I remember a time not so long ago when a quiet, thoughtful, and considerate response was not only accepted but desired. When I look back on this time, I always feel mildly nostalgic — it wasn't because I thought it was better or produced superior results — it just felt like all voices could be heard and, therefore, contribute to the greater good of the desired outcome.

This is a personal tale. It's not a big, remarkable story, nor is it small and insignificant. It's just a personal account of a moment in my life where I was greeted with a defining opportunity to say yes and move forward or say no and stay precisely where I was.

I was heading to Nepal for a much-needed life shake-up. I had booked two extensive treks and was training hard to ensure I would not only make it through the physical demands of what was to come but also enjoy every step. While the training had been hard and demanding, it was progressing well, and I was starting to feel physically fit and mentally prepared for what was to come, an adventure that I had been looking forward to for six months.

A close friend asked me who I was without my cameras and writing. And the truth was, as hard as I tried, I could not answer this simple question. All I knew was that somewhere in the deep recesses of my primitive mind, I was starting to feel pressure, as if the walls were closing in, the sky lowering, and the ground opening up. I had now been home for three months following an amazing trek in the Himalayan mountains of Nepal. I was running, working out, walking and practising yoga daily, but

I still could not shake the growing feeling that time was relentlessly ticking by. Perhaps it’s a feeling that accompanies you as the years pass by quickly, or perhaps it’s a simple truth.

As I sat down to write the story of 2022, I thought I knew how it would start. Something like 2022 was a year like so many others. But as the words spilled onto the page, a nagging feeling overwhelmed me. A sense that beckoned me to explore the truth of the statement I had just written.

Was 2022 really like so many other years? This simple question made me pause and led me to review the photos I intended to post. Slowly, as I flicked through the series of images, a realisation began to dawn. The cold hard truth staring back at me was that 2022 was a year like no other.

I went for a walk. Not the longest, not the shortest. Just a walk inspired by the predictability of the sameness that seemed to have seeped into life like a loving predator just waiting to pounce. The sameness of a somewhat numb reality many feel every day. So I decided to take matters into my own hands and attempt to buck the trend and do something about this overwhelming feeling. I decided to undertake a little adventure and circumnavigate the island of Bali.

Poverty – we have all driven past it, seen it on the television, read about it in print, scanned it online, and we all genuinely feel for those who it affects. We donate what we can, think charitable thoughts, and openly discuss the problem and the issues that cause it and sustain it.