Because It Is There: A Zero Emissions Odyssey

The
 idea
 of 
setting 
out
 on
 a
 zero 
emissions
 journey
 to 
circumnavigate
 the
 globe
 came
 to 
me
 last
 year,
 just 
after
 graduating 
from
 University
 in
 London,
 but 
the
 idea
 of
 exploring
 the 
world 
has
 itʼs 
roots 
in 
my 
childhood.

 From
 the 
age
 of 
2 
I
 grew 
up
 in
 a
 small
 village 
in 
the
 middle
 of 
the
 Cheshire
 countryside.
 I
 used 
to 
hear
 the 
stories
 of
 George
 Mallory, 
the 
villages 
most
 famous 
former 
resident,
 who
 died
 in 
his
 attempt
 to
 reach
 the 
summit
 of
 Mt
 Everest. 
The
 tales
 captivated 
me
 so 
much
 that
 I 
dream’t
 of 
being
 an
 explorer
 myself. 
Every
 bit
 of
 free
 time 
was 
spent 
exploring
 the
 village 
I 
grew 
up in,
 the local woodland,
 following
 the
 little
 stream 
that 
passes
 by
 the
 village
 as
 far
 as
 possible
 to
 see
 where
 it 
ended, 
hoping
 that
 one 
day
 I
 would
 be 
able
 to 
explore
 far
 off 
lands.

 As
 I
 grew
 older,
 high
 school 
happened
 and
 I
 had
 to
 spend 
more
 time
 studying
 than 
going 
out
 on
 little
 adventures 
but
 I
 never
 outgrew
 the
 want to
 explore.
 A
 few
 years
 later
 after
 living
 and
 studying
 in 
London
 I
 decided
 I 
wasnʼt
 ready
 to
 settle
 down
 and
 face
 a 
career.
 I
 had
 still
 had
 to
 cure 
my 
wanderlust;
 I
 still 
needed
 to 
explore; 
I 
still 
wanted
 an 
adventure. 

Now, 
a 
year 
or 
so 
down
 the
 line,
 Iʼm

 months
 away
 from
 setting off on an
 adventure
 to
 explore
 the
 world,
 to
 face 
my 
own
 challenges
 and to do what others say
 I
 canʼt.

This 
is 
my
 Everest.