Tuesday 31 March 2009
Sunday 22 February 2009
The intrepid explorer, back on home soil
Well, after over a year stateside, this chap sneaked back into the UK last week! It was a discreet arrival and I was a little dazed for it felt like the end of an adventure.
I'll never forget it. One sunny day in September 2007, I found out that my short-lived career was about to expand a little. A little over the transatlantic.
A few months later in early 2008, I was living in Herald Square, right in the middle of Manhattan, New York, with a 10001 zip code. The first city that had visited on my trip around the world, was now, home? Waking up in Manhattan was spectacular, if a little surreal.
After three months, a new life in Chicago beckoned and I didn't really know what to expect. But in many ways, with more time in Chicago I enjoyed it more and got to know the place really well. I was also very lucky to find a place in one of the tallest buildings in Chicago and home was a 63rd floor apartment with some of the best panoramic views of the city.
I truly had the time of my life! So to leave it all behind was hard, especially leaving behind a special girlfriend and some new friends, but it is great to catch up with family and friends again. I just need to work out what's next!
On that note, who knows what is next. When I came back from travelling three years ago, I was dazed even then and I thought that I wouldn't have another adventure for a while. At that time, I posted these famous words on my original blog:
AFTER AN EPIC TRIP AROUND THE WORLD, THE INTREPID EXPLORER FINDS HIMSELF BACK IN THE UK, WHERE WILL HE GO AND WHAT WILL HE DO NEXT? FOLLOW THESE CHRONICLES INTO THE REALM OF THE UNKNOWN... THE TRAVEL OF LIFE RATHER THAN CHARTERED FLIGHT, IT'S HERE, IT'S REAL, IT'S THE INTREPID EXPLORER BACK ON HOME SOIL.
Since then, there have been more adventures, both in terms of a fair few chartered flights (believe me!) and the travel of life - I'm now an uncle and that's a bit of an adventure in itself!
I'll never forget it. One sunny day in September 2007, I found out that my short-lived career was about to expand a little. A little over the transatlantic.
A few months later in early 2008, I was living in Herald Square, right in the middle of Manhattan, New York, with a 10001 zip code. The first city that had visited on my trip around the world, was now, home? Waking up in Manhattan was spectacular, if a little surreal.
After three months, a new life in Chicago beckoned and I didn't really know what to expect. But in many ways, with more time in Chicago I enjoyed it more and got to know the place really well. I was also very lucky to find a place in one of the tallest buildings in Chicago and home was a 63rd floor apartment with some of the best panoramic views of the city.
I truly had the time of my life! So to leave it all behind was hard, especially leaving behind a special girlfriend and some new friends, but it is great to catch up with family and friends again. I just need to work out what's next!
On that note, who knows what is next. When I came back from travelling three years ago, I was dazed even then and I thought that I wouldn't have another adventure for a while. At that time, I posted these famous words on my original blog:
AFTER AN EPIC TRIP AROUND THE WORLD, THE INTREPID EXPLORER FINDS HIMSELF BACK IN THE UK, WHERE WILL HE GO AND WHAT WILL HE DO NEXT? FOLLOW THESE CHRONICLES INTO THE REALM OF THE UNKNOWN... THE TRAVEL OF LIFE RATHER THAN CHARTERED FLIGHT, IT'S HERE, IT'S REAL, IT'S THE INTREPID EXPLORER BACK ON HOME SOIL.
Since then, there have been more adventures, both in terms of a fair few chartered flights (believe me!) and the travel of life - I'm now an uncle and that's a bit of an adventure in itself!
Monday 16 February 2009
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Last week I managed to fit in a little trip to Mexico with Lindsey. Ever since I arrived in Chicago she's been my special local guide showing me all the best places, taking me to some fantastic concerts (even the opera for five hours!) and we just seem to have a lot of fun. Oh, and she is also a very good cook (though my talents remain undiscovered as I did burn the rice once and was never allowed to cook again!). So, obviously, she was the ideal traveling buddy for a trip to Mexico!
We headed to the airport early on Saturday morning, witnessing a beautiful sunrise over the airport and the city of Chicago.
Several hours later we were in a small taxi weaving in and out of the Mexican traffic on the hot streets of a town called Puerto Vallarta which is nestled on the coast of the pacific ocean. Boy was it nice to be in a warm place for a change!!!!!
The taxi dropped us off at the villa with all its brilliant views over the town and ocean. We headed down to the town and the beach enjoying all the sights as well as some Mexican sweetcorn mixed with poblano peppers - a true delicacy to try at home.
Even nicer are the mangos from this region of Mexico (Lindsey loves them dearly!) and on one trip to a surfing beach on the bumpiest bus ever, we came across possibly the best thing - a truck load of them!
We even saw this chap again (the so-called Mango Man) the next day at a different beach further down the coast and he greeted us like long lost friends before we bought another dozen of freshly picked mangos to keep up our vitamin C intake, at least for a year.
Coincidently, I did go surfing and although it was a little rocky near the beach, the waves were pretty good and Lindsey even got a rare picture of me in action. Hard to believe I know.
After that I was feeling lucky and so I treated myself to a whole red snapper on the way back! It was very nice indeed.
On the trip, we played pool a few times, well, this wasn't just enjoyment as I needed to avenge an earlier defeat, and we found some pool halls to play even when we were the only tourists in sight!
There was one last thing we needed to do and that was tequila tasting which was way more sophisticated than I thought and it was actually quite nice!
We had one last brunch in town on a balcony overlooking the ocean before flying back to the Windy City.
It was a great trip and such good fun!
We headed to the airport early on Saturday morning, witnessing a beautiful sunrise over the airport and the city of Chicago.
Several hours later we were in a small taxi weaving in and out of the Mexican traffic on the hot streets of a town called Puerto Vallarta which is nestled on the coast of the pacific ocean. Boy was it nice to be in a warm place for a change!!!!!
The taxi dropped us off at the villa with all its brilliant views over the town and ocean. We headed down to the town and the beach enjoying all the sights as well as some Mexican sweetcorn mixed with poblano peppers - a true delicacy to try at home.
Even nicer are the mangos from this region of Mexico (Lindsey loves them dearly!) and on one trip to a surfing beach on the bumpiest bus ever, we came across possibly the best thing - a truck load of them!
We even saw this chap again (the so-called Mango Man) the next day at a different beach further down the coast and he greeted us like long lost friends before we bought another dozen of freshly picked mangos to keep up our vitamin C intake, at least for a year. Coincidently, I did go surfing and although it was a little rocky near the beach, the waves were pretty good and Lindsey even got a rare picture of me in action. Hard to believe I know.
After that I was feeling lucky and so I treated myself to a whole red snapper on the way back! It was very nice indeed.
On the trip, we played pool a few times, well, this wasn't just enjoyment as I needed to avenge an earlier defeat, and we found some pool halls to play even when we were the only tourists in sight!
There was one last thing we needed to do and that was tequila tasting which was way more sophisticated than I thought and it was actually quite nice!
We had one last brunch in town on a balcony overlooking the ocean before flying back to the Windy City.
It was a great trip and such good fun!
Wednesday 11 February 2009
Tuesday 10 February 2009
Chicago charm
Just before the end of last year I pulled together all my footage of Chicago taken during the late summer. When I look back at this now, the city is so alive and different to what it is in the depths of the harsh winter!!! The long and hot summer really does make up for it, fortunately!
Enjoy!
Chicago Summertime from Adrian Swinbourne on Vimeo.
Enjoy!
Chicago Summertime from Adrian Swinbourne on Vimeo.
Saturday 10 January 2009
Thursday 8 January 2009
Monday 5 January 2009
Martha Anne Swinbourne
I think one of the most surreal moments for me in 2008 was meeting my little baby niece for the first time. My brother is now a Dad and I am an uncle. Hard to believe I know!
The strangest thing is that Martha just looks familiar - perhaps she has Charlie's mouth. I still haven't quite worked it out!
The strangest thing is that Martha just looks familiar - perhaps she has Charlie's mouth. I still haven't quite worked it out!
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