Travels

Here I’m going to document and share all of the places I’ve visited, far, wide and nearby.

UK:

Margate (Sept 2018): Weekend away for Lugi’s 20th birthday. The beach was really beautiful but it wasn’t very sunny! Hit up Dreamland (Del Boy once went) and the arcade

Devon, Barnstaple(July 2018): Went to visit overnight to pick up Elisa. Got to see Stonehenge on the way there and back. Went on the Lynton/Lynmouth Railway which was pretty cool. The coast was beautiful and the scenery all around was amazing. Could see South Wales from the beach!

North Wales, Blue Peris (~Oct 2015) : Geography fieldtrip to the coast of North Wales, for about 3 days. Awful weather and bland food but it was fun to sleep in bunk bed dorms with a few lads. Fun memories measuring pebbles to find out about LSD (longshore drift ;))

Europe:

Italy (basically every year since my conception): Visited Rome, Naples, Salerno

Spain, Madrid (August 2018): Week long lads holiday with Tom, Diego and Luigi. Clubbing most nights with the ultimate culmination of “Fuckin Monday”. Aptly named. We found an amazing shot bar called Commo, did some flaming shots, marshmallow shots, shots that burnt nose hairs and many others. Visited Puerta del Sol. We did a bar crawl with some Americans in their 20s and ended up making friends with a 40 year old woman travelling on her own!?

Switzerland, Geneva (October 2016): School physics trip mainly to see CERN. We had an evening meal in a traditional Swiss restaurant with live traditional music! Went on a boat ride on Lake Geneva and many an evening walk exploring the city. Mr Brown somehow managed to lead us through a ghetto full of prostitutes at 10am. Lodged in bunk beds with Charles, Michael, Tom Rawes, James Lang , Liam Bunker and a couple of others.

France, Paris (July 2016): Went with Elisa and her parents staying in her cousin’s flat. Visited Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triumphe and walked down Champs Elysees.

Iceland, Rekjavik (February 2016): School trip which was amazing. A stunning country covered in snow. Saw Geysers, a volcano, a frozen waterfall and spent an afternoon exploring Rekjavik city. Me Tom and Matteo got lodged with a bunch of year 10 lads which turned out to be the most fun room. We snuck out of a tiny window into the snow at around 2am and went exploring (and built a snowman). I laughed so much on that trip.

(Im)possible

I first came across the idea of an Impossible List from Thomas Frank (College Info Geek, https://collegeinfogeek.com/about/meet-the-author/my-impossible-list/). The original idea of an Impossible List is from Joel Runyon and can be found on his website at https://impossiblehq.com/impossible-list/

Those guys can explain it better than I can, but it’s essentially a list of goals. Not like a bucket list of things that you’ll do “some day”, which never comes. An impossible list is something that you continually work at by making the impossible possible. It’s a testament to the things you have achieved and those which you strive to achieve.

Even if no one else reads this, it’s here for me as a reminder of the things I want to accomplish. Each time I tick something off it gives me confidence in my abilities and pushes me further than I thought I could go.
Habit Goals

• Read 1 book per month for a year. Currently behind as of 05/09/18:
  • Fatherland, Robert Harris//
  • A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking //
  • Forces of Nature, Brian Cox //
  • Only Human (Themis Files), Sylvian Neuvel //
  • Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, Yuval Noah Harari //
  • Homo Deus, Y. N. Harari //
  • Firefall [omnibus of Blindsight and Exchopraxia], Peter Watts not yet finished
• Stretch every morning for 7 days
• Have only cold showers for a week (29/05/18)
  • Cold showers for a month

Skill Goals

• Learn to ride a 125cc bike (do CBT)
• Juggle 3 balls for 30 seconds straight
• Hold a handstand for 10 seconds
• Learn to pick a lock
• Learn to do a backflip
• Learn Jiu Jitsu (first session on 11/06/18, second session on 20/06/18)
  • Attend 5 sessions

Sport/ Fitness Goals

• Conventional deadlift 180kg (26/11/18)
• Squat 150kg (29/11/18)
• Bench Press 100kg (2 plates)
  • 110kg
• Get a meet total of 400kg+
• Overhead Press my bodyweight (~67.5kg)
• Run a sub 6 minute mile (current best is 6:15)
• Complete 15 pullups in a single set (completed 04/07/18)
  • 20 pullups
• Complete a Tough Mudder
• Join a rugby team at uni (joined Sheffield Engineers Rugby FC)

Academic/Professional Goals

• Get a 2:1 or better overall in first year (Achieved a 1st!)
• Get a summer placement at an engineering firm

Travel and Adventure Goals

• Visit Amsterdam
• Visit New York and go to the top of the Empire State
• Visit California Redwood National Park and see Hyperion (tallest tree in the world)
• Visit NASA Houston, Texas
• Visit Madrid (August 2018)
• Visit New Zealand and go to Mt. Doom (Mount Ngauruhoe)
• Go interrailing around Europe
• Visit Budapest
• Visit Japan

Fun Goals

• Compete in Ninja Warrior UK
• Go on Saw the Ride at Thorpe Park
• Complete an 8 pint pub crawl

Crazy/Amazing Goals

• Witness a rocket launch
• Go skydiving
• Bungee Jump over water
• Ride in a helicopter

Lifestyle/ Experience goals

• Cook for 5+ people (made pasta for 5 people of course)
• Take apart a bike, clean it, then reassemble it
• Buy a new car
• Wild camp for a night (i.e not on a campsite)