Free Bird Kayleigh

And that was that. What a gap, huh? Two years. It’s been a long time since I’ve written anything. The truth is, I’ve been so out of my funk that I feel like I’ve lost all sense of creativity, a little of who I was. In fact, I had lost myself completely and, to be honest, I haven’t been entirely sure about how to get it back. It wasn’t really until recently, when I accompanied some students to sit an exam and met a very friendly Nepalese woman whilst waiting for them to finish, that I had felt any kind of inspiration to write. I had lost my drive to do anything: to write, to do photography, to play music … many things that made me … well … me. It’s like my world had lost ... read more

‘The Damage’: decadence by day, debauchery by night. Amsterdam has that nickname for a very good reason. One of the first questions my friends and colleagues asked me when I returned was the classic “Did you have a good time?”, to which I responded “I behaved reasonably irresponsibly,” cuing some smirks which had the kind of tone where they could deduce what I had gotten up to. I could start by explaining the grandeur of the architecture and the canals but, let's face it, we all want to get down to the nitty gritty; what Amsterdam is absolutely infamous for. The Red Light District and the relaxed laws. Prior to my arrival in Amsterdam, I recollected this video that I had seen floating around social media for some time. The video shows beautiful girls, seductively posing ... read more

Ok. So it's a thought that every traveller has had at one point in their life, especially when they're young, single and feeling vulnerable on the inside. And female. The idea of travelling alone is undoubtedly daunting and, I’m not going to lie, at times I’ve been scared shitless. But something incredible happens when you have the experience of travelling solo: at times when you might feel well and truly lost, other people you meet along the way can make you feel found. It honestly has been amongst one of the best things I've ever done. Whilst I am still on the lookout for a potential travelling partner (or maybe somebody who I will meet on the road who wants to join me on my adventure and help me fulfil my dreams), there's no denying that ... read more

It's difficult not to be inspired by these countries; they are appealing on so many levels, ranging from beautiful scenery and landmarks, to the downright violent history of international and civil war. However, when you visit them, little evidence of war remains. It's almost as if the countries want us to understand that they are not affected, that they will not dwell on the atrocities which occurred and that they will continue to grow and prosper. After all, Edwin Starr really did get it right when he sang 'War. What is it good for? Absolutely nothing.' *** Prior to crossing over the border into Cambodia, where the violent Khmer Rouge famously left their footprint, my journey actually began in Bangkok. I only really had a day timetabled there before I was scheduled to depart for Cambodia, ... read more