GURL! 🙂
Thank you my dear I shall definitely let you know how awesome it is 🙂
I really can relate to your article! I also would much rather be in the middle of Africa or some crazy place in India than a beach. I can’t wait to read all about your stories.
Thanks Ashley! Crazy holidays are the best holidays! North Korea here we come! 😉
Nice to see you join the blogosphere (is that actually a word yet ha?)! Looking forward to reading much more 🙂
That’s too good a word not to be a word. Thanks Carl!