How on earth do people make a living from exploring the world? And is it really as glamorous as it looks? Featured contributor Leon McCarron, long-distance walker, author and filmmaker, tells it as it really is.

Like many people, when I left university, I had no idea what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I was self-aware enough to be grateful I’d had the opportunity to study, but faced with the prospect of the same temporary, unfulfilling jobs I’d held during those three years, I began to save—with purpose.

I wanted to do something that I could be proud of when I was old. I wanted to go on an adventure.