CONNECTIONS
- Benedict Allen
- Dec 29, 2024
- 2 min read
Connecting is what my job is all about. I head out, try to make the acquaintance of people that are little known to us - but who are well familiar with their world - and I come back. And then the connecting process begins again, as I try to communicate my 'findings' with people from my own society, back here.
And often that's where it becomes difficult! It may be tricky wading through swamps, or traversing a ravine, but that's usually straight forward because it's what I'm trained to do. Whereas an audience of say Chinese students in Hongkong, or a bunch of eight year olds at an Inner London Primary School, can throw up all sorts of unexpected issues - or questions. 'What's the best way to tackle a man-eating crocodile, if it's already got you by both legs? AND both arms!' a child asked recently.
Yet there's nothing as important as addressing an audience, because that's the way you're challenged - and forced to be relevant. The same applies to everything that I share, from books and speeches to the little upbeat sketches that I do on a sandwich wrapper each morning for my son Freddie, who hates school (these posted on Twitter/X - @benedictallen - and also Bluesky - @benedictallen.bsky.social ) and my weekly video posts on Instagram (benedictallenexplorer). If anyone - Freddie or anyone else - is going to read or listen to me - I must be relevant.
Anyway, the importance of finding a way to connect is very much in my mind at the moment, as I start to think ahead to what the new year might bring. Like all of us, I want to make the most of 2025 - and in my case that means going off on a new expedition - news of that coming soon, when hopefully I have the funds, at last! - and also a series of speeches.
Details of the speeches coming up - Sat 11th Jan 12:00, Adventure Travel Show, Business Design Centre, London (see https://www.adventureshow.com/ ) and Thurs January 16th 14:00 at the Destinations Travel Show, Manchester https://www.destinationsshow.com/manchester- are on my website. Do come along to one or other if you can make it. I'll try my best to encourage and inspire, should you need it! It would be great to see you, and hopefully chat to you.
Otherwise, there'll be all sorts of other exciting things happening in 2025 - and hopefully we'll connect through them!
For me, connecting is at the core of my work. The journey to new lands, making acquaintance with strangers who understand their world, and then returning to share my findings with my own community is an inspiring cycle. It's like the experience of riding Eggycar—you have to skillfully balance, navigate challenging terrain, and connect the starting point to the destination in the most complete way possible!
I love how your adventures in connecting with different cultures inspire us to see the world from new perspectives. How do you adapt your storytelling to resonate with such diverse audiences? Word to markdown, your experiences are truly captivating!
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https://preteur-prive.com/ Un retour captivant rempli d’aventure et de profondeur humaine. aimons les récits authentiques qui inspirent et font voyager l’esprit. Cet article transmet une belle énergie et donne envie de suivre davantage ce parcours fascinant.