I am forever grateful for the wonderful childhood that was gifted to me. Surrounded by lots of special souls, my brother and I grew up listening to the wondrous tales and stories of what it was like to be a young, carefree teenager back in the Summer of Love, seeing The Beatles live etc…

The radio was always on and music was a huge part of our life. In my opinion the 60’s was a very exciting decade, full of love & peace with a new sense of freedom and liberation. The fashion scene was changing along with the new perceptions. I am still so attracted to that era, I think I am a wannabe hippy at heart.

I have a big extended family, my mum is 1 of 7, my nan was 1 of 13 and her mum was 1 of 17! Yes they were Irish and I’m very proud of my roots. There are nothing but fond memories of my childhood summers going home to West Cork to milk the cows on the farm. 

The happy memories of ‘Coke & Crisps’ down the pub with kids running around everywhere are quite different to how we raise our children today, on organic apple juice and carrot sticks.

Friends and Family are important to me and it is amazing to still be in contact with people from childhood. I enjoyed school but left early, I started ‘A’ levels but one day, unplanned I got off the bus, popped into a recruitment office and got a job. I started work the next week but my wish to travel was so strong, so I started saving and at age 18, 3 school friends and I (The Awesome Foursome) signed up to work on Camp America, I was posted upstate New York. Lifelong international friendships were created. I think I also caught the travel bug.

In 1990 I hit the road again for the Asia tour. I am not sure that I was ready for the big culture shock of India but I loved the new smells and colours. I fell in Love with Nepal. Next stop was Thailand, from elephant trekking to full moon parties and the amazing flavours of the local cuisine. Malaysia, Singapore & Bali were all interesting in their own right.

Down under, I lived and worked in Perth, before the big drive across the Nullarbor to Melbourne and Sydney with a little dive on the Great Barrier Reef. What an adventure, fun times were had by all. Hitchhiking around the beautiful North Island of New Zealand was a highlight. So was meeting the crazy gang on The Kiwi Experience tour whilst exploring the South Island, climbing glaciers and all that stuff. The list goes on and on…Hawaii holds a special place in my heart. 

Portugal bought me back closer to home but not for long. Off to sea I sailed then for 3 crazy unforgettable years on the Princess cruise ships. We worked hard but played harder aboard 72,000 ton of Oceanic splendour. We sailed around Alaska, Mexico, Panama Canal, Caribbean, South Pacific and everywhere in between and en route.

The final chapter of the tour was a stint in Hong Kong, the final years under British rule. Lamma Island was home. There were no cars on Lamma and if you missed the last ferry home then you had to hire a private sampan. The women in the local grocery store still used an abacus to add up your bill, I loved that.

It was at this time, 1995, that an estate agent friend of mine told me that she was using something new called the internet. I remember the story of how she was off on a photo shoot and people all over the world were soon to able to view the properties that she had for sale. No, I had never heard of the internet, isn’t it crazy to believe that was only 23 years ago!

I returned home to London Town for a decade of surprises, shocks and character building moments. The learning never stops…

All of these experiences and more have added to the creation of The Serendipity Experience coaching programme. A lot of interesting characters were met along the way and I have many a tale to tell, if you would like a copy of the memoirs just let me know. 

Thank you for reading a little of my story, but I would really love to listen to yours. Let’s speak soon, With Love & Understanding, Amanda x