Five days ago I was packing my bags to go on holiday to Japan. I knew I'd need to finish this blog before I left but somehow it just didn't happen...so I thought that perhaps I'd write it while I was sitting on the plane. That didn't happen either (the in-flight wine selection was too appealing). Now I'm in my hotel room in Tokyo, technically on holidays! But I've been thinking all the while about what you might like to read about while I'm away.

I have an unusual approach to tourism: wherever I go, I seem to end up having crazy adventures. If you've ever met me you'll know that I'm polite, quiet and enjoy my own company. How then, do I end up in such risque situations every time I'm overseas? Let me give you a few examples: I took a short holiday to Thailand two years ago. I wasn't looking for any trouble; I just wanted to lie on the beach for a week. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) my plans of a quiet week were interrupted by an incredibly hot Spanish couple who decided to claim the deck chairs next to me. I caught the lady's eye and from that point on we spent most of our time naked in their hotel room, ordering room service and giving each other three-way back massages in the bath. 

Case study number two: Las Vegas, 2013. I was travelling alone but had the good fortune to meet a local photographer who knew the area and was willing to show me around. Vegas is incredible even without a guided tour; with local knowledge, it's simply fascinating. He took me to the largest strip club on the, er, strip, where a hot, tattooed dancer asked for my phone number. We didn't end up hanging out - by the time she called I had stumbled upon an illegal back-alley dubstep rave and couldn't hear my phone ringing. When my gentleman friend and I returned to our hotel, we discovered that the rooftop pool had been taken over by naked swingers (apparently it's commonplace in Vegas for one night of the week to be set aside for topless swimming!) 

Lastly, in San Francisco I stayed in a house with some American lesbian friends. I loved hanging out with them because they always had time for a beer and some gossip, although I could never keep track of their girlfriends because they changed them so often. The girls threw a party, dressed me in a French maid costume and then spanked me with kitchen implements in front of all their friends.

I'd love for all of you to think that my life is like some sort of crazy porn movie, but really it's not. It only seems to happen when I'm on holidays.  I usually travel alone and I find that it's easy to say yes to new adventures. Perhaps it's because nobody will ever know if I do something silly? Being in a foreign country makes looking silly easy and when you throw sexual adventuring into the mix it can be even worse! It's nice to know that my language mistakes and awkward one-night-stands can stay a secret if they don't turn out exactly the way I planned. It's easier to take risks when there's no danger of being made fun of by one's friends. In addition to this, I find that visiting new places helps me break out of my old patterns of thinking. They say that 'travel broadens the mind' for this very reason. Being in a completely unfamiliar environment stimulates new growth in the brain: it's an opportunity to think differently. It's also an opportunity to adopt another culture's way of thinking. So taking a skinny dip in the hotel pool is fine, as long as the locals are doing it!

Japan is a country renowned for its bizarre sexual interests and unusual fetishes. From tentacle porn to 'shibari' rope bondage, they have a unique acceptance of the many varieties of human sexuality. I can't make any promises...but I'm excited to see what adventures might present themselves. So as I prepare to venture forth into the night, wish me luck! 

Want to know more about my travels in Japan? I'll be updating my Twitter feed as the opportunity presents itself. And I'm back on the first of May, ready to share my adventures with my clients! Get in touch if you'd like to arrange a date.