The View from Here
The why, where, how and who
(Photo from Three Capes Hike, January 2024)
Hello there!
I’m Sam, the face behind The View from Here.
Ever since I could talk (which was early…and according to my mum, non-stop once I started!) I’ve been a storyteller.
From humble beginnings telling stories to the ladies’ waiting at the bus stop with my nana and I, to the person who once followed us around the supermarket (I just had to hear the end of the story she told my mum), to writing stories at school, journals as a teenager and an angst ridden 20 something, to travel journals, to a hiking blog a few years ago, I haven’t stopped!
In my 20’s and 30’s I did a lot of travelling. I lived in Tokyo Japan for an exciting and expensive 9 months, I was a hiking instructor in Maine USA (where I spent my days hiking the Appalachian Trail in New Hampshire USA with teenagers from New York City), then lived in London for almost 6 years (where weekends and time off worked always involved hopping on a European bound flight).
Since returning to Australia, and becoming a parent, my love of travelling hasn’t stopped, but it has changed my view along the way. Kids Clubs and all you can eat buffets were in, and sharing a 10-bed dorm were out. Being suddenly single again, and having shared custody of my son also meant that every other week I could re-invigorate my love of hiking (it didn’t take long for my son to grow too big to carry!), or embark on a non kid friendly trip. More recently I’ve re-partnered with the perfect person for me - someone who shares my adventurous sprit and need to explore! He’s also motorbike mad, which has given me a new found love of motorbike touring.
Bringing all of this together, even though my view has changed, my love of seeing new places, and exploring near and far has never waned. I’m still a storyteller, and writing about my adventures is a really cool way to remember the good times, the not so good times…and all of the fun and learnings along the way.
So, this is my view, the View from Here. The View from a 40-something adventurous spirit that has been to almost 40 different countries, explored some of Australia, and won’t be staying put anytime soon.
Welcome!