Follow your dreams - part two

Remember my post about how it is important to follow your dreams no matter what? 

I was able to get in touch with Khaled, the lucky winner of the competition which allowed him to fulfill a lifelong dream: to trek the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. He was very happy to answer a few questions and share with us a few thoughts, following his wonderful adventure. And seeing pictures of him during the trek made feel nostalgic about my own adventure last year in Ethiopia...

 

Welcome back, Khaled. I trust you fully enjoyed your trek. Was it as amazing as you hoped?  I'll be honest, it was much more hard work than I anticipated and I probably should have trained properly! I enjoyed it very much but it was very tiring!

We know you chose the Inca Trail because your mum is originally from Peru, but what prompted you participate in this competition?

The Inca Trail is somewhere I have always wanted to visit, so when I heard about the competition I thought I'd enter. There are still a lot of places left for me to explore: 7+1 world summits, Sain Jacques de Compostella, driving in USA from the East to West coast, Trans Siberian and the Orient-Express! 
 

We know photography is your passion. Did you get to take lots of amazing photos?

The surroundings were beautiful do I did take a few pictures, however at times I was more concerned about taking care and putting one foot in front of the other without slipping! 

Tell us how you felt when you reached the Machu Picchu. What feelings did your trek in Peru inspire in you?

Getting to Machu Picchu was the best part of the trek and made all the effort worthwhile! It's mind over matter, it made me realise everything you do is just a battle with yourself and you just have to keep on going as the reward at the end is worth it and made me feel like the last few days hadn't happened. 

What advice would you give people who are dreaming about their adventure of a lifetime but haven't won a competition?

Look for opportunities around you, the adventure is just there. And if people tell you there is nothing there for you, just believe in yourself, and go for it! 


What are you planning next?

Next? Well I'm hoping Reckitt Benckiser will launch another competition.

Thank you, Khaled, for sharing your inspiring thoughts with us and wish you the best of luck to find the opportunities around you which will allow you to turn all your other dreams into sweet reality.


Stay inspired! 
 
 

The next Reckitt Benckiser Experience of a Lifetime winner will be cycling from London to Paris in June.