Hey everyone, so happy you are here reading.

These travel guides have been a long time coming. I am calling them travel guides, because blog is too broad, they will all be about travel in some way or another hence the travel guides.

Before when I was teaching English in Vietnam and China I never really found the time to write, set up a website and constantly publish. But having moved to Zambia, my pace of life has slowed and I am finally pursuing my travel writing dreams. I am writing the following here for accountability purposes, but I am also working on a travel book. So if in a years time you don’t see any news on a book then you can pressure me to get it finished!

So Haz Mapz, that’s me, Harriet. Haz was a nickname that developed at University tennis, but it was Haz Paz then (no idea why). The mapz, well I am a Geographer, we people love maps.I mean we are obsessed with maps. I am looking at 3 just sitting in my office right now.

So my story in a nutshell…

I finished my Masters in 2017 and was due to be starting my PhD at Manchester University (sorry mummy) but having written a very interesting MA thesis about tourism and Africa I was just itching to travel. Sitting on a sofa with two broken ankles (that’s a story for another time!) I had that movie style life realisation moment when I just knew I had to travel, I had to pursue my favourite thing in life, to explore new cultures and landscapes.

So I began exploring my options. My Google search history was littered with results like “how to travel when you’ve got no money”, “working abroad, no experience”, ” I have two degrees, but no post-university work experience, please give me a job that enables me to live in another country and never ever return to the UK.” Well the answer was provided to me by a friends sister, “Why don’t you teach kids English in Asia”.

ASIA = YES.

TEACHING KIDS = BIG FAT NO.

So a few months later I was on a plane to Hanoi, Vietnam ready to teach small children English. I never had any cousins or small humans around me so children terrified me. However nearly four years later I now love children, I love teaching and right now sitting in Zambia I am missing it greatly.

I lived in Vietnam for a year and taught in public schools. I then moved to China for what was meant to be a year but which turned into over two. There will be plenty of posts on China, Vietnam and teaching coming soon. And now I find myself in Zambia, due to my boyfriend (who I met in China) being Zambian.

I think life has been a mess this past year, for everyone! I quit my job to move to Zambia in the middle of a global pandemic, as I had been long distance relationship-ping for 8 months. It is now June 2021, I have no job, just side hustles, but at least my mum will be happy… I’ve come full circle and have started my PhD.

I finally have the time to do some things that I love. Writing. Travelling. Writing about travelling. And I hope, encouraging people to visit this beautiful country I now call home… Zambia!