The world is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper. - William Butler Yeats

The packers came this weekend. Four years in Thailand, and suddenly it's all going into 57 boxes by sea to Florence. 

I've been lucky. Lucky to have lived somewhere that shook me out of my comfort zone and been able to visit lots of nearby countries.

Before I go, I want to share the lessons I never want to forget. The ones hiding in plain sight, patiently waiting for my senses to catch up. Seven countries. Seven things that made me a better person.

We all have problems. And most of us are waiting to solve them before we allow ourselves to be happy. Get the promotion, lose the weight, find the relationship — then we'll be happy.

But what if that's exactly the wrong way to think about it?

What if the goal isn't to eliminate your problems, but to exchange them for better ones?

Here's why the key to a happier life isn't a problem-free one, but learning to upgrade the problems you have.

It started with a seemingly ordinary conversation in a kitchen in Dubai. Five years later, I'd left my accounting career and co-founded Wildest Dream.

The path wasn't linear or clean - it was messy and uncertain. But there was one thread running through it all: curiosity. Here's why following yours might be the only compass that you actually need.

Our lives are so comfortable but a quarter of people felt lonely yesterday. I believe this is because we have less meaning and purpose in our lives. 

Your purpose is your ticket to a longer and happier life, but why do more and more people feel out of touch with their purpose? 

So, how can you find your purpose? Why is it important?

In 2025, were your days filled with purpose, joy, and excitement, or did you simply go through the motions? Our prime years are precious and we are in them right now. How will you spend that time in 2026, will it be another year of merely existing, or do you want to start truly living?

As I sit here, writing this at 32-years-old, I do get that strong feeling that I am at a critical juncture in my life. There’s something about your 30s that makes you realise that you’re running out of second chances. That most of the doors in your life are already behind you. A moment that forces reflection on missed opportunities. It’s a mental stumble – the decade where “if only I had…” starts to surface.