About Bethen

My name is Bethen and I love to travel the world!

I have crossed Siberia by train, island hopped in the Philippines and snorkelled with sharks in Australia. I spent my thirtieth birthday in one of the last great wildernesses on earth and have been lost among the mountains of Nepal and in the deserts of Jordan. During my time living in New Zealand, I became a member of a dragon boat team, explored an active volcano and flew a light aircraft across Mt Aspiring National Park, among many other adventures. I’ve travelled to some truly off-beat destinations, including Uzbekistan, Ghana and Mongolia.

I grew up near a small town in rural Powys, mid Wales. I’ve had itchy feet for as long as I can remember but up until 2014, I had travelled very little. In October 2014, I plucked up the courage to take a huge leap of faith, leave my life in Wales behind and move to New Zealand.

It was a life-changing trip for me.

Since taking the plunge, I’ve travelled to thirty-one different countries on four different continents. Additionally, there are always plans in the pipeline to travel even more extensively in the coming months and years. In between trips, I live in the UK full-time, and recently moved to Edinburgh. I work full-time as a Senior Project Manager for a product agency and travel in my spare time. My aim is to balance exploring more of Scotland and one or two overseas trips each year.

I created How The Mind Wanders… in 2012 to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Over time, it has evolved into a platform where I share information and tell stories about Wales, New Zealand and everywhere in between. To this day, I remain passionate and committed to sharing those stories. I also provide up-to-date and relevant information about the destinations I visit, along with a few political and social viewpoints from time to time.

I have a particular enthusiasm for train travel. I’ve travelled by train in twenty of the thirty-one countries I’ve visited. Some of my trips have revolved specifically around train travel and I have travelled on some of the most scenic railway lines in Europe and Oceania. My other interests include horse riding, hiking, reading and food – not necessarily in that order!

Taking a leap of faith and moving to New Zealand in 2014 opened up a way of life that I’d never previously imagined for myself. Thanks for joining me on this wild ride and visiting How The Mind Wanders…

Bethen.

To get in touch with me, click here! If you’d like to read about a specific country that I’ve travelled to, you can find a full list of the countries I’ve visited here. Follow my Instagram feed for up to date information on my trips and my latest photos.