My name is Luke Robinson-Grant, and I have been blessed with the chance to explore this wondrous world of ours.  This page is my way of sharing my journey with you the reader.  Sadly I can’t fit you all in my backpack, but I hope this will at least offer a taste of my experiences over the past year and a half, and the coming 5 years.

Now for a little about me.  I’m a 26 Year old Canadian who was a high school English teacher before taking off on this round the world voyage.  Chances are I will be a teacher again, once the money for travel runs out and If writing doesn’t pan out..  For now though I am set on experiencing all that this wide world has to offer and doing my best to capture and share it here.  This blog is only one of my many creative projects, as I travel I am also working on several novels and a television program, using all I encounter as inspiration.   If you have an idea for how to improve the experience on this website please do contact me and let me know.

I’ve been obsessed with travel since I was a little kid, largely thanks to my parents who travelled a lot and shared their stories and photos with me.  The travel bug first bit when I was 16 and went on a trip to Costa Rica with my family.  While many of my friends were enjoying march break at an all inclusive resort never leaving the beach, we  rented a car and drove around the country staying in small hotels and hostels and really experiencing a new culture.  The trip was eye opening experience and certainly helped me to discover my deep love of travel.

Since then I’ve been lucky enough to go on many trips.  At 18 I spent three weeks in Western Europe with one of my best friends.  Just after turning 19 I embarked on a  month long road trip to the west coast of Canada and back across the northern United States with that same friend and another close buddy. Then their was a drought, attending university and working in the summers, kept me too busy and poor to travel.   During that time I planned countless trips on the internet, reading travel forums and formulating ideas for trips that I never thought I’d get to take.

My first solo travel experience came at 23 years old, an 8 day journey to the U.K.  It ended with me in hospital in Edinburgh with a massive blood clot in my leg.  I was one day from getting on my return flight, and If I had I most likely would have died in the air.  Doctors estimated an 80% chance I’d die with the plane still in the air.  Scary.  That said, once I recovered, I just itched to go travelling again.  In fact, all my passions were renewed and after recovering I found I was writing more than ever before.

After Finishing teacher’s college I took a job teaching at English Camps across Italy, spending a month backpacking through Spain before starting work.  Both Spain and Italy saw me grow a lot more confident and competent in the travel arena, and both left me wanting more.

From Italy I took a year long contract teaching high school English in Bradford, England, being sure to take advantage of European low cost carriers like Ryan Air and Easy Jet  to explore new countries whenever I could.  In that year of teaching I managed to get to:  The U.K., Ireland, Malta, Portugal, Greece x2, Germany, Belgium, and a little more of Spain.

Then my life changed.  My step grandmother had passed away about two years before and had left me some money, so at the end of a hard but great year in Bradford, I decided to leave England and travel solo long term.  The Initial plan was two years.  One in Europe and Asia and 1 in South America.  But travel is a serious addiction and the trip has since grown to about 6 years, hopefully taking me to each Continent (Antartica is still up in the air).  At the time of writing I’ve visited 36 countries, and I hope before the end of this trip I’ll be over the century mark.

I learn something new in every country I visit.   Something is too small, i learn a ton of things in each country.  I travel slow more than I travel fast and I love meeting local people and other travellers, immersing myself in different cultures and doing my best to always say Yes, cliche as it may be.  I’ve found saying yes to the strangest of opportunities is often where the best travel experiences stem from.

This blog will continue to change and grow as I do, and I’m always looking for new ideas.  Have one?  Drop me a line through the contact form up in the main menu.  I’m also always happy to share travel advice, so if you’re going to any of the countries I’ve visited and want more information than what’s here, use the contact form.  I’ll get back to you as quickly as I can, usually a day or two, though my travels do sometimes take me outside of wifi’s long reach, so please be patient.

At any rate, I hope you enjoy reading this blog, because I know I’ll enjoy chronicling my adventures around this wonderful planet we call home.

I firmly believe that everyone who can should take a chance and Travel. I’m a teacher and a firm believer in education, but travel has taught me more than school ever could. So get out there and chase that feeling of awe wherever it takes you!

Happy reading, and safe travels!

Luke Robinson-Grant

Founder of Awe Around the Earth.