Tag: Escapism

A Trip to Nepal

May 7, 2025

I had wanted to visit Nepal for some time. Given my love of ancient cities and big mountains, it seemed like a place that I should have been to already, but it was only recently that I first journeyed there. My trip wasn’t part of a work-related writing assignment; it was the result of a plan I had started making with an old friend a few years ago. The Mardi Himal trek is quieter than many others in the Annapurna region. It involves hiking through picturesque villages and verdant forests before ascending a spectacular ridge to a 4,500-metre viewpoint. … More A Trip to Nepal

Red Mountain – An Autumnal Antidote

December 15, 2023

Japan’s summer is very hot. It is also extremely humid. The discomfort begins in June, when rising temperatures coincide with the onslaught of the rainy season. By the time the one-month mini-monsoon wraps up in July, Tokyo has been transformed into a torturous concrete cauldron that bakes and broils its inhabitants as they scurry from one air-conditioned refuge to another. 2023 was the hottest summer on record and led to one of the highest amounts of heatstroke-related deaths in recent years. … More Red Mountain – An Autumnal Antidote

Magical Moments

February 28, 2022

As a writer based in the world’s most populous urban conurbation, occasionally, I find my clarity of thought overwhelmed by a variety of superfluous sensory stimuli that pollute both the environment and my mind. Fortunately, Tokyo provides easy access to some fantastic national parks and natural habitats that serve as refuges from the chaotic miasma. It is to these places that I regularly try to escape, not only for a quick fix of adventure but also to refocus and seek out moments of balance, comprehension and insight. … More Magical Moments

Local Life

August 13, 2021

On the path of adventure, we veer away from what we have always regarded as normal. Seeing and experiencing something different can result in both positive and negative reactions, but regardless of this, new encounters help us to develop and grow. One thing that makes any journey interesting is observing how the communities we come across live. Learning about local culture through traditions, customs, dress, food, drink and typical lifestyle practices leads to more empathy, knowledge and broader cultural horizons. … More Local Life

Pathways

July 27, 2021

Every journey and every adventure begins with a single step along some kind of path. We may not know where they will take us or what trials and rewards they will present us with, but we can be certain that starting out along one of them will open up a myriad of possibilities. Some of them are solitary and straight, heading off into the distance on their determined lonely course. Some are winding and carry the traveller around corners to hidden things, while others lead to unexpected destinations via serendipitous intersections. … More Pathways

Sources of Inspiration – Adventure Stories

February 28, 2021

The need for escapism has been a constant throughout all ages of recorded human history. Adventure stories cater to this by serving as vehicles that allow us to make enjoyable mental forays into the mysterious and exciting unknown. Some of the oldest myths and folk tales we are aware of have been passed down over centuries or, in some cases, millennia. One can imagine the children of ancient Egypt gazing at the stars while they listened to elders recount the myth of Osiris. … More Sources of Inspiration – Adventure Stories