Interview

University graduate Helen Dewey, 22, needed to get away from her life in England and fast. Her desperation to leave the people around her ended up in a six months travelling experience across the world.

Sitting in a police cell in Hertfordshire after being arrested for assault I decided I had had enough of England and all the people in it. I decided on martial arts school in China as the first leg of my journey. Culturally I have never seen anything like it.

I set off for kung fu school and until now I thought there was no place in the world where there are no people and no noise, but at the bottom of a mountain in the countryside of China I found solace. I stayed with Monks who spoke no English for two months, with a translator visiting once a week. It was like I was back in school again; there was a schedule each day. I ran up mountains, I practised punching and meditated. If you have ever seen the movie Kill Bill you will no the type of training I received from the monks.

The best day in China and in my whole trip was after three days of torrential wind and rain. The day after was the brightest sunshine I’d ever seen and the reservoir down the road had filled up, so I went swimming in freezing cold mountain water. It was the most amazing day.
I spent a few days in Beijing and the first thing you notice is the massive police presence. You are very aware of the segregation of rich and poor. I would be at Tiananmen Square and then five minutes down the road you would see poor people using the streets as a toilet. It was very strange.

I moved onto Tokyo where I met a Spanish boy and had sushi with him. We went to the fish markets at 5am and decided to have sushi at 7am. It was the most disgusting thing I have ever done; the Spanish boy was lovely though.

My next stop was India where I did work experience on a national newspaper, The Indian Express. I got a marriage proposal within a week of being in the country from a stranger off the street. I told him my husband wouldn’t like it, and he said, “Well he can’t be a very good husband! He’s not here now.” After that day I wore a ring on my wedding finger every time I went out. I tried to avoid walking the streets after I had to tell a four year old girl that I had no money to give her for food. That feeling of guilt I will never forget.

In Germany it was snowing. I have been here before visiting my sister who is a translator. I then went to Vancouver to visit my other sister, a primary school teacher. The one thing I noticed in Canada is that no-one was attractive; they were all like faced and boring.

I ended my journey in America. I went to Miami and went on a duck tour on a lorry boat, imagine a boat with wheels. At the beaches the lifeguards with their skin like leather were really pompous; they literally jumped off their stations straight onto quad bikes, even to go ten metres away.

New York was mediocre, I would never visit again. New Orleans was different; we stayed in an old orphanage where someone kindly told me that children had died in a fire on the floor I was staying on. The views from the windows were astonishing. It was on the edge of a bad area with dilapidated houses with old style porches made of wood. I also went to Mardi Gras, got drunk and ended up in a strip club.

Las Vegas was my last destination. It wasn’t as tacky as I thought, even though my hotel was shaped like a castle. I gambled three dollars in the slot machines. It was more complicated then it looks on TV, there were buttons and a lever.

I knew I would travel as a child living in France during my school years. I remember almost getting kidnapped by a Moroccan who wanted to sell me in Africa where white blonde girls were desired. My travelling experience is my greatest achievement because I went on my own and I didn’t get mugged. I am more tolerant of people now I’m back in England. I feel privileged compared to the people I met on my journey. It has been the best time but I don’t want it to be the best time ever.