A Serious Case of Escapism

In an attempt to take my life a little more seriously than I habitually do, I make coffee, then grab a pen and a whimsically-covered notebook.

I plonk random pieces of fruit next to me for colour and inspiration, and read snippets of this fabulously escapist and informative book (another Oxfam bookshop gem).

Funny and perceptive observations by a whole host of women travellers – a surprising number of whom are suspected (by locals) of being males – trail out.

I become lost in their big wide world – in Burkina Faso, Bhutan, Mauritania, Lebanon and Spain. There is danger, poverty, comedy, unfamiliarity, companionship and poignancy.

Time ticks on, my phone pings and insists that I turn my attention to apparently more urgent matters. But before I do, I finish my coffee and try to regain focus by scanning the contents of my book.

I decide that life’s too short not to take note of the adventures contained within it, and I bookmark Libya for later.

Something has started, and it’s definitely not finished: escapism is a very serious business.