What would you have done if you weren't an explorer?

What would you have done if you weren't an explorer?

Benedict Allen (Explorer) gives expert video advice on: What is the difference between an explorer and adventurer?; Do you need qualifications to become an explorer?; How do you raise money to pay for your expedition? and more...

I don't know what I could have done actually apart from being an explorer. It sort of helped my career in fact in that I perhaps thought 'uh oh.' I started very young, it was three expeditions at University, at the age of 22 I did a major expedition by myself so luckily I hadn't started on any other career path so I had no other distractions. My Mum was very supportive, my Mum and Dad were very supportive they just said, 'come on stick by your dreams and just keep on doing it if that's what you really want to do you should just do it.' It got harder and harder, by the time I was twenty-six, twenty-seven they were probably worrying about my career, I didn't seem to be doing anything else but ironically it sort of helped my in that I wasn't gaining any other skills and therefore I had become less and less able to do anything else. I was able to write well and so that encouraged me on and I was able to communicate quite well and that encouraged me on so I thought, 'one day I'll break through,' and it seemed to take about ten years, I mean fellow adventurers it seemed had noticed that you had to stick to it and don't just expect easy results. People email me all the time expecting to become some sort of explorer to become a household name but it just doesn't come easy you've got to earn your reputation.