Ramble On

So here it is, three and a half years in the making and we've finally reached 50 episodes. So on that note, I figure it's the perfect time to wave goodbye. This is the final episode of Ramble On and it's a two-parter rolled into one episode. Here I say goodbye to England and hello to my new life in America.

In the hectic buildup to my departure for America, I embark on the great marketplace hustle, selling a catalogue of items like nobodies business. Spinning bikes, games consoles, dumbells out the back of a car, you name it I'm selling it (apparently). But it's not all business, there's also plenty of fun to be had as I take my mum into Glasgow city centre for a day of cats, coffee, art and Christmas markets.

In the spirit of challenging myself, I recently decided to try my hand at stand up comedy. But rather than ease myself into this new venture, I opted for a baptism by fire. This episode chronicles my preparation for and entry into the King Gong competition at The Comedy Store in Manchester.

In my second trip to London, I get an early start to battle the elements and navigate the underground in an effort to reach the US embassy for my visa interview.

The first half of a two-parter sees me head down to London town in order to complete a medical examination. Along the way, I visit a musical monument of epic proportions, contemplate bicycles, meet a guy making a music video and ramble on through the streets of Marylebone. 

We're wrapping up warm and heading outside to sample Penrith's annual Winter Droving festival. A mish-mash of activities, sights, sounds, smells and experiences. In ye old-timey town there be fancy dress competitions for dogs, trolls playing Nordic folk rock, brass bands, shabby chic cafes and so much more.

It's that time of year once more when ghouls and goblins walk the earth in search of terror. To celebrate Halloween I head to a museum at night to engage in Fright Night, an interactive escape room, crystal maze type thing. Complete with puzzles and amateur dramatics galore. 

E-commerce debacles, bent arms, oversized purchases and numerous international days are present in this particular mixed bag.

In this episode, I'm talking about the balance of now and later, the importance of looking after your teefies and the power that emanates from random acts of kindness. 

Three years on from the implosion of my American adventure I take a look or rather listen to the final episode that followed my travels. I re-examine the good, the bad and the emotional ugly that poured out into a KFC car park one Summer's night in San Francisco.

For this milestone episode we're live streaming a game of 20 questions using (what should be) some fascinating, introspective Q's from Kalina Silverman's social experiment turned card game #BigTalk

Amidst a recent heatwave, Birdy came to visit and the following is a seasonal sit down we had, in which we talk about everything from animated Penguins to Ancestry.

In our second trip to Huddersfield, I return to the town for the first time in almost ten years. Surprise finds, familiar sights and a whole lotta reminiscing awaits.

A retrospective look at a formative time in my life. First love, real friendships, self-imposed destruction, failed education and cringe-worthy displays of emotion. Four years of significance are compacted into this, the first of two trips to Huddersfield.

Imagine a world in which distance running, space cats, petty vengeance and moments of honest reflection combine in a somewhat scattered fashion.

From agitation to understanding, the mental spectrum is quite broad on this particular episode. Dealing with setbacks, impatience and aggravation I head to a Buddhist centre to attend a seminar on meditation and finding inner self-confidence. 

In preparation for the big move, I find myself cleaning out the attic and discovering a whole bunch of stuff I'd either completely forgotten about or never encountered before. Here lies a litany of objects from musical instruments to anecdote-filled photo boards.

The numbers dont lie. A significant coincidence deserves a significant episode. So in true random fashion we're blending a strange brew that merges man grappling, misadventure and magnificent beasts.

Left alone to my own devices I use the second week of my time away to master the washing machine, lounge with the cat, try out new facial scrubs and get myself sunburnt.

Despite an onslaught of bad weather in Britain I make it out to Texas for Spring Break with Birdy. Wedding cakes, drive thru convenience and pedicures await me on the other side of the Atlantic.