So the big day has come and gone. I am now officially 30.

It’s not so much a big day for me but rather for the people around me. My parents can’t get over the fact I am 30 - I’m not sure if this is because it makes them feel old, or if they expected me to be dead by now. Either way, here we are - thousands of miles away from home and, simply put, living the dream.

Laura (GF) and I are currently in Tulum, Mexico, at the start of our 3 month long trip through Central America.

The day started amazingly. I was woken up to some gluten free birthday cake and a card from Laura. For the record, gluten free chose me, not vice versa. I was expecting a chilled day as I had gone for the “don’t do anything fancy” approach to the occasion. However, Laura (thankfully) chose to ignore my request and booked me a private yoga session to start the day.

Yoga is something I have always had a keen interest in. That said the interest has only been from afar, rather than actually practising it properly. I love the concept of connecting with your body through yoga, and to your mind and breath through meditation. The session itself was rather challenging, and what we all learnt from today is that balance is something I could definitely work on. We left feeling both energised and relaxed, leaving any early morning grogginess behind us.

For those in the “Picture or it didn't happen” club - here you go…

Street Photography in Tulum

Of course no 30th Birthday can happen without some Street Photography being incorporated into it, am I right? I took some time to myself whilst Laura did some writing to go and explore the streets and find something to capture.

The locals here seem happy to have their image taken, that is of course if they catch you doing so. I was met with some wonderful light, and amazed by the powerful and vibrant colours the town had to offer. It is, as always, so inspiring to photograph a new destination.

Street Photography also allows you to connect with the new area you are in. Without any real effort, any “where the hell am I!?” anxiety drifts away and you become more familiar with your surroundings.

The best part of today’s street walk, was that I got a few shots that I am really happy with.

After a much needed siesta, we got our swimming attire packed and with our super-easy-to-dry microfiber towels in hand we headed to the beach.

As part of this trip, both of us wanted to connect more with our bodies - in the sense that we want to get fit and healthy, something which was not prioritised back in our hectic lives in London. With this in mind we decided to do the 7km walk back from the beach. We did take a taxi there… baby steps!

Whilst the blue skies started to disappear behind some thick cloud, we were still blown away by the beautiful white sand and clear waters. We played like children in the sea, crashing our bodies into the waves and getting knocked down...

We are only a few days into this journey, and already we are certain we made the best decision in walking away from our lives and exploring the world.

We are having the time of our lives…

Thanks for reading