I’m already avidly plotting and scheming ideas for my travels next year and love the prospect of a fresh year and a fresh set of possibilities and options. And there’s nothing like planning an adventure to banish my midwinter blues in cold little England. My new year’s resolutions are invariably a list of destinations or experiences, more than promises to (once and for all) learn to cook. (I’ve made it to 25 years of age without properly learning to cook, but I’m still alive and still have friends, so maybe it isn’t the hugest social disaster after all…). So, do you have any exciting adventures up your sleeve for 2015? 

        If you’re wondering what your big adventure should be, I’ve got one or two ideas for you. Are you dreaming of single-handedly rowing yourself across the Atlantic Ocean like Roz Savage (read my interview with this incredible woman here), or driving 5,000 miles from the UK to Ghana for charity like my incredible mother (who wrote about that daredevil month-long escapade here)? Or are you keen to take a leaf out of Charlie Walker’s book, a guy who has just returned from a 4-year cycle trip around the world? Ok, perhaps those examples are a bit extreme and my own adventures are no way near as intense as those… There are definitely more achievable adventures to be had too. One I’m really keen to do is trek up a large mountain, like Mount Kilimanjaro.

          In the new year I’ll be heading to the Adventure Travel Show on the  17th-18th January in London Olympia. I’ve attended before and the best bit about it is the huge number of inspiring talks from intrepid explorers who come and tell their tales. I heard from the travel documentary presenter Ben Fogle, from documentary presenter Dallas Campbell, from Roz Savage the solo ocean rower, among others, and this year the show will be opened by none other than Sir Ranulph Fiennes, described by the Guinness Book of Records as the “world’s greatest living explorer”, a man who’s been to the north and south poles on foot, ran 7 marathons on 7 continents in 7 days, as well as climbing the north face of the Eiger as well as Everest at age 65! I’m dying to meet him.

          If you fancy going to the Adventure Travel Show in January and seeing what adventures you could actually have yourself in 2015, then you’re in luck as I have a special discount to give readers of The Well-Travelled Postcard! To get your advance ticket for just £6 (it’ll be £10 on the door) then just quote WTPOSTCARD when booking online at www.adventureshow.com. There will also be hundreds of specialist adventure travel operators so you can speak to the experts and plan your trip right there and then, from walking and trekking to exploratory journeys, safaris, overland trips and life-changing volunteering projects. I’m really looking forward to it and am hoping to get lots of inspiration and ideas for 2015 as my travel calendar is looking a little too empty for my liking!

What adventures are you planning for 2015 and what’s the one big adventure you want to do one day in your wildest dreams?