Welcome to our blog, Pin In The Atlas.
Every item, every road, every place has a story to tell. If you sit and listen quietly, they will kindly tell you everything you need to know. One thing about us is, we believe the places we visit, feel the same emotions as we do, emotions conveyed through the simplest gesture of taking the time to visit.
Do you have the urge to get away for either short or extended periods? Are you longing to see places like the Houses of Parliament, the Eiffel Tower, the Colosseum, or mooch around the Distillery District in Toronto? Maybe it’s a road trip you fancy, such as Route 66, or you’re fascinated with exploring Ghost Towns and other Mysterious Places.
Then our blog is right up your alley. Hopefully, our writing will immerse you in the experience of being alongside us, connecting you with the world we see and inspire you to plan an excursion of your own.
Both of us have strengths. Andrea is more analytical and loves research. Steven prefers to focus more on storytelling. So we have blended both of those into each of the blog posts. Below we will share a little more about us.
MEET ANDREA
I’ve had the travel bug for as long as I can remember. I believe it started just after my Grandmother came back from an around the world cruise. She filled my head with stories about ancient cities, wild animals and exotic beaches.
Bringing me back gifts from some of the places she’d been: A doll from Portugal, a small leather bag from India, a wooden elephant from Africa, and my favourite, a cuddly Koala from Australia. I was around four years old at the time and knew then that I wanted to travel.
At 18, I packed my bags and headed to Australia using the “Milk Float” run. The cheapest airline ticket at that time was Garuda Airlines, and they stopped six times before landing in Australia, hence the nickname Milk Float. It took about four days to get there! After spending a total of 18 months backpacking, hitch-hiking and using the Greyhound bus travelling around Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia, I headed back to the UK. Once home, I found it difficult to settle, so a few years later, I packed my bags again! That was back in the 80s, long before the internet, Google and blogging!
I did eventually, ‘settle down” so to speak, back in the UK. I continued to do as many trips as I could, usually ‘girlie’ holidays throughout Europe and seeing relatives in Ontario, Canada.
Fast forward a few years. I ended up working for an airline; Not as cabin crew, but on the ground at Gatwick. This lasted for 17 years and numerous holidays to just about everywhere.
welcome to CALIFORNIA DREAMING
In 2011 I decided to quit everything and went to California with my dog Harvey.
After making several road trips, (including the ultimate Route 66) using other blogging websites as inspiration, a friend of mine suggested that I start blogging about my experiences. And this was how “Pin In The Atlas” was born. It is also great to have someone to share these experiences with, who has also become passionate about inspiring others to get out there and see the world. Primarily we make road trips around the USA. However, we do go to other countries as much as possible.
Steven and I are not full-time travellers at present. However, we intend to travel and blog permanently soon, improving our writing skills and photography as we go. We are ultimately sharing our stories, giving practical advice and encouraging others to do the same.
MEET STEVEN
I’m a Southern California native and didn’t grow up with a travelling frame of mind. I would see or read about these exotic locations around the world like Rome, London and Paris and think to myself ‘Wouldn’t it be great to go there?’ That’s as far as it went, just fleeting thoughts of things I believed were out of my reach.
After school and beginning the working stiff’s life, I found something which kept my mind occupied: Motocross. I bought myself a motorcycle and learnt to ride well enough, so I tried my hand at racing. Taking to this very quickly and loving every facet of it, I got a better paying job, a faster bike and some sponsors. Racing is what I wanted to do for a living! It was all I thought about and worked hard for. Then it happened. A devastating racing accident almost ended my life and left me in a wheelchair nearly paralysed. It took a lot of hard work to get back on my feet.
TIME FOR A CHANGE
Back to the drawing board! After recovering, I decided to go camping. Something I had never enjoyed in the past. This time it seemed different. The small hikes in the mountains found their way into my life. I took day trips to places that hadn’t been on my radar. It was fun and exciting, leaving me wanting more. How about a three-month road trip starting with Route 66 and then into Canada? While we’re at it, why don’t we go to Europe – Rome and London, Iceland and Paris!
If you hadn’t guessed, Andrea was the push I needed to rekindle my relationship with life. Travel, Andrea and Harvey inspired me. Now travelling and writing are where my passions lay.
We sincerely hope you’ll want to come along with us and ‘enjoy the ride’ so to speak!
“As you can imagine, Harvey was a massive part of my life and travelled with me pretty much everywhere. Therefore, he is still in some of our blogs as well as our hearts. Here is a list of fun facts about him.”
SOME FUN FACTS ABOUT HARVEY
- I love munching on carrots. Mum gives them to me as a treat. They are good for my teeth and won’t make me fat.
- My most favourite thing to do is go on road trips.
- I started going to school when I was eight weeks old and trained to be a search and rescue doggie.
- My first girlfriend was Lilly, a German Shepherd. We met at school.
- I’ve been on a plane three times, and Mum counted that I have been to 26 states in the US. Is that a lot? And three countries.
- I helped my Mum write a book. It’s about how I first met Mum, and about all my favourite things. It’s called Harvey’s Favorite Day.
- My Mum is writing this because I’m at the Rainbow Bridge now with Lilly and my sister Indianna. I come and see my Mum and Steve every day to make sure they’re alright. And I still go on all the road trips with them, so they don’t get lost.
now go and put a pin in the atlas
Travel doesn’t have to be expensive. You don’t need to stay in 5-star hotels (although that is quite nice for a change). Just get out there. Turn off that cell phone. Forget about Facebook and what other people had for lunch or their political views. Don’t be a slave to social media.
Take a picnic, go for a hike, or hug a tree. Be at one with Nature. Camp or go on a road trip. Go and see things that you haven’t seen. Do something you’ve never done. Why not explore a ghost town or spend time in a museum. Say “Hello” to strangers. After all, friends were strangers when you first met. Speak to locals and gain wisdom from generations past. Learn and experience life without technology for a while. You’ll be glad you did.
