Be patient Jezmondo!

Planning Day 28 - Tuesday 30 October 2008

It's a very strange feeling to step away from working for a living. I guess it's reached that point a few weeks after the commotion of leaving employment when reality bites. For me it doesn't feel panicky but kind of peaceful and serene. All the stresses of modern living have evaporated and yesterday I found myself falling asleep in Lichfield's amazing old library with the sun on my face reading up on Tibet!

While it sounds romantic I've already realised that I'm a bit impatient and at my best when I'm busy, doing stuff. My apartment (not flat remember!) is taking an age to go through thanks to some lazy-arsed lawyering and the building being on an old petrol station. Everything's on track but just moving s...l...o...w...l...y. I'd now really like that completion date. Because, good old organised me-being-me, I'll only travel when it's all sorted out, the equity's stashed away and I'm off foot-loose and fancy free!


Although this organisational stuff's very disconcerting because it's amazing how you can change so quickly. When I concocted this crazy/mad/life-altering/enigmatic (delete as you feel necessary) idea to travel the world I planned out every single day of where I'd be, what I'd be doing, hostels to stay in, flights to pre-book, etc, etc, etc. And yet 3 weeks later I'm up for just booking the general flights, packing my rucksack (the most common word in the English language by the way for Smith and Jones fans), sticking my Lonely Planet in my back pocket and heading off!

Now don't get me wrong there's plenty I'll do before I go. Jabs are continuing at pace (more tomorrow so bracing myself for another day of feeling crappy). A good budget for each continent so that I don't wipe out my money in North America and come home embarrassingly early. Purchasing bullet-proof travel insurance to replace everything when my kit inevitably gets nicked. And having a general route so that I know what countries I need to arrange for visas.

I've also got to say a huge thanks to Lucy for switching me onto Imaginative Traveller and Intrepid. If I'd known just how cheap you could arrange for organised tours around the world I'd have been doing this kind of thing for years ... check out their web sites and see for yourself! Oh - and this isn't viral marketing Robbie J - I've not actually booked with them yet - and I reserve the right to un-promote these companies if they get me stuck up a gum tree in Belize ...

And it's now all happening

Planning Day 17 - Friday 19 October 2007

The dull ache in my arm this morning can be seen as the point of no return for this adventure. It feels very real now and there's no second guessing or turning back. We're on a count down to the big off!

It was travel clinic down at the doctors yesterday morning and this little baby's ensuring I won't be dying from yellow fever anytime soon. For those of a nervous needle disposition look away now ...



Two jabs administered and a trial malaria tablet whose side effects could give you hallucinations and weird dreams ...! Just a minor test compared to the ones ahead so it was easy to glug it down with a big glass of water. Nothing to report just yet. But it probably wasn't the best idea to play squash with Growbag and Tatey last night ...

So it's now time to stock up on travel stuff. And I know I shouldn't but I just couldn't resist the new iPod Touch. It's got a handy wi-fi connection and I love Apple's Safari web browser already so I figured it could be really handy for doing this blog on the road. Probably just a fad and I'll always be near a computer but then there's always the music and videos. Just bought the start of series 3 of Lost from the iTunes store before you can get it on DVD! And I'll be able to buy new music on the move. It's soooo cool. I even got it engraved with my name which they do BEFORE boxing it all up and THEN shrink wrapping it. Neat. Here it is and if anyone thinks otherwise there's nothing wrong with a gadgety streak!


The great outerwear conundrum's also conquered thanks to Mr North Face. Didn't scrimp on a topper Gore-Tex jacket and then fleece jacket that zips in for the extra snug feeling. It'll probably be useless during monsoon season in Asia but boy will I be toasty warm whenever I'm away from the equator. And as someone who feels the cold that had to be top of the requirements!

OK. Enough for now because I'm off to play golf on the moon with Tiger Woods, Jimi Hendrix and Mary Queen of Scots. They're currently all sitting on my sofa and telling me to hurry up. Maybe these malaria tablets aren't right for me after all ... ;-)

Life's never linear ... despite my best efforts

Planning Day 15 - Wednesday 17 October 2007

I've just read my last post and, if you're reading this thinking, 'that was the work bit sorted now onto the fun travel stuff', you've no chance just yet!

It's taken about 10 days after my contract ended to square everything away with my old employers and leave proudly out of the front gate at the fancy, cool and 24 set-inspired National Tennis Centre. Deep down it's something I've been after for a while now. And it seemed really difficult to find. But after much searching. It was there all the time ...



I didn't see any cyclists. In fact I barely saw anyone. Besides, once you're out, you're out and yesterday's news. All I saw was Brigid from the Information Technology department receive all my company property and kindly take the final photograph of me sporting the fruits of my labour on the Ferdinand Magellan inspired tasche. Compare us below. OK. The tasche (and indeed beard) need some work but just checkout the hat similarities. And that wasn't even planned. Spoooooky!

And what a joy it was to ceremoniously turn off the Blackberry. Now I'm a gadget-man who loves technology and, to start with, it was fantastic to do your e-mails on the hop and never have to dash back to your computer to empty your Inbox. But after a bit, when your self-discipline slackens and you leave it on when really it should be off, that bloody thing drives you to distraction! I think the world should ban all forms of mobile communication before 9am. Come on everyone. Let's ease into each day. Yep. Work hard during old skool hours of 9am-5pm. But in the mornings chew rice krispies with your kids. Make your partner breakfast in bed. Do that thing single guys do to wake their bodies up. But don't send any e-mails ... at least not to me!

OK - rant over - here's what I managed to do before I handed the Blackberry's best mate ,the lap top, back as well - empty my Inbox - rarer than the white rhino apparently.



And last Friday saw a top day of hand over to my old mate Van Willerton who steps boldly into the fray to take on managing tennis across all of the Midlands. Van is a genius in hiding. He's unbelievably creative and backs this up with the ability to get the job done. No matter what the difficulty or hardship Van'll see it right. A rare and talented gift indeed. Long may he succeed. I should have a photo of him here after that commendation. But I haven't got one. In fact he's lucky I'm alive to type this after insisting we play the last few holes of a round of golf in thunder and lightning. Because. I forgot to mention. He doesn't take himself too seriously and is a maniac!!!

Instead he took a fine photograph of me and Martyn from Stafford Sports College. Martyn's a Stafford legend leading PE at the College for as long as he cares to remember. He was instrumental in providing me with lovely office accommodation for the last few years. And we worked on a variety of projects together. He's one of the world's truly honest people. Firm when needed. But always fair. Simply great traits that I've always followed myself and I'll miss his perpetually bright outlook on life.



And that really is it with The Lawn Tennis Association. It seems strange because my natural instinct is to draw a line under that part of life and move on. But I've made such great friends that it will always remain part of me. A really good reason for justifying the few days of free work I put in for them at the end. As my big brother, Rich, said 'you can see the global picture'.

A momentus day in my life!

Planning Day 5 - Friday 5 October 2007

Well - some days in life everything just runs away with you and you put your head on your pillow at night and go 'jeez! A pretty important day that'.

A conversation with the old gaffer ('old' relating to his relationship with me, not his age) early doors on Friday 5 October and it was all over for me and The Lawn Tennis Association. Thankfully I guess on reflection. We were trying to work out staying on for a few more weeks to help out but a compromise agreement making me a free agent resulted in a day to sort out 10 years of work.

Thank Buddha I started that hand over document mega-early knowing that I'd be leaving Staffordshire whatever was to come. I managed to speak to all the necessary people, send the obligatory 'thank you and au revoir' emails, leave weird out of office forever auto-replies (they take on a whole new and refreshing meaning when you say you're not coming back!), see our legendary Secretary/Administrator, Elaine, off safely and lock the door behind me!

To be honest I was a bit upset ... and displayed a classic Reggie glum-one that the great man himself would have been proud of! Only joking ... I'm free!


And so that's it. It feels brilliantly liberating to move on from that challenge in life and face this new one of getting round the world. Not a bad trade I think!

A massive thanks to Elaine for putting up with me for a decade. I can only hope that just a day at the health spa can re-dress years and years of putting up with me ...

There's a whole world outside tennis and I'm just about to find it!

And just like that I was made redundant ...

Planning Day 1 - Wednesday 3 October 2007

Welcome to the start of a journey for me (the tall guy on the right here) ... and maybe for you if you want to check this blog out over the next 12 months or so.

You see, at the age of 35 and a few months short of birthday 36, my employer, The Lawn Tennis Association, decided to re-structure the development of the sport in Great Britain. And in doing so complete a 12 month period of re-aligning their operations to a new Blueprint for British Tennis. A trendy document aiming to, FINALLY, really put British Tennis on the world map. It's bold, radical and in good hands under cool leadership from people like the bloke in this photo. My old manager (yes Matt, 'manaha he manaha', Fawlty Towers, Circa 1970s) Mark 'the gruff Yorkshireman' Hamilton.

Good old Mark. A top bloke. Sound of mind. Astute of nature. And forget about all the corporate stuff (which he played with a very straight bat) the kind of manager you felt was on your side. I'll miss his dry humour. He was very supportive as I attempted to gain a promotion. Well, that just wasn't meant to be. And to be perfectly honest. I'm glad. I was asked to apply for jobs at my own level during the re-structure but I've been pretty unhappy with that job for a few years now. So I guess I came to a cross roads. And, instead of taking my usual, reliable. 'dependable Jez' safe route straight across ... I thought... stuff it ... I'll turn right for a change.

And boy is that right turn way better than going straight on. You see, the Association is a solid organisation working tirelessly with little thanks and much criticism. But I have to say they're treating me very well as I signed up today to redundancy. And that treatment's opened up a great opportunity for me to finally fulfill some boyhood dreams ... and travel the world!

As a kid I read Tintin books about far off places over and over. As an adult I watched Indiana Jones enviously adventure in exotic places. And I even managed to look past Angelina Jolie's tight-fitting outfit to see the stunning locations she jumped around in Tomb Raider. And now I get to try it all out for myself ... or at least some of it (the world's enormous as I'm about to find out!).

So there's lots to do including:
Get that draft schedule definite ( a meeting with Trailfinders is top priority)
Complete the sale of the APARTMENT in the next few weeks (not a flat remember guys!)
Find out my final, final date of work (perhaps this Friday - gumph!)
Buy that rucksack (the most common word in the English language Robbie?!) and stock up on North Face outdoors gear
Fulfill that dentists and doctors appointment to service me up ready to hit the road
Get vaccinated and visa'd ('just a small prick sir')

And so please check back - this blog's intended to keep family and friends up to date and sleeping easily - safe in the knowledge that I'm alive and well during my adventure!