Chaztaz

I was only 11 when I went to Barbados! I just went for ten days on a family holiday, but I’d looooooove to go back and check out the surfing side of the island. We went to the Malibu rum beach place and on a massive pirate style ship called the ‘Jolly Rodger’ where the we got to go to different beaches all around the island and do waterspots. it was so fun. it still operates today so if you’re going then i highly recommend it! x

I went to Cuba in 2005 on a family holiday. Of course, the place was beautiful, the food was amazing and the people were lovely…but what I did in Cuba…well that was life changing! During my second week in I some how summond up the courage to do a sky dive! I have never been so terrified and excited in my whole entire life… but as it was something i’ve always wanted to do i decided to take the plunge (literally) and go for it! The plane barely looked capable of taking off let alone jump out of. But once i was off the ground, well, there was no going back! I did it!! It was such an awesome experience and It’s something that I’ll never ever forget! I’d love to go back!!

I flew out to Bali in 2005 to meet my Boyfriend.. who back then was travelling on his gap year with a load of friends (we’d been apart for the whole winter). I guess that during that time in my life I was pretty stressed! I went during easter…just before my A level exams and just before the UCAS deadline which meant I had to decide what university I definately wanted to attend in the autumn. I’d always wanted to go to uni but when it actually came round to it the thought of it just wasn’t appealing to me as much as I expected…i was feeling really confused!

I fell in love with Bali almost straight away. The atmosphere, the culture, the people…i just loved it. During the three weeks that I spent there I had the absolute time of my life. I explored so many beautiful places, met so many lovely people and generally felt that I had been introduced to a completly new way of life. I remember that it was on the plane home I realised what I really wanted. I decided there and then to take a gap year and to travel for six months before going to uni. I also decided on what university to go to. Even if it wasn’t the most prestigious…I could picture myself there and it just felt right. My parents and teachers had been encouraging me go away to study in a big city but i always new deep down that that just wasn’t what I wanted.

When I arrived home and announced my gap year plans my Mum went balistic. She didn’t want me to go travelling because she feared that I’d never stop and go back into education. Never the less she eventually came round to it! During my gap year returned to bali and learnt to surf and the ‘sport’ has honestly changed my life.

I dont think I can describe how much bali means to me. If I hadn’t of visited this place I know that I wouldn’t of taken a gap year….so would have gone straight to uni…I probably would have never of learnt to surf properly either. Bali encouraged me to pave my own future, to trust my own inclings and most importantly Bali gave me the motivation to get out there explore the globe!