AC Writers Unplugged

I discovered some intriguing facets of AC writers and their lives, so I decided to delve deeper into the world of the people behind the writing. Many writers here have atypical backgrounds, jobs, hobbies, quirks and passions.

I thought it would be fun and enlightening to share some of their individual lives with readers. You will be pleasantly surprised, often amazed, intrigued and at times humored by; things I unearth about some of our fellow AC Contributors. This is the seventh article in this series.

John Smither - World Traveler & Outdoor Extremist

John Smither became an AC Contributor in December of 2008. The first article he published on AC centers on his experience living and teaching English in "the heart of earthquake territory" in Sichuan, China. Read John's unsettling memoir, "My Experience during the Sichuan Earthquake."

Although John writes a great variety of content such as poetry, fabulous odd news stories from the UK and sports, the key focus of his material is travel, which is indeed his life. Recently, John became one of AC's Featured Travel Contributors. His content includes some amazing photos from all his adventures.

The Dawn of John's Travel Lust

Sharing with me some of his life and remarkable travel background John said, "I left school at the age of 16 and went straight into the Army, as at that time, like now, there was little available employment opportunities." John, who is British, served his country for the next 11 years, which in his words, "...began my travel lust, something that has continued and I think will never waiver."

John noted that he continued to work as a chef for many years following his military service and that allowed him to carry on his extensive travel. About this, John said, "Combining my work with travel suited me down to the ground." "I came originally from the South of England and in 2004, I changed location." "Over the previous couple of years, I had looked at where to relocate and eventually settled in the Northeast of Scotland." Check out John's magnificent slide show of Scotland here.

"The cost of living in southern England was and is still, very expensive; by moving North, I could have a much better lifestyle for a fraction of the cost," John explained. While living in Scotland, John met his wife, who was from the U.S.

Scotland to Vegas & Tennessee & on to South Korea & China

Following a Las Vegas wedding, John and his wife journeyed back to Scotland and their home in a small village beside the sea, which John thought was an ideal place to remain. However, he said that "due to a change in our circumstances, we moved to Tennessee, with the intention of this becoming our permanent home."

John recounted, "I was in the USA on a tourist visa, legally able to remain for 90 days at a time." "My second period of time was coming to a close and with no progress being made on my residency visa; we decided to leave the U.S., finding jobs teaching English as a foreign language in South Korea."

John admits, he and his wife "...quickly found the country not to our liking and after a couple months began looking for our next destination." "China was only a short distance away and we were quickly put in touch with our new employers and arrived in the country 12 months before the Olympics were beginning." John is referring to the the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

City of Harbin, a Book and a Move to Sichuan, China

John found himself with a couple of weeks of free time during his first winter in the northeastern city of Harbin, China. For John, the outdoor "-30c" temperatures proved to be conducive for him to stay indoors and begin composing a diary of he and his wife's adventures in Asia. John found writing an "enjoyable escape to record my thoughts of the previous few months." He added that his book is finished, but as of yet, not published.

Taking advantage of a teaching vacancy in the south, John headed to the Sichuan region of China. Unfortunately, as I mentioned earlier, he was not aware of this being the heart of earthquake territory. John said, "In May, the region was struck by a massive quake...the aftershocks still periodically shaking the area when we left for the more stable ground of the UK that summer."

Next Stop: Central America - Belize

It is pretty clear that John is right about his lust for travel and the fact that it will probably never waiver. Although he did return to the UK for nearly a year, the travel bug bit him again and in May of 2009, he and his wife journeyed to Belize in Central America. You can follow John's amazing stay in Belize via articles he has published here on AC.

One article of particular interest is John's personal take on the highs and lows of living in a jungle outpost. Read his story concerning this and getting a lift into town in a torrential rainstorm with no roof on the vehicle. You will find it here.

Unbelievably, John would actually experience another earthquake in Central America. "Just over 12 months after the quake in China, we were in another one, as a large earthquake hit off the coast of nearby Honduras." John jokingly added, "I wonder what this May will bring?" Last October John returned to the UK after six months in Belize.

Cycling the French Alps

I was not surprised when John told me he enjoyed the freedom of the sport of cycling. When he began cycling, he said he would often go out for hours at a time and "developed a real talent for the sport." Now you know about his sense of adventure; it should not surprise anyone to learn that John cycled from the French Alps across central and northern France and back to his home in England.

John enjoyed cycle touring so much, he set a challenge for himself and in June of 2003, he cycled the length of the UK, from Lands End to John O'Groats, which is a distance of 950 miles. John pulled off this amazing cycling feat in ten days.

What Does the Future Hold?

Currently working in the UK as a "car driver," John says, "I deliver and collect courtesy vehicles for customers whose own transportation is off the road." "It is for now an interesting job, as I never know where the next journey will take me...a little like real life."

I believe John will be off again on another adventure before long. So, best of luck in all your explorations John, and many thanks for sharing some of your life with AC readers.

Source:

John Smither