Hi, I’m Jeff. Welcome to Life of Y!
I was born on the Caribbean island of Aruba to Chinese parents from Hong Kong, although I can’t say I remember much of island life. We moved to the UK when I was just a year old, eventually settling in a small town in the middle of England.
By the time I was two, I’d already been to three countries. Not that I had much say in the matter!
Growing up, I assumed life would follow the usual route. University, a decent job, marriage and a couple of kids by 25. Funny how things turn out!
My first proper holiday abroad as an adult was a cheap last-minute deal to the Dominican Republic. Until then, most of my travels had involved visiting family, so seeing somewhere completely different opened my eyes to just how little I knew about the world.
That curiosity eventually led to a six-month backpacking adventure that turned into a year. Twenty years later, I’m still finding excuses to explore somewhere new.
These days, most of my adventures are with my partner, Zuz. Through Life of Y, I share what our travels were really like, from the places that impressed us to the unexpected moments along the way, alongside practical advice to help you plan your own trips.
How It All Started
The thought of finishing university and spending the next fifty years working wasn’t particularly appealing. So, instead of settling straight into a career, I decided to save up and spend six months travelling.
I worked whatever hours I could, including Christmas Day, until I finally had enough money for what I thought would be a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
Thailand was my first stop, where I spent a couple of months exploring temples, relaxing on beaches and discovering just how good street food could be. I also learnt that travelling didn’t have to cost a fortune. My first night’s accommodation was just £5, although the room came with little more than a bed, a shower and a toilet you flushed with a bucket of water!
From Thailand, I flew to Australia, where I spent seven months working and travelling around the country, including the occasional bit of fruit picking. I then made my way to New Zealand and China before eventually returning home.
Somehow, my six-month adventure had turned into a year.
Coming home in 2007 took some getting used to. I was back in the town where I’d grown up, broke and without a job, while friends were building careers, buying houses and generally getting on with their lives. I was doing things a little differently, but looking back, I’m glad I did.
It wasn’t long before I was working, saving and planning my next adventure. This time, I had my sights set on South America.
In Brazil, I found myself fishing for piranha, snorkelling in freshwater pools and enjoying a few too many shots of cachaça. Not long afterwards, I was travelling across Africa in an overland truck, spotting wildlife in the Serengeti and jumping out of a plane above Namibia.
Over the years, I also managed to visit all seven of the New Seven Wonders of the World, finishing at Chichen Itza in Mexico. I was pretty proud to have seen them all, although I couldn’t help thinking how differently I’d rank them myself.
Petra and Machu Picchu absolutely blew me away, while Chichen Itza left me less impressed. I’d actually enjoyed visiting other archaeological sites in Mexico more!
From Backpacking to Travelling Together
After my longer backpacking adventures, I was already making the most of my annual leave to explore somewhere new. These days, Zuz and I do much the same, fitting two-week adventures, European city breaks and the occasional longer escape around our full-time jobs.
I’ve become pretty good at planning our trips, although Zuz has a knack for finding unusual places and little details I’d otherwise miss. We still travel with a budget in mind, but we’re happy to spend more on experiences or save time getting from one place to another. We’d much rather put our money towards something memorable than a fancy hotel room.
In 2019, we decided to take a break from work and spend several months travelling around Southeast Asia. It was Zuz’s first experience of long-term travel, and we made the most of it, from exploring ancient temples in Cambodia to watching the sunrise over Bagan from a hot air balloon.
Things took an unexpected turn in 2020 when cancelled flights left us stranded in a small village in Sumatra, Indonesia, for four months. While friends back home were queuing for toilet roll during lockdown, we were spending our days in 30°C heat, spotting orangutans and monitor lizards, and playing with the local kittens. I even spent a fair bit of that time working on Life of Y! Somehow, our story ended up making the national newspapers.
Since then, we’ve returned to travelling around work, making the most of the time we have. More recently, we’ve crossed the vast landscapes of Mongolia, driven ourselves across Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni and explored Australia on a three-week adventure.
Why I Started Life of Y
Life of Y originally started as a way to record my travels and share some of the experiences I’d picked up along the way.
I’ve always enjoyed putting together travel recommendations, but I also genuinely enjoy the process of writing the blog. Going through old photographs, remembering little moments from a trip and turning everything into something useful is a nice way to revisit places I’ve been.
I try to share what visiting somewhere was actually like, including the things that impressed me, the occasional disappointment and anything I’d do differently. Not because everyone should agree with my opinions, but because those are the details I’d want to know if I were planning the same trip.
Explore My Travel Guides
If you’re planning a trip of your own, take a look through my destination guides, where you’ll find itineraries, practical advice and personal experiences from the places I’ve visited.
You can also browse my latest travel stories or follow along on Instagram to see where Zuz and I have been exploring.
Thanks for stopping by!
Jeff