About neil & orla

What inspires us to travel?

The very notion of us heading out the door to seek a new adventure, make new connections and fill our souls with new experiences, good or bad, inspires us to travel. Anthony Bourdain summed it up nicely for us:

Travel gives us so much more than a thrill. Taking the time to stop every so often, to fully embrace and appreciate the space you find yourself in, is a skill that takes time to hone and, we believe, only learned by stepping outside your comfort zone.

Capturing the little moments in between, whether it's with pen and paper or a camera, gives us the opportunity to share our experiences here on our travel blog. Inspiring others to travel, making that connection with people, and the overwhelming, awe-inspiring beauty of everything this planet has gifted us, is what truly inspires us to travel.

 How did we meet?

Back in 2003, when we were in our early twenties, we both left our homes in Ireland to find work in Australia and ended up being in the same training group in a call center, selling life insurance! On a night out, with the whole gang, we ended up sitting together and hit it off immediately. That night, after Neil ‘missed’ his train, we walked the streets of Sydney for hours, talking and getting to know each other. Before we knew it, the sun was coming up and it felt like the beginning of the rest of our lives. We moved in together after our third date and have been inseparable ever since, travelling the world together, hand in hand, through thick and thin. We probably would not have crossed paths back home, even though Dublin is a very small place. Some might call it destiny or just pure luck, that a journey to the other side of the world helped us find each other. 

Orla

I love to travel the world and have always wanted to be able to travel long term.  It has lead to some of the greatest experiences in my life and it also lead me to the love of my life.  My goal is to continue to see as much of the world as I can - places I’ve dreamed of going to, places I’ve fantasied about living in, not to mention the thousands of people to meet and all the gorgeous food to taste.  When we both worked in HI-Jasper I remember reading the Hosteling International mission during training and it struck a chord with me.  It’s a hundred years old but it’ll always remain relevant and I think it sums up why people should try to travel as much as they can:

“To promote the education of all young people of all nations…by encouraging in them a greater knowledge, love and care of the countryside and an appreciation of the cultural values of towns and cities in all parts of the world…in which there shall be no distinction of race, nationality, colour, religion, sex, class, or political opinions and thereby to develop a better understanding of their fellow men, both at home and abroad.”

I always felt like I gained more from travelling than simply creating memories or just ticking another country off the list.  Like the mission statement says, travelling definitely fosters greater empathy and a feeling of comradeship with all human beings.  It also humbles you and reminds you to be grateful and not take life for granted.  

I feel incredibly lucky to be even able to consider this option in life and to have fallen in love with someone who wants the same things.  

Who knows where we’ll wander and for how long. I’m scared and excited but I know I won’t regret it!

Neil  

Hello there,

This is Neil here! A little bit about myself; I'm in my 30's, for now. (Oh Christ, the time.....where has it gone!?) I am a photographer and film maker, content creator sorta guy. I have been taking pictures for many years now and it was only recently I decided to make a proper go at trying to be a full time working professional photographer/film maker.

I have had all sorts of different jobs in the past from working on building sites to (mostly) office work. In the year 2003 I had noticed that things in my life were changing and I decided to grab a hold of that change to see where it would take me. I am so delighted that I did because embracing that change has taken me to places in the world I never dreamed of and to meet people that have changed my life even more. I bought my first camera in the airport of Heathrow airport from some random electrical store and folks I am here to tell ya that, IT. WAS. SHIT, but it was mine. I learned as I went and when I got my first DSLR things improved more and more and I loved it! Getting the opportunity to travel so much throughout my 20's was a huge learning experience for me, both learning what I could from photography magazines and about myself too.

It was in 2004 when I had been in Australia, (for about 6 months) on the verge of going home and surviving on a stick of garlic bread for a few days at a time that I was given a job opportunity. It was during the group interview that I met Orla, the fiery red-headed green-eyed temptress (that's what I called her). It was then that I knew for sure things were going to change once again for me. Needless to say, it was awesome! (More on that when we both write about our previous adventures). My heart and my head had found a place in her where they could truly be happy and loved. For this, I am eternally grateful.

I love to travel and capture the wonderful world around me; culture, food, architecture and people. I believe in treating every day like a work of art and, through photography, I am continuously evolving, learning and humbled by the beauty that surrounds us.

My main website is over at www.neilarthurs.ie where you can find all of my professional work.

I love what I do and I do what I love!

Sure ya might as well stick around and see where we might end up!

Personal Stories

Some reflections on our past travels and people we’ve loved and lost…