"Off the map, for a while" Orbital_'s Profile

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Think Tenerife is all beaches and beers? Wrong.

Well there I go falling off the face of the planet again. I think it's going to take a while before I really re-engage again with VT. Ah oh, in case you didn't know I have the best of excuses. After a long wait I commenced Police training in August 2006, and I am now on independent patrol in a small market town somewhere in the north of the UK.

Suffice as to say; the work is varied, interesting and often eyeopening. However the workload, the stress and the paperwork... I'm struggling to hang on at times. Time off is generally spent resting, and recovering from the pace.

Better wage = more chance to travel now, and fingers-crossed I will sneak abroad somewhere before the year is out. I started seeing someone at the start of the year and the relationship is still going well, so chances are for the first time in a while I'll have a travel partner, instead of going solo as usual.

Anyway, hope you're all well and I will be back in touch properly once things settle down.

54' North, 1' West, 20' C, 6' of Separation...

Wenceslas Square, Prague, January 2006

For those who've chanced upon this page, well now, how to introduce myself? Where to start? At age twenty-eight I like to think I'm a 'veteran' backpacker, but then I bump into people who make my global meanderings look like Sunday walks in the park. But hey, with my methods and means I don't think I've done too badly thus far. My passions are threefold when not lost in the warmth of a significant other - travel, music and books. I'm never happier than when indulging in all three, preferably with someone, in some manner of cross-cultural existentialist orgy.

I possess an overactive imagination, am often mesmerised by the simple things in life and simply fascinated by meeting people from abroad and sharing experiences of this crazy planet of ours. That goes for you reading this too.

My travel resume (forever a work-in-progress)

Blonie Park, Krakow April 2005

Countries visited so far:

Austria, Australia, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Canada, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Fiji, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong*, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, USA, Vatican City

[*= pre 1997 visit - hence I count it as a seperate country!]

Country count - 28!

Next Trip:

Tunisia - October 2012

Travels in 2010:

Tenerife, Canary Islands - August 2010

Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina - October 2011

Recommended stuff of the moment...

Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey, August 2005

CURRENT SOUNDTRACK:

'These Hopeful Machines' by BT

CURRENTLY READING:

'The Passage' by Justin Cronin

Intro Updated Mar 15, 2012
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Personal Pages (4)

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Comments (93)

Donna_in_India Sep 30, 2010 at 8:09 PM Report Abuse

Happy, happy birthday Ingmar!
sunlovey Oct 3, 2008 at 10:19 AM Report Abuse

a belated happy birthday wish! although i'm not sure you'll see it, looks as if you've logged on here less frequently than i, hope it rocked anyway!
JourneyOf1 Mar 4, 2008 at 10:46 AM Report Abuse

I went from being a police officer to being a writer..you're going in reverse :-) Hope life is taking the directions you wish. All the best!
mesoblonda Oct 4, 2007 at 9:54 AM Report Abuse

ARGH! I missed it! Happy belated birthday Ing, wishing you all the best!
Kaspian Oct 1, 2007 at 2:05 PM Report Abuse

Happy Birthday from a cloudy day in Northern Ontario, Canada!
Etoile2B Oct 1, 2007 at 1:48 PM Report Abuse

Happy birthday from sunny California!
roamingpaddy Oct 1, 2007 at 10:38 AM Report Abuse

Happy birthday Ingmar from Ireland! fantastic main pic!
cpiers47 Oct 1, 2007 at 8:32 AM Report Abuse

Happy Birthday and Best Wishes! Your pictures of Yosemite are fantastic!
mary2u99 Oct 1, 2007 at 5:24 AM Report Abuse

Happy Birthday, Ingmar. :-)
traveloturc Sep 30, 2007 at 10:48 PM Report Abuse

Happy birthday to you from Istanbul/Turkiye...I wish that you realize all your dreams good luck !!!))))