Dan Carter

Dan Carter London, UK Canon EOS 7D Mark II

What things do you look for when picking new spontaneous destinations?

When I travel, I want to explore. There’s no greater feeling than arriving somewhere new, some place you’ve never been before. I prefer to know very little about a location before I arrive. That way, it’s like turning up with a blank canvas so I can paint my own picture. Otherwise, it’s hard not to arrive with preconceived ideas or expectations that can never be met.

A couple of months ago while training for my first marathon, I was longing to get out onto the trails and away from the city. I wanted to wake up in a little hut at the top of a mountain somewhere far from civilisation. I wanted total isolation, a chance to explore and that’s exactly what I found when I hopped on a plane to Basel and drove to the Swiss Alps. I spent days hiking up into the vast landscapes of Switzerland, reaching the summit before trail running down. Being exposed to the fresh, crisp and clean alpine air left me totally relaxed, renewed and high on adventure. For me, I’m just looking for a chance to explore and to experience everything life has to offer: whether it’s a culture, an event or a mountain range. It’s about heading out by foot and physically experiencing something new.

What do you hope to achieve on every new adventure?

For me, my favourite thing about every trip so far is that every one has been totally unique. I go into most adventures pretty blindly, knowing very little about a place before I arrive.

I’ll never forget landing in Cape Town for the first time: alone, not knowing a soul in the city, without a plan to even get out of the airport. Granted I was overwhelmed with thoughts like “What the … have I done!!!” but after the initial shock I was left totally and utterly exhilarated. What better way to truly explore somewhere than to be dropped into the middle and left to your own devices? That’s how memories are made. It may not be a fail-safe method that I’d encourage but I made the greatest of friendships and had the best of experiences. If every future adventure is filled with at least some of that excitement and fear of the unknown then I’d be very, very happy. Travel isn’t about achieving anything, it’s about experiencing everything.

What can we expect to see from you and your blog in the near future?

I’m a firm believer of ‘living for now’, making the most of each moment rather than planning too far into the future. There’s a real danger of always waiting for the next adventure and I’ve definitely been guilty of this so I tend to make very few plans in advance. That said, there’s still a whole month left of 2015 and I’m so excited to see what it will hold. I’m hoping to try and catch the Northern Lights before Christmas and I’ll be heading back to South Africa before the New Year.

Beyond that… we will just have to wait and see! I’m really excited to document these trips on both my Instagram and blog. There’s definitely a short term goal to get some more video content up on the blog too and I think my next trip to Cape Town will be the perfect opportunity for this.

Bring on 2016, another year of adventure!

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