Moleskine entry: October 1st, 2009
I bought this Moleskine specifically to chronicle my travels this past summer. As it stands, the book itself is only a little under halfway full and here I am about to begin a new adventure with my new colleagues at 1000heads.
What I’ll use this book for from now on I don’t know. But knowing me, no doubt I’ll try and share as much I can…
Thanks for reading… let’s see where we go next.
🙂
Moleskine entry: 27th September, 2009
Has it really been that long?
I haven’t been home in over two weeks. I miss my bed. Not for now.
The long summer of travel is drawing to an end (after a bonus Oxfam-related trip to the U.S.) and, this coming Thursday, I formally start at 1000heads. I’m told there’ll be plenty of travel involved but I imagine it won’t be anywhere near as intense as this.
It feels like I’ve been getting my hands dirty again.
You can only sit in an office and strategise for so long, sometimes you need to get there and just do it for yourself. Go out and learn a few things, rediscover why you love what you do so much and ultimately reset your point of view on the world.
This past summer I’ve been through the deserts of Africa, the mountains of Wyoming and glaciers of the French/Italian Alps. From baboons in Botswana to Zebra in Zimbabwe… I’ve been the luckiest man in the world.
The scenery, breathtaking. The wildlife, stunning. The people? It’s a cliché but it really has been all about the people. As I close my moleskine for another day, that’s not a bad thought to take end on at all.
The Sun is setting over London as we make our final approach. I need to draw this to an end. The deep red sky brings a warm smile to my face and I sigh.
Home. Home at last.
Moleskine entry: September 18th, 2009
Six hours ago I was landing at London Gatwick, fresh from the Lucozade Challenge of Yacht Racing around the Caribbean. Now, as I write, I’m on a flight back out to New York (from London Heathrow mind, that was interesting) with my darling girlfriend and I am happy. Tired. Exhausted. Travel weary. But ultimately, for the first time in such a long time, truly happy.
You might scoff if I were to tell you “it’s been a long, hard summer” given the adventures I’ve been on, the places I’ve seen and the things that I’ve done but really, as much as all that that has been awesome, it’s the bits inbetween that have been hardest.
Being away from home every other week for just shy of ten weeks creates a strange instability around things. Plans are harder to make, promises harder to keep. A constant state flux one might say.
Not counting the stress and strains that places on any kind of loving relationship, there was the whole work mess to deal with too. Halfway through the challenges, all that additional…. worry was not helping the situation at all. The time I was actually at home, I was spending the whole time working. Leaving me tired. So so tired.
Rest soon. And sleep. Sleep, beckoning so sweetly.
Sleeeeeep.
Molekskine entry: September 16th, 2009
I’ve not written here for a while. Most places we’ve been to this past summer have involved a lot of travelling. From one bed to the next, driving through Africa, riding across Wyoming or simply scaling mountains deep within the Alps. Believe it or not, these kinds of activities gave me a lot of free time to write and keep my journal.
However, for this trip – the fifth and final Lucozade Challenge of 2009 – we’ve been staying on ONE resort the WHOLE time. If I’m not up and at the Mac updating the Lucozade blog, then I’m out completing challenges with the winners. Every second I have here on my own, I’m uploading photos, editing videos etc etc… constantly online. No downtime with no connection, which means no journals in my moleskine
And so it is, we go home tomorrow and I’ve hardly written a thing.
Time flies huh?
On thing I must put down – Today. Has. Been. Epic.
I’m in Canada, writing from my second hotel of about four I think for this trip. The first night, in the Wyndhams, my body clock was still adjusting. At 4am my eyes opened like it was 9am and kicked me up into the day. Damn. “Best start work then…”
First, coffee…. and this is what I’m faced with –
There isn’t much tech in the world that I don’t get on with, however coffee machines (along with most fax machines) would be on the very short list if I ever made one. In fact, I just did and look – they’re at the top.
Were there any instructions for the machine anywhere in the room? No.
Any tips or pointers on the actual machine itself? No.
Brilliant.
Tweet tweet –
About 90mins later, this appeared –
What’s the twitpic behind the link?
Well… THIS:
How freaking amazing is that? My tweet, illustrated.
To give you some background, I stumbled across Irkafirka sometime ago now, back when they randomly sketched one of Benny’s tweets. I thought it was amazing and started following them. Both on Twitter and on RSS. Irkafirka illustrate tweets. Randomly. And they’re awesome.
Yesterday they did one of mine and I’m grinning form ear to ear.
Thanks to both of you, Chris and Nick. I’m made up.
Cheers.
Molekskine entry: September 1st, 2009
Food poisoning. All of us. Wiped out for 24hrs. Eugh.
Today we were supposed to walk up to the next camp. A three hour hike taking in ice climbing, hills, glacier walking… none of this happened. Instead our keeper in Italy, Dee, organised a helicopter to fly us up at lunchtime. Reluctantly and somewhat lethargically we packed our things and made our way to the heli-pad.
All of us, in bits.
The flight itself was fantastic. There’s another photographer on this excursion, Alex, and he and I keep getting bundled together. In the ‘Helipos’ it was the same. The good part being our pilot gave us the full tour ’round and over Mont Blanc.
Spectacular
Full set 74 photo set available on Flickr
We arrive, walk to the lodge and collapse. All but two of us crashing out like we’ve never slept. Sam, who was especially ill the night before, sleeps through from 2pm to 6am the following day. He needed it. The rest of us? We made it to about 7pm before we began to stir. Downstairs we tried to eat. Telling jokes, trying to will ourselves better. There are others here, they’ve been out climbing. Lucky beggars.
Later, the energy levels are up. Not refilled totally but we are on the mend, at last. We spend the rest of the evening playing poker by candlelight.
Tomorrow we’re to go out again. Glaciers await.
Molekskine entry: August 31st, 2009
I’ve not had time to do any writing as yet. We’re here, on the border of the French, Swiss and Italian Alps, looking up at Mont Blanc after a really, really intense couple of days. Yesterday, after flying in the 1hr 15mins from London, we were picked up from Geneva and drove through to Italy. I had no idea it was so close.
Within an hour of arriving we were already kitted out and on our way for a training session in the hills.
Yes. That’s me.
We walked for hours and climbed for a while too. Aside from a couple of smashed phones (my own N86 and an iPhone belonging to one of the winners), it was a good day. Intense, but good.
But that was just day one. Today, August 31st, has been one of the scariest days of my life. Being up there, in the mountains, some 3300m above sea level, with nothing but a single rope, a guide and your friends to keep you alive. It’s pretty hairy.
There was a bit, just after that I decided to cut. We stood there and just cried. Cried and cried and cried. The emotional intensity of it all. Completely overwhelming.
Molekskine entry: August 27th, 2009
My Lucozade QOTD
“As your bungee footage went down so well with the facebook fans, can you take your mobile with you when you descend into the large crevasse? It’s a pretty unique experience and it should make some good footage…”
Hilarious.
————————————————————————————————–
What bungee footage? This bungee footage:
Hand held and shot entirely with my beloved N86, the video came out perfectly.
It’s funny, back when I did the jump, I didn’t make any kind of note in my diary at all.
I’m not sure why or why not. I just didn’t. In fact, I think this is the first time I’ve published it here. Apologies if you’ve seen it already but, well… I love it.
Moleskine entry: August 23rd, 2009
“Hair and make-up sir?”
“Um… Oh… Er..”
“Is the anything in particular you want doing?”
“Um… A photo?”
“Ok well some boys want their hair and make-up done, some don’t. Some just want to walk on… eau natural.”
What do you think?
Am I a hair and make-up kind of guy or not? You know me, right?
No crazy exploits this time ’round.
No bonkers make-up or dodgy eyeliner, just some good old fashioned basic foundation, a friendly photographer and of course, a smattering of James Whatley.
Me & my Moleskine
Me & my Moleskine.
As taken by the marvellous Emily Webber at Dan Light’s VHS Movie Club.
Emily also takes photos of London Shop Fronts, they’re kinda cool too.
whatleydude.com 