Watch it. It’s truly inspirational.

-Craig

Click here to view the embedded video.

If you’re like me, you’ve probably noticed the majority of people these days are glued to their electronic devices like they are their ‘get out of jail free’ card in Monopoly.

It’s not just public transport either, literally everywhere you go these days; people are interacting through their devices and not face to face with other human beings.

Take the dating scene as a perfect example; over the past few years there has been a meteoric rise in the number of people that have taken to the internet in order to find a spouse, partner or a casual fling.

Apparently one in five relationships starts online in the UK, only third behind ‘meeting through acquaintances’ and ‘meeting in pubs/bars.’

This implies that unless alcohol is involved, people aren’t interacting with each other in the real world without the use of an intermediary such as their friends.

Now of course I’m speaking in generalisations here. There are people (me included) who enjoy meeting new people in a variety of environments that have and will continue to date people they’ve met out on the streets, in shopping centres or coffee shops.

The sad part is that there are people that view this as strange behaviour or something that they would not do. I mean, if that is the case then how did any of us get here today when Plenty of Fish or nightclubs didn’t exist?!

One thing for sure is that there was once a time when strangers would greet each other, stop for conversations and share pleasantries without being judged or labelled as strange. If you don’t see where I’m coming from just go and say hello to someone in London, especially on the tube…!

It’s about time we start to break down some of these social barriers that have been erected over the past decade before we end up like the people in the movie Idiocracy, which I highly recommend you watch as I honestly believe we are heading that way!

I really believe that if everyone had one genuine conversation with a stranger every day, the world would be a better place.

I wrote an article for Yuppee Magazine on our societies addiction to social networking and my experience of becoming Facebook dependent.

It’s got some good feedback, so check it out by clicking here!

-Craig

I’ve been letting this site fester away in the background for the last six months or so whilst ‘searching’ for the passion I had when I first decided to set it up.

When I first set up the site, I did so for myself as a way to write about my travels and to get into the travel blogging scene. I’ve since realised that a lot of the posts I was writing were written for others and didn’t fully encapsulate my personality.

Going forward, posts will be a lot more personal, travel posts will be about the stuff I find cool when abroad, I’ll be writing about the goals on my bucket list and generally injecting a lot more of my personality into the site.

I’m contemplating a YouTube channel where I’ll vlog about some topics I’m passionate about including dating/relationships & self development.

Finally I’m hoping to get a lot more people interested in the things I’ll be writing about as I believe there’s a lot of people living unfulfilled lives out there through conforming to societal norms!

Anyway, that’s enough for now..stay tuned!

-Craig

Having previously travelled Europe quite extensively, I was keen to explore further east and the once described to me “wild west of Lithuania” was just a cheap flight from my local airport.

When I booked the trip at the end of summer 2012, I’ll admit I didn’t really know anything about Kaunas only that Lithuania was amongst the Baltic States, which are infamous for producing extremely attractive females. Ironically, I met a lovely Lithuanian girl in my hometown a few weeks after booking the trip, who eventually ended up coming with me.

My first impression of Kaunas, despite being particularly cold at that time of the year (November), was that it fitted the stereotypical communist landscape I’d pictured in my mind. On the drive into the centre from the airport there were lots of grey rundown buildings and old German cars driving around.

I was only in Kaunas for 3 nights so booked a nice hotel on Laisvės Alėja (Freedom Avenue), which is the central hub for anyone staying in Kaunas.

The first night was spent exploring the Old Town before being taken for some traditional Lithuanian food. I’ll admit, the ‘Cepelinai’ (potato dumplings filled with meat) didn’t float my boat, but I did enjoy a traditional Lithuanian beer served in a rather ornate mug.

The following day, I was taken out of Kaunas on a day trip to Trakai Castle, which I’d read about before I left. Trakai Castle is a castle built on an island and once had great strategic importance during the 14^th Century.

Today, Trakai Castle is a museum that pulls in hundreds of thousands of visitors a year and is home to a large collection of antiques ranging from military weaponry to early coinage, 14^th century art and the odd stuffed animal head!

Kaunas is a city worth visiting for those interested in military history. Having previously visited a number of iconic sites with military history, the next stop on my itinerary was the Ninth Fort.

The Ninth Fort was a part of a number of fortresses set up to protect Kaunas towards the end of the 19^th century and was originally used as the city prison. However, what drew me to visit this site was the darker side of the fortress.

During the Nazi occupation of Lithuania, the Ninth Fort was used as a place of mass execution and at least 10,000 Jews were murdered there!

The final day in Kaunas I spent taking photos and checked out the local shopping mall, which contains one of the largest indoor aquariums in Europe!

Kaunas is a place I’d recommend for anyone who has an interest in military history or is looking for a day trip on a larger tour of the Baltic States. There’s not a great deal to do there, however it would be a shame not to visit if you are in the vicinity.

Oh and if you do visit Kaunas, be sure to check out possibly the highlight of my trip, ‘Charlie Pizza’ which is a bizarre but amazingly tasty pizza restaurant complete with Charlie Chaplin inspired décor!

Spotted this on YouTube a while ago and it really struck a chord with me. I just watched it again this evening as I needed a bit of a pick me up and it occurred to me that I should share it with you.

Some of the quotes contained in the video are a little corny, but some are absolutely true and should be internalised in order to maintain a positive frame.

Enjoy!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Tourists and backpackers alike flock to this mecca for everything extreme all year round.

Often dubbed the “extreme sports capital of Europe,” Interlaken plays host to a plethora of activities you were probably warned not to do when you were little!

Skydiving, canyoning, hang gliding, paragliding, and in the winter, skiing and snowboarding are a few in a large list of activities you can find yourself doing here.

During my recent trip to Interlaken (which won’t be my last), I spent an afternoon descending a mountain the scenic route via a series of rock jumps and natural slides into icy pools of glacier water. Canyoning as it’s known around the world is an activity not for the feint hearted but is bloody good fun!

And if that wasn’t enough, I also found myself facing my fear of heights by throwing myself off a platform into a canyon below with just a rope and harness being the only things preventing an almost certain death!

Interlaken isn’t all extreme though. Those of you not wishing to experience vast amounts of adrenaline coursing through your veins can enjoy some of the absolutely stunning scenery on offer.

I spent a day mountain biking around the surrounding area in awe of the magnificent views on display!

Those of you who enjoy a good hike will be spoiled for choice as there are a number of hikes ranging from beginner to more advance routes to choose from.

In the evenings there are a number of nice pubs/restaurants to choose from, ranging from the more commercial ‘Hooters’ to more rustic venues where the locals hang out. And if gambling with your life isn’t enough for you in the day, there is also a Casino where you can wager some more.

Party animals might be a bit disappointed though. Interlaken is not really the place for all night partying, however there is a nightclub located at one of the most popular hostels in the town, Balmers, which is pretty busy on the weekends with a mix of backpackers and locals frequenting it.

I stayed at Balmers and can honestly say it was one of the best hostels I’ve stayed in but those of you who like to live a bit more upmarket, there are some nice hotels in the center of town.

I highly recommend a trip to Interlaken, whether you love extreme sports or a beautiful landscape, you won’t be disappointed!

Canyoning is essentially the art of moving from the top of a canyon to the bottom via a series of rappels, natural slides and huge rock jumps!

The canyoning trip to Chli Schliere, just outside of Interlaken is advertised as “a varied and intense experience suitable for athletic people who want to be challenged!” Naturally, this was the trip I decided to go on, passing on the other canyoning trips deemed to be ‘less intense’ than Chli Schliere!

I could go into great detail about the day and how amazing it was, but instead I’ve thrown together the video below, which I filmed using my GoPro camera, that should give you an idea of just how awesome the trip was!

Click here to view the embedded video.

If after watching that video you feel the urge to go and throw yourself off rocks into pools of water, I highly recommend checking out the website for Outdoor Interlaken, who ran the whole event.

Their experienced guides make sure the day runs as smoothly as possible and they are also a great laugh!

The sun was beating down on the snow capped mountains as the minibus we were travelling in hurtled towards Grindelwald, where I would face my fear of heights by throwing myself from a platform attached to an 85m rope.

For most people, cruising through the Alps on such a beautiful day would provoke a feeling of relaxation, but as we approached our destination, a strong feeling of anxiety surrounded me like an emotional cloak.

I’ve never been a great fan of heights.  It’s one of those irrational fears where logically I know that unless something drastically goes wrong, I’ll be okay.  But logic isn’t enough to stop my heart rate from rising, my chest tightening and my limbs to refusing to work.

Going through all of the pre-jump safety measures seemed to take an age.  I remember finding it hard to concentrate on anything other than the huge drop I was about to throw myself into.

As I was being clipped onto the rope that would inevitably save me from a certain death, my heart was beating through my chest so much that I swear I was about to reenact the famous scene from Alien!

Standing on the platform with the green light to jump, I felt about ready for an anxiety attack. My heart rate was through the roof and my legs had all but given up on me.

It’s at this point in any situation that provokes a fear response where you’re presented with 2 options; fight or flight, the easy option always being the latter.

After what seemed like an eternity, I finally took the leap of faith.

Standing at the bottom of the canyon looking back up at what I had just done, I experienced a feeling of elation; I had taken on my fear and survived!

Have I conquered my fear of heights? Probably not. But I have learned to act in spite of fear, which ultimately is the key to experiencing amazing things in life!

Below is the video I shot of the experience with a wrist mounted GoPro camera. **Parental Advisory – strong language and intense scenes of a grown man screaming**

Click here to view the embedded video.

Tucked away in the Swiss Alps, this mecca for all activities associated with the word ‘extreme’ also has it’s own mountain – Harder Kulm.

The mountain is located in the Bernese Oberland region, between the Lake Thun and Lake Brienz.

You can either catch the funicular up to the top, or if like me, you prefer a bit of a challenge before your reward, you can engage in a two hour hike to the top (longer if you’re unfit…), where you’ll be greeted with a spectacular view!

Whilst I was there, I used my trusty GoPro camera to capture a panning timelapse of the view, which gives you an idea of just how beautiful the scenery is!

Take a look below and enjoy…

Click here to view the embedded video.