Something tells me 2020 is going to be a good year. Brexit appears to be moving in the right direction, the property market is stable and the City seems to be chugging away without any real cause for concern.

As I crossed the finish line at Kanyakumari I was filled with elation and emotion. I had tears of joy streaming down my face. My girlfriend was waiting for me at the finish line arms outstretched. There was a large crowd of locals gathered waving flags, cheering me on and embracing the grandeur of my amazing accomplishment

I’ve not done too bad with regards to online trolls over the years. Bearing in mind I’ve been known to post some controversial content and I’m certainly not one to hold back on giving my opinion. 

There is, of course, the charity element and raising awareness for mental health, which has huge relevance (obviously). But the real reason I’m walking across India might just resonate with you!

Do I or don’t I? That is the question I’ve pondered for the last week or so.  The reality is I’m an all or nothing kinda guy and honesty (and bluntness) runs through my veins. The long and short of it is, I got robbed just over a week ago and also fell foul to the corrupt Indian police. The less said about them the better at this stage.

The honeymoon period is well and truly over. My Indian adventure started well, but I warn you now, I hold nothing back. So, if you’re squeamish you might want to stop reading at this point!

The first 24 hours in India have been crazy. Not crazy bad, more crazy good. From the moment I got off the prehistoric British Airways plane, I knew I was in India. I could feel it, smell it and as soon as I left the airport I could taste it.

I have been getting such conflicting information as to how safe it would be for me, as a foreigner with no support, to walk through the valleys and highways in the Jammu and Kashmir region, that it would have been a complete gamble for me to take. It’s with deep regret that I’ve had to cancel…

If truth be told, if someone had mentioned a trip to India, I would have been the first in the line. I could go on for hours about why I love the country so much. That said, it would take me just as long to list the things I hate about the country. India will forever be the country that so many non-Indians hold in their heart and yet equally as many fail to see the attraction.

The initial excitement of my trip to India still burns strong. But, as the new year proceeds and the date of my departure draws closer, I have to say the enormity of this adventure has started to feel very real. The realisation that, as the UK winter brings colder temperatures our way, they won’t be a patch on the cold harshness and subzero temperatures I'll face when trekking alongside the mountains of Kashmir.

It all started last Sunday evening. I was at home with my girlfriend, discussing my goals for the coming months. I wanted a challenge, something to aim for. But what, Tough Mudder? The Rat Race? I even looked at doing an Iron Man! None of them really appealed to me the more I looked into them.

I can still remember the feeling when I packed the last of my belongings into The Big Yellow storage facility I had rented. I felt a slight apprehension and nervousness but also a feeling of freedom, knowing that for the next 12 months I didn't have a care in the world, at least from a work perspective anyhow.