My Hobbies and Passions

"…we put the thought of all that we love into all that we make."  J.R.R. Tolkien,  Fellowship of the Ring

Travel

• I am addicted to travel and love to go where I've never been.  I've travelled to over 40 countries.  
• My favourite travel experiences were India, Nepal, Turkey and my trip through South America.  
• I was a tour leader in the Middle East and it holds a special place in my heart.
• Most of my travel experiences have been recorded through notes, letters and travel journals.
  
• My preferred form of travel is backpacking

Photography

• I love taking photos of just about anything but especially landscapes and wildlife.  I started taking photos in 2004 but it was my trip through South America that really kindled my passion for photography.  
• To see my photos, check out my photography site.
  

Hiking

• I love to go hiking through natural places.  My favourite hikes of all time were the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal (16 days) and the Torres del Paine hike in Chile (5 days.)   
• See some of the of hikes I have been on.
  
• I love camping in nature,

Nature and Wildlife

• I love visiting nature reserves and wildlife reserves and whenever I travel, I seek them out.
• I am a birder and have travelled widely in search of new species.  In 2006, I achieved my goal of seeing 1000 bird species in the wild.  Since then, I've slacked off a bit but I still love doing bird photography.   
• I also love seeing wild animals in the wild and photographing them.

Movies

• I love watching movies.   
• In 2006, I achieved my goal of seeing all of the movies on the IMDB top 250 list.  

Writing

• Sometimes, very rarely and not for ages, I write a little bit of poetry.  
• Occasionally I also like to write stories.  

Other Passions

• Pursuing my life list
• Leaping
• Experiences that take my breath away
• Rollerblading, tennis and paddle skiing
• Meditation and spirituality
• Food
• Reading
• MindManager (and any other tools that enhance personal productivity and thinking skills)
• Adventure
• Canoeing
• Blogging
• Books
• Shows
• Exhibits
• Museums
• Work
• Diving
• DIY
• Eating out
• Doing sport
• Writing
• Swimming
• Teaching
• Tennis
• Travel
• Sea swimming
• Home life
• Rollerblading