EXCLUSIVE I left my life in the UK behind to explore the remote Arctic - this is why I would NEVER move back
A man revealed he left his business and life in the UK behind to explore the remote arctic - and claims he will never move back.
Andy Marsh, from Bournemouth, walked away from a high-pressure career to chase the Arctic dream after catching 'the polar bug'; which changed his life forever.
After a trip to Svalbard, an archipelago tucked between mainland Norway and the North Pole, he left his video production business to start anew in one of the most remote corners of the world.
The 42-year-old, who is now the founder of Polar Escapes, took the plunge to leave what he knows behind - and start a travel company from scratch in 2019.
'I was nervous about making such a drastic change, but I knew I would be missing out if I didn't do it,' he admitted.
'The financial risk was huge. I was stepping away from a regular client base to something completely new and uncharted, but I was driven by the polar bug that I now had. It was exceptionally challenging.
'The pandemic in 2020 threw travel into absolute chaos. Leaving it all behind to start anew was one of the hardest choices I have made. But I believe to progress you have to make changes and this was the change I decided to make. The risk was worth it'.
Andy admitted that while he did 'enjoy it', his past career was 'very stressful at times'.
'There are lots of deadlines and clients' expectations are high,' he explained.
'I am someone that likes to change things up, and after 10 years, I felt like video production had run its course and I was ready to do something else.
'My passion was always to travel, and I wanted to be more connected to that.'
He found that her main interest at the time was 'remote places, particularly visiting some of the most remote places on the planet - the ones people don't frequently go to'.
Andy claimed a trip to the Falklands in 2011 sparked his curiosity for the less explored regions on the globe.
He explained: 'My connection to the polar regions actually began when I visited the Falkland Islands in 2011.
The 42-year-old, who is now the founder of Polar Escapes, took the plunge to leave his career in video production and start a travel company from scratch in 2019
Andy claimed a trip to the Falklands in 2011 made him want to explore more remote areas of the world
'I was involved in setting up the first TV station there. I trained a local crew with no experience on camera and editing techniques, and FITV was born. The station is still running today.
'When you've visited somewhere as remote as the Falkland Islands, you begin to wonder, "What's next? What's more remote?"
'For me, the answer was South Georgia Island, which I sailed to in 2018 on a tall ship, one of the most remote islands on Earth with 400,000 King penguins - it's quite a sight.'
Andy revealed he went to the Arctic in 2017 on a sailing expedition to Svalbard out of 'curiosity' - and was drawn by 'how far north it is'.
'Svalbard is an incredible place, often referred to as the "Arctic in a nutshell" as you can see all the key species there, including polar bears,' he continued.
'I've visited Svalbard many times, and each time it's a different experience. Nothing beats the feeling of seeing polar bears in the wild for the first time.
'The first trip I did there was with my sister for 10 days on a sailing boat. We sailed up to the edge of the pack ice that extends all the way to the North Pole. We had some really great polar bear sightings as well.'
However returning to reality after his travels became more difficult each time - and he was keen to get back on the road.
'Visiting the polar regions becomes almost like an addiction,' he revealed. 'You are driven to see more of it.
'Shortly after I returned home I knew that I had to make my love for travelling in the polar regions a part of what I do for a living. But first I had to work out a way how'.
Andy became 'obsessed' with travelling to hidden-away gems and he kept a lookout for more opportunities to travel.
Andy added: 'When you travel to the polar regions, it is really difficult to return to normality. It's like you've seen this fantastic other reality and you want more of it.
'After visiting Svalbard in 2017, I sailed to Antarctica and South Georgia on a tall ship in 2018.
'That really was an experience - a 50-day voyage from South America to South Africa via some of the most remote places on Earth.
'Highlights from this trip were landing on Antarctica and doing a polar plunge at Deception Island and exploring South Georgia.
'My one disappointment for this trip was we planned to land on Tristan Da Cunha, the most remote inhabited island on Earth, but the weather was not in our favour.
'We spent four days trying to land, but it wasn't meant to be. So I was within 100 metres of the most remote island on Earth but have yet to step foot on it. It's still on my list of things to do.'
'Andy revealed that another opportunity arose in 2018 - to 'sail a private yacht to Scoresby Sund in an incredibly remote part of East Greenland'.
'As you can imagine, I said yes. At this point in my life, I knew I had to make my work life about travel,' he explained.
'I had spent so much time away that combining running a video production company and exploring the most remote places on Earth was becoming extremely difficult.
'It's very hard to make any career change when you're self-employed. I've been self-employed since 2009, so I am used to the stress and uncertainty that comes with it.'
The keen explorer also revealed that he doesn't regret the decision to change his career to chase something more fulfilling.
'It's still early days for me financially, but I'm glad I made the change,' he admitted. 'It was a huge risk that is in the process of paying off.
'My life is certainly richer now. Through my work, I've visited more places in the polar regions, with multiple trips to Svalbard and Greenland. I've made some great friends along the way in far-off places.
'I am very fortunate that I get to travel to the polar regions to test out the different tours we sell. It's almost like a dream job.
'I spend a few weeks per year in the Arctic and the rest of the time working behind a computer, so it's not all travel. My friends think I am the luckiest person alive.'
Andy urged others who are considering a similar career change to 'go for it' but know the risks.
He said: 'My advice is to go for it and take the leap, but choose how you do it.
'It's better to have lived trying something than living in regret of not trying it at all.
'My advice to people looking to make a drastic change is to look at how you make the change.
'I jumped and did it in one go, and this is not necessarily something I recommend as it is risky.
'Look at how you can build your new dream whilst you're still in your current career and make the change gradually.
'It will be a lot less stressful than jumping in one go. Some of the most successful entrepreneurs worked on their new business for several years whilst still working jobs and made the change gradually.
'If I could go back in time, this is the advice I would give myself.'
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