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This Hawaiian concept of happiness is deliciously simple
Our eternal quest for happiness has a tendency to get a bit complicated. There are just so many caveats that crop up in pursuit of this golden standard. Happiness comes from connecting with people, but not on Facebook. We need some friends, but not too many. Helping others is critical, yet so too is spending…
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“Why I quit my city job to train as a ski instructor”
Frankie Flower, 31, was firmly entrenched in the London rat race last year, when she suddenly decided she needed a change of scene. Having lived in the capital for nearly a decade, she decided to quit her corporate job and instead pursue a passion for skiing in the Canadian Rockies. Now six weeks into her…
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Travelling alone? 4 easy ways to meet people abroad
Want to meet people? Travelling is rife with the potential for new friends, and you can bump into them anywhere – from bus stops to gigs, shared dorms and beyond. “I’ve met SO many people while travelling whom I’ve learned so much from,” says American Teha Kennard (below), who quit her consulting job last year…
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Travelling with strangers: “what if there’s no-one like me?”
Meeting new people is a daunting prospect; especially if you’re about to spend two weeks on the road with them somewhere far-flung and exotic. “Oh my goodness, I was so nervous,” says Kirsteen, who travelled with Flash Pack to Peru and Bolivia. “I still remember the first thing I did after I booked the holiday…
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Fine quotes on friendship from Winnie the Pooh
To mark the birthday of A. A. Milne, creator of Winnie the Pooh and his beloved gaggle of woodland pals, we take a look at his heartwarming prose. Way before Taylor Swift’s #squadgoals became a thing, the likes of Pooh Bear, Piglet and co. were showing us how true friendship works. They knew the value…
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Two unsung mental health benefits of travel
Most of us loathe the phrase “finding yourself” when it comes to travel. And with good reason. What does it even mean, after all? Looking wistfully onto the horizon of some distant ocean? Exploring your spirituality on the Khao San Road? It seems so naval-gazing and false. A parody of itself. There ARE, in fact,…
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Want to travel solo? Don’t wait to be confident
We all have a mental image of what solo travel looks like. It’s a phrase that evokes confidence. We imagine a man suavely charming strangers in a Dominican Republic bar. A woman breezily strolling through Beijing airport, ready to take on the world. Explorers swaggering up mountains or down beaches, oozing serenity and self-belief. These…
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Why Flash Pack group travel works brilliantly for introverts
Alone time is important for lots of people Being “on form” is something that I quietly dread. I’m not exactly shy – on those ridiculous extrovert-introvert scales that are churned out now and again, I fall squarely in the middle – but nevertheless, the idea of banter is enough to bring me out in a…
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How holidays alone in your 30s and 40s can massively improve your mindset
Feeling a bit blue? We’ve all been there. You’ve been working hard for years. Friends are getting married and having kids. Your days follow the same, self-perpetuating routine: get up, work, sleep. It’s getting colder and colder, and when your fried brain finally gets a spare moment you find yourself dreaming of far-flung beaches. Snow-capped mountains. Crystal clear waters on a nameless island. There’s…