I get a lot of emails from people asking “how to get into a career of adventure”.

I recently replied to one of these with a list of bullet points. I hope they help anyone dreaming of making adventure their ‘job’.

1. Start saving now.
2. Do a few microadventures to scratch the adventure itch until you can get out on a major trip.
3. Finish your education. The old folk who say the Travel desire will die down might be right. So get your qualifications so that- you can always go be an engineer later if you do that.
4. Plan a massive trip. I always recommend doing it by bicycle because it is cheap, simple but still epic. You don’t need to get bogged down searching for sponsors if you just save up your own money then set off on your bike.
5. Decide how you want to tell your story (books, photo, film, paint, audio etc.)
6. Do a brilliant and massive adventure.
7. Tell your story brilliantly.
8. Only now can / should you contemplate making this your career. You need to be willing to work very hard, market yourself, live cheap, embrace rejection, network like crazy and so on.
9. Do not discount [getting a proper career] and taking 2 months off a year to travel as an option: that is a really valid way of getting regular adventures.