An occasional blog on topics related to my work. For a behind-the-scenes look, subscribe to my Patreon page.
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Tomorrow is, in many ways, the culmination of years of work and preparation. The project began as a desire to explore Iran (my wife’s homeland) in more depth, brewed steadily while I learned to speak Farsi, and came to fruition in a journey along the Iran’s longest river, the Karun, last year. Now that journey is about to […]
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On The Art Of Lowering Your Expectations & Thus Having A Better Time
There’s a fantastic deconstruction on WaitButWhy.com of why Generation Y yuppies are permanently dissatisfied. It’s a long piece, and after you’ve finished this, I suggest you give it a read. (Especially if you are a Generation Y yuppie.) In the middle of the article is the following equation: Happiness = Reality − Expectations This three-word […]
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Why I Left England (Again) To Live In A Country Most Can’t Place On A Map
There is no easy way to explain how I’ve ended up living in the small former Soviet republic of Armenia. Thankfully, I now have the luxury of running a personal blog with an unlimited word count. So let me give you the backstory. (Not the full backstory, mind you. If you want to hear that, […]
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Diary Of An Adventure Filmmaker: Picture Lock On Patagonia (And Other Major Milestones)
Several big pieces of news this week on the subject of A Tale Of Two Rivers, my ongoing crowdfunded filmmaking project to produce and release two new adventure films: A big achievement in the production of our Patagonia film – we have finally achieved picture lock. Yeah! We’ve also decided on the final title for […]
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Debunking The Myth Of The Modern-Day ‘Adventurer’
I’ve noticed something recently, which is that I often get referred to as an ‘adventurer’. Something about this doesn’t ring true. I’ve never used the word to describe myself – not in real life, nor in my blog’s ‘about’ page, my social media profiles, my email signature, nor anywhere else. The first time I actually […]
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Banff & Kendal Aren’t The Only Adventure Film Festivals Worth Going To. Here’s Why
Last weekend, on the way back to Armenia from a final film editing stint in London, I stopped over in Bucharest, Romania, for a long weekend at the Hip Trip Travel Film Festival. The festival was organised by a small team of Romanian travellers and film lovers. In 2014 – their first year – they’d […]
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Why, After 9 Years Running TomsBikeTrip.com, I Started This New Blog Today
On my first night back in Yerevan after several years living in England, I noticed a book on the bedside table – a book I hadn’t seen for a very long time. It was a copy of my first travel memoir, Janapar. This one belonged to my wife, Tenny. It had a bookmark in it. English is her third […]
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Diary Of An Adventure Filmmaker: A Tale Of Two Rivers First Ever Private Screening – The Debrief
Last weekend saw the first ever private screening of The Last Explorers and Karun. A theatreful of Kickstarter backers joined us for the evening to enjoy the fruits of our labours, and to offer feedback and suggestions for improvements before the films are finalised. The event was a resounding success, and Leon and I would like […]
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Selected Notes On The Unbelievable Kindness Of Strangers – And A Single, Simple Request
It was, without doubt, the most miserable night of my life. Flimsy nylon flapped in the wind. I stumbled through the snow in the fading purple of dusk, trying to anchor one corner of the tent to a pannier, another to a bicycle wheel, another to a tree branch; all the while wearing mittens designed for […]
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Fluent In Spanish, French, German, Italian? Want To Help Show The World The Real Iran?
UPDATE: We’ve had an utterly amazing response to this call for translations. Nearly 100 people have volunteered their time in less than 24 hours! Thank you, thank you, thank you – it’s fantastic to see and hear how many of you are on board with what we’re trying to do. The result is that we […]