Before moving to Cyprus to "live the dream" in January 2005, I spent almost 20 years in the retail industry.
I studied languages at university (French and German) and took a job in retail for something to do over my first summer holiday.
Quickly discovering the fast pace of working in a head office based Buying and Merchandising environment, I soon decided to make a career out of retail.
I worked in menswear then outdoor sports and finally discount ladies fashion.
Retail was fun but the long hours meant little free time for enjoying the great outdoors. Having been fortunate to be mortgage free by my mid thirties I resolved to start my own outdoor orientated business and when I met my husband Al, we travelled the world on our exciting MTB and trekking adventures. This made me even more determined to quit the day job and do something different.
The decision to take the plunge came at the age of 40 after an enforced job change gave both of us time to think and reflect. Life is too short to sit and procrastinate so we took the plunge, did a business plan and moved to Cyprus to start a mountain bike and walking business. We've never looked back.
Now I split my time between riding or hiking the trails with clients and freelance writing and web design. I'm doing all the things I love to do and on my terms. It's an amazing thing to have your own freedom and know that every penny or euro you earn came from you.
I started writing for Suite 101 in 2008 and was promoted to Feature Writer for Cycling and Mountain Biking after 4 months. While many of my articles are about cycling, I have the freedom to write about any topic I choose. Check out my articles on Suite.
Life is a rocky road...so ride a mountain bike.
