In looking for inspiration for the Bio of this blog I opened up the book I plan to read on the plane 'Around the World in 80 Days' (neat huh?). In the Biography of Jules Verne my attention was caught by this rather disturbing sentence; 'His schooldays proved unexceptional and, apart from an unrequited love for his cousin, happy'. Sorry?! First off I have to ask is this really the type of love that should be 'requited'? The less said the better really; but I think if it had been requited it would suffice to say that the next generation of little Vernes would not quite have had the same level of talent as their father.

As I don't have any crushes on any of my family members it was clear that Verne's biography was going to offer me few ideas. As such I'll put my ramblings aside. My name is Richard and I'm 21. I've been planning this trip for about a year but dreaming of it for nearer two. Before university I never really had any great desire for independent travel and didn't even consider it as an option before university. However, about a year and a half ago I started to become almost obsessed with the idea. I think a lot of my motivation was rooted in where I was living and my surroundings at the time.

After my first year on campus I had to move out to the nearest city which just happens to be probably my least favourite city in Britain (although obviously I didn't know that at the time). A lot of the motivation that I have for travel is, I think, a direct consequence of those surroundings. For the past two years I have lived in Coventry (a city in the West Midlands of England). The dreariness and ugliness of Coventry is hard for me to express. The city centre is a collection of ugly and faceless 50s and 60s architecture which create a truly oppressive atmosphere. However, it's not Coventry's fault that it's ugly – it's the Germans' fault.

The city has a history of industry and was therefore a prime target during World War II. To cut a long story short it was bombed to shit. A lot of historical buildings and by all accounts impressive architecture were destroyed and were replaced by a collection of truly hideous constructions. I don't understand why it was rebuilt as it was but more and more I have come to assume that it was intentional – as a way to permanently guilt-trip the Germans.

The city truly depresses me. I suppose you get idiots anywhere but here is a short story which probably best encapsulates why I wasn't sorry to leave. On leaving a pool hall one Friday night my friends and I simply had to cross the road to get to where our car was. We stepped out of the hall and waited to cross as a car was coming. That first car was travelling fairly slowly – the window was wound down and before we knew it two of us had been hit. I recoiled slightly and gingerly felt my stomach. My fingers touched something wet and running. I knew what it was immediately even though it hadn't sunk in; it was – egg. I knew my jacket might not survive. (Coventry can really give LA a run for its money when it comes to a good drive-by). My friends and I looked disbelievingly as the car continued on fairly slowly, stopped at a junction, indicated and then calmly pulled away. There was no shouting, no raucous laughing and not even a beep of the horn. It was like it was their job, something functional which had to be done – a vital task to make sure no one could enjoy themselves while out and about in Coventry. It used to perplex me that the people don't leave. I can only presume for the majority it's something to do with their bail (parole) restrictions.

I don't think it was really a coincidence my desire to travel occurred in the midst of the greyest of surroundings. I remember seeing a picture on the Lonely Planet website in the section about Thailand which amused and fascinated me. The caption ran; 'A child is startled by an Elephant outside a donut shop in Bangkok'. It was such a colourful and bewitching photo and it just contrasted so much with what I could see out of my window. If you were to see a photo of a child associated with Coventry it would most likely be as a mug shot under the headline 'Serial Arsonist Arrested'.

To return to the subject of me, which I have so successfully avoided during this biography there is little you really need to know. I am going with an open mind and a cynical eye. Hopefully you as a reader will laugh – whether through my well-thought and extremely clever and witty comments or more likely the stupid or embarrassing things I will inevitably do. Fortunately I will not be travelling on my own, my girlfriend will accompany me and hopefully prevent me from hurting myself or anyone nearby! I leave in just two weeks. In the past couple of weeks I have been thinking about something an old teacher used to say to us; 'Don't merely exist, get out there and do something'. For a while now I have felt like a part of the first half of that sentence and now it finally feels like I'm moving into the second half.