As already you know, I'm incurably ill to travel. I grew up in Zory (Poland), I did my Master Degree as a sport teacher at the University of Physical Education in Cracow, and in Sydney I studied Travel & Tourism and then Information Technology at the Academies Australasia colleges in Sydney. I am now pleased to represent Academies. For several years I worked abroad and in Sydney as a tour guide. Besides, I was construction labour, cook, burger maker, mechanic, strawberries collector, gardener, baby sitter, sale assistant, Nike model, traffic surveyor, shop manager, English, business and travel teacher, etc - I was doing anything, I counted 39 different jobs. And all this in several different countries. I used to work in outdoor travel shop selling camping equipment; and in marketing department of English College, where I'm trying to bring more overseas students to our lovely Sydney. That's right - I do not have a day off too often. I will do during the next adventure.

I like how my travels have a geographical dimension. I walked across Poland from South to North, in Europe travelled by a bicycle, and Asia, Australia, Africa and the Americas passed across overland from one end to another (no aircraft). Recently I had obsession about deserts, I slowly began to learn about it by getting on foot and car trips inside the Australian interior.

In addition to learning about new places and people, my hobby is also running and photography. I'm 44 years old and I do not have own house. But I have my backpack and impressions from 151 visited countries. In addition to travel, I lived and worked in England (London and Paignton), Croatia (Istria and northern Dalmatia) and China (Shandong). I came to Sydney in 2002, planning to stay just a year. However, I liked here so much, that I have stayed much longer and finally in 2011 I obtained the permanent residency, and in 2019 the citizenship.

People impress me when they have passion for something they aspire. It does not need to be travelling. It may be painting, writing, collecting stamps, cooking, paragliding, programming, singing, etc. Taking care about family is also something worthy of admiration. Whatever you do, if it only doesn't harm others, I support it and wish you all the best.

Take care,

and a little bit more...

Favourite movies: except travelling movies I enjoy sensitive films directed by Pedro Almodovar and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (especially "21 grams"). I liked also "The Sea Inside", "Forrest Gump", "Pulp Fiction", "Truman Show", "Natural Born Killers", "The Fugitive", "L'Auberge Espagnole", and funny Monty Python's Flying Circus.

Favourite music bands: Polish - Dzem, Kult, SDM; not Polish - Iron Maiden (concert in Sydney 2009 and 2016), Pink Floyd, U2 (concert in Sydney 2010), Nightwish.

Favourite sports: athletics (especially running), volleyball, football

Sport's certificates: athletics referee and coach, volleyball and windsurfing instructor

Born: 1975

Education:
1983-1990 Primary School No. 4 in Zory
1990-1995 Technical School in Rybnik (major machining)
1995-2001 University of Physical Education in Krakow (master degree, faculty of coaching and teaching)
2002-2006 Tourism Management in Travel and Tourism in Sydney (Advanced Diploma, Academies Australasia)
2007-2009 IT in Sydney (Certificate IV, Academies Australasia)

Foreign languages: hard to say, as unused language is dissappearing. Once I could talk with Croatians for hours, now I don't remember almost anything. Similarly with the Chinese, I'm just mumbling a few unintelligible words. However, if I sat down and refresh the language for two weeks prior to travel, I can make the language to the level:

good - English
intermediate - Spanish
communicative – Russian, French, mixed of Czech and Slovak
past basic, nowdays none - Chinese and Croatian
mother tongue - Polish

And if you ask why I'm travelling? - The answers are below

- I almost jumped into mother grizzly bear with her cub when I was hiking alone in Alaskan wilderness. I asked a bear to not kill me. She scared me a bit and then returned to her blueberries.

- I was attacked by a falcon while hiked in Patagonia,. I had to fall to the ground to avoid its claws. And I did not want to steal eggs from her nest.

- When I came out from Bolivian jungle after three days of solitary bush bashing, I had a relief that I haven’t been eaten by jaguar. A moment later the puma crossed a gravel road in front of me. It paralyzed me, but my luck that cat was not interested in me and leaped into the bush.

- I thought that the officers won't let me get in if there is a civil war. But I was allowed get into Guinea. Hmm, but I was hearing shooting. From machine guns. My wife will never forget this very exploded Valentine's Day. Transport was forbidden, so we were fleeing three days on foot.

- Rebels in the Ivory Coast laughed at me when I asked for a stamp in the passport.

- For honeymoon we went to Afghanistan. They locked us in the tiny office in Town Hall and we were not allowed to walk around the village, because after 3pm police are finishing the shifts and Taliban are going out. I believed them at morning when I heard the shooting.

- In South Africa I was looking for whales. Unfortunately, the ocean was rocking and the waves capsized and took away our kayak. This place is well known for the huge number of Great White sharks. Fortunately, half an hour later we were threw out on the shore. Hypothermia was the smallest punishment I could get.

- I tried to get from Colombia to Panama by the Darien Gap. After 3 days smugglers took me on a boat – they sailed far away from the shore to hide from the army and the police. The engine failed, the night storm came, we had no lights and were drifted out to the open sea - and I thought, who tomorrow will be eaten first - we were 18 blacks and two whites on board.

- 5300 m above sea level, the glacier in the Peruvian Andes. We were cooking dinner on the stove - when I changed one of the cylinders which exploded in my hands setting the tent alight. Three adults striked in panic inside - unfortunately the knife was in the zone of fire - I thought that I will burn alive. I do not remember how I found myself outside.

- I hardly ever get sick, even when travelling. With the exception of one month in Africa - first stingray stabs me in the foot by spike, which then got infection and I could not walk. Then the taxi driver smashed my thumb in the door of his car - I could not write either. Days later I got the results from the clinic – brain malaria! I was so screwed - I could not even think straight.

- Police in Congo Democratic is your enemy. Unfortunately, it was even more - immigration and the military, and I tried to traverse the Africa without a bribe. Sometimes in the middle of the night when the officers were drunk and hold the gun on side, I was getting worried. However, the fear was the only price.

- I ran through Poland, from the highest mountain in the south to the north cape on the sea, 818 km in 16 days

- I marched for 10 days in the beautiful desert Simpson - 247 km. Backpack was too heavy - 38 kilograms. After 7 days I met the first person.

- I crossed on foot Australian Strzelecki Desert pulling 150-kg home made cart. Dingo circled around me for half an hour. I slept between two camp fires.

- I was climbing over 6,000m high Chachani summit in Peru. I had no map, so first I climbed the wrong peak, and when I found the proper one, I was so tired so I fell asleep on the ground.

- Crossing South America without an engine - 16 days of fasting, rafting accident on a wild river, puma, bashing through the jungle, the solo desert crossing and many other unforgettable experiences.

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