I’ve always liked a challenge. I still do.
Travelling Towards The Sun
When I was 21, I got married and left my hometown of Glasgow in search of the sun, good food and adventure. For the next 25 years, I lived in Damascus, the oldest inhabited city in the world; in the vast, scorching deserts of Saudi Arabia; in The Sultanate of Oman on the humid shores of the Arabian Sea; and in a village near Paphos, in southern Cyprus.
Olives, Scorpions and Earthquakes
Wherever I went, I sampled the local food, wrote down recipes, and became an avid and experienced cook specialising in Middle Eastern and Greek food. When I wasn’t eating, I had 2 sons who thankfully liked my cooking; sunbathed but never got a tan; learned to love olives; and had quite a few adventures involving a war, 2 earthquakes, and being stung by poisonous scorpions 3 times in 3 different countries.
Back From The Sun
But all good things come to an end. After 25 years of living in the sun, I returned to Glasgow and more challenges. I enrolled at Glasgow University, as a mature student and enjoyed exercising my brain so much that, a year after I graduated with an MPhil in Law and Ethics in Medicine, I started the accelerated 2 year LLB (Bachelor of Laws) degree. After graduation, I trained as a solicitor and became licensed to practise. I worked in civil litigation for several years before I cast off my black gown and set up my own business as a freelance writer, certified coach and public speaker.
Other Challenges
Along the way, I also gained a Diploma in Holistic Therapies and nutrition; read far too many personal development books; learned an assortment of arts and crafts; walked in the Scottish countryside and tried not to mind the midges and the rain.
Freelance Writing
My challenges have given me a steady supply of experiences to write about, and although now they are not as exotic as they once were, I’m always on the lookout for more.