Such a simple sentence isn’t it? ‘To begin, begin.’ There’s no need for any deep analysis. Wordsworth meant what the quote literally says: to start something, you must actively engage it.

And that’s the same for travel. Yes, there are people out there kayaking the length of a river from source to sea or living alongside a remote indigenous tribe. But travel can remain simple – it doesn’t have to be sexy, or Instagrammable or death-defying. It can be as simple as breaking from your normal routine and getting on a local bus going in a direction you never take.

The more complicated we make our adventure travel goals the more likely we are to put them off. The hardest step is always the first one right? We can always make excuses for not doing something … we can always find many reasons to wait. And yes, if we start it might not work out. We might get the wrong bus. I mean, let’s face it, the reality of any travel experience is often messy and often never quite lives up to our expectations.

But we should do it anyway. But, remember, travel is not necessarily about accomplishing the highest peak or trekking to the remotest destination. Travel is like everything else in life, it’s not always about where we end up, but more about what we may have learned along the way. Travel comes in many forms and disguises and I believe it’s better to not compare your own travels to that of others. Instead, go and find ones that suit you as an individual and be proud of your own personal achievements.

‘To begin, begin.’

William Wordsworth