About Me

 I'm never sure where to start with these sorts of things. My name is Benny. Nice to meet you, I guess. I'm 28 years old with not too much of an idea of what I want to do with my life, so here I am trying to fill it with some sort of meaning. 

So, what's there to know about me? 

If you're into the Indie Rock band Vampire Weekend, you'd think I was the subject of their hit song 'Diplomat's Son', because that's what I was. I spent much of my younger years in various different countries around the world where my Dad was posted. I was born in Lithuania from where I moved to Saudi Arabia and Ghana in my early years. 

Enjoying the Lithuanian countryside on a summer holiday sometime.

My formative years as an early teenager were spent in Denver, Colorado (where funnily enough, I am now technically banned from entering, but we'll get to that later). After a failed stint in boarding school, I moved with my parents once again to Auckland, New Zealand, where I spent much of my formative years as a teenager and young adult. 

Out of all places, it was the United States where I developed a love and passion for rugby and sports. I was always encouraged to give everything a go growing up. Be it karate, football, tennis, rugby, cricket, baseball, basketball, and more. I was a sports-mad youngster growing up. When I wasn't in class, I was probably out playing some sort of sport with my friends regardless of the weather - be it touch rugby, american football, or regular football. 

Posing for a photo during a lunch break at Graland School in Denver, aged 14 c. 2011(?)

It goes without saying, then, that in New Zealand my love for rugby was cemented, although I played for my schools 1st XI in the football as well. I was also an avid recreational tennis player, although it was definitely my weakest sport! 

With a passion for sports and rugby, I headed back to the UK as a fresh-faced man, eager to study a unique degree that specialised in rugby coaching at the University of South Wales. Three years flew by and, as most young men are in their early 20s, I had wide-eyed visions and ambitions of becoming a pioneer for rugby and growing the game. I moved to Lithuania with the goal of growing the game there and a long-term ambition to see Lithuania one day qualify for the World Cup. I seemed to be the only one interested in this vision though and - after six months of being over-worked, undervalued, and looked down on - my time there came to an end. I quickly learnt you can only help those who want to be helped. 

Posing for a photo at the newly built Sports barn at the University of South Wales

At a coach education course in Kyiv, Ukraine, with some others from Lithuanian Rugby. 

While unemployed back in the UK, I decided to take some of the money I had saved up and go travelling for the summer after reading and watching Into the Wild. With a sole backpack, I flew to Vienna and headed east. I went through Slovakia, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, and Turkey, before running out of money. 

Posing for a photo in Garni, Armenia on my travels from the summer of 2019.

My first solo trip had opened my eyes to the possibility of travel. It had been on an incredibly tight budget but I absolutely loved it. The world seemed full of opportunities. Soon, it was time to return to university to get my Master's degree in Sports Coaching in South Wales again. 

Midway through that year, Covid-19 became a thing and, before I knew it, lockdown became a thing. I spent the next year working in a Sainsbury's counting the days before I could travel again. The world slowly opened up in 2021 and I used the opportunity to get out while I could. My best friend Fred and I both quit our jobs and bought one-way tickets to Albania for what would be six weeks of immense growth and self-discovery. We walked up mountains, across the country, got chased out of a camp, and so much more. 

Fred (right) and I making friends in Albania. June 2021.

My experience in Albania made me realise there was so much more to life than trying to appease higher-ups. My time in Lithuania had jarred me and, as such, I decided to focus a lot more on myself going forward - do what I wanted to do, on my terms, when I wanted. 

I returned to the UK, picked up a job at a hotel for the summer and began to save again. When the contract ran out, I headed to Spain and spent six weeks in Madrid learning Spanish, playing football, meeting people, and just generally having a great time. With my newfound acquisition of the Spanish language, I headed for Newcastle in the search of re-starting my life in the UK. I wanted a change, so I picked the city solely based on the fact I supported the football team and got on a one-way train. 

An ode to George Orwell in Huesca, Spain, during my six weeks in the country.

I worked in Newcastle for a year at the city centre Five Guys, flipping burgers and watching NUFC when I could. After a year, the itch began to get me good and once again and, once again, I quit my job to travel the world. Over the course of the next six months I travelled across a large portion of Europe, went down to Namibia, and even went to the war-torn Middle East - visiting Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria. 

Iraq and Syria are two of eight countries which ban you from applying for an ESTA visa waiver programme but it's ok - I don't really plan on visiting the USA anytime soon. I wouldn't want it any other way - Iraq and Syria were two of my favourite countries I've ever visited. 

This blog will be a place that I share stories from my adventures, in the past and ongoing. I hope it will be of use to some people or, if not, a place I can look back on my memories fondly. 

The famous Tahrir Square in Baghdad, Iraq.