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My first taste of travelling at 18 had me hooked. Since then, there’s been no stopping me! By Irene Jones, 76
I was filled with excitement as I peered out of the aeroplane window at the fluffy clouds and the beautiful blue sea below.
This was my first time flying and I was loving it.
I was 18, and had used the two weeks I had off from my nursing training to go to Spain with my boyfriend.
Flights had only just become affordable, and once we arrived, we had two weeks of sun, sea and sangria.
As soon as we got back, I began wondering where we could go next.
In time, my boyfriend and I got engaged. But in the end, we decided not to marry.
‘Can we still have the honeymoon though?’ I asked him.
He laughed and said: ‘Why not?’
We drove around Ireland together, taking in the sights.
Then not long after, I set off on a whirlwind holiday with two nursing friends, hitchhiking across Europe.
Not that I told my parents about the hitchhiking!
We didn’t have much cash, so took a sheet each for bedding and stayed in hostels, although the one we went to in Paris was inside a beautiful old castle.
Then we hitchhiked to Rome, and Venice, and we rubbed olive oil all over ourselves to speed up our tan.
A year later, my sister and I booked flights to Russia.
It was a big deal — we were among the first tourists to visit St Petersburg. We went to see Lenin’s tomb, but we weren’t allowed to go off on our own, and had to be escorted around.
When I spotted a fancy department store on Red Square, I said: ‘I’m going to buy myself a pair of Russian knickers.’
Then I saw the prices and thought again!
In time, I met a new man, Fawzi. He was from Iraq, and together we hatched a plan to drive to Baghdad.
When I told my parents, their jaws dropped.
‘You’re driving?’ Mum said.
‘To Baghdad?’ Dad added.
‘It’ll be an adventure,’ I said with a grin.
By now, they knew there was no stopping me, and they came to wave us off at Dover.
We had a slight hiccup along the way, when the fan belt on our Volkswagen Beetle broke
while we were driving through Germany. But when it was fixed, we were soon on our way again.
After stopping off in Istanbul in Turkey to see the sights, we pushed on again.
But as we neared the border, I looked in our bags and gasped.
‘Where are the passports?’ I said.
Panic ensued, when we realised we’d left them back at the hotel.
Thankfully, a kind Turkish man who was also in the border queue helped us out by calling the hotel for us.
'It will be an adventure'
We managed to get them back — and we bought him dinner to say thanks.
Once we were over the border and in Iraq, driving through the country to Baghdad was an amazing experience.
Back at home, I began planning my next trip — to Egypt to see the pyramids.
In time, I qualified as a nurse and met a new man, Llew. We married and had two children, Lucy and Ben.
Over the next years, juggling work and family life meant that there was now less time for travel.
But when the kids were teenagers, we took them to Egypt to travel along the Nile.
Llew and I went on to visit New Zealand, Australia and Sri Lanka. And Lucy came with us on a trip to China.
As I got older, friends and family thought I’d get less adventurous.
But at 66, I told them: ‘I’m off to Borneo.’
Walking through the jungle, and floating up rivers visiting wet markets, was just amazing.
Later, on a trip to Costa Rica with a friend, I met a couple who taught me all about bird watching, which soon became a real passion of mine.
Over the next years, I travelled to Alaska, South Africa and Canada.
Then my friend asked: ‘Do you fancy coming to the Arctic?’
‘Of course I do,’ I replied.
We had to layer up and put these big outer suits on, and trackers would come with us, wielding guns just in case. But we saw polar bears and Arctic foxes, which was amazing.
By now, I was a gran and my grandkids couldn’t believe the photos of my latest adventure.
Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and we went into lockdown at home in Pinner, Greater London.
When things started to ease up again, instead of flying off anywhere, I began exploring the UK.
I thought: If I don’t get on a plane again, at least I can see beautiful sights right here.
But once it became safer to travel abroad again, I couldn’t resist.
I’ve since been to Bavaria and Amsterdam, and next month I’m off to the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador and Peru — I can’t wait!
It’s my first long-haul trip for a while, so to make sure I was properly prepared, I used the website BewareoftheBugs.com — which has loads of health advice and information on destinations around the world. It really put my mind at rest.
Now I’m back to my globetrotting ways again, I want to make the most of every single minute.
I hope I can show women that age shouldn’t be a barrier to adventure.
