This former airman has made significant progress in improving the quality of his life, despite having suffered a series of devastating setbacks in the same calendar year.
He did this by leaving his job, selling all of his possessions, and taking his pet ferret with him on his travels around the world.
Charlie Hammerton, who was 25 years old at the time, was resolved to make significant changes to his life after he was forced to mourn the loss of his best friend, mother, and adopted mother all within the same calendar year.
His mother, Jan, lost suddenly in March 2017 at the age of 53 following a long battle with motor neurone disease.
Just a few months later, his best friend Will Moss, who was only 22, also passed away at the age of 22 from an apparent drug overdose. Samantha, his adoptive mother, suffered a fatal heart attack toward the end of the year and passed away.
According to Hammerton, “It was dreadful for me, but I didn’t want to slip into a rut because of it all.”
[Citation needed] Because I was at a loss for what to do next, there were occasions when I entertained the idea of taking my own life.
At the time, he was residing in Arnold, Nottinghamshire. He made the decision to give up a promising career and invest practically all of his money in a trip around the world with his “best friend,” Bandit the rescue ferret.
“At the time, I was making decent money, driving three nice cars, and living in a nice apartment. I had a significant amount of savings behind me, and I had the good fortune to be very secure,” he went on to say.
“However, I regarded it all as nothing more than “things,” and I didn’t attach any significance to it. As a result, I made the decision to get rid of everything and set off with Bandit.
After that, Hammerton gave up his work and sold practically all of his things, including all three of his vehicles.
He was successful in raising a total of £15,000 ($19,500) for his ideal vacation, of which he allocated £5,000 toward the purchase of a campervan.
Hammerton and Bandit embarked on their journey together in February 2018, and during that time they visited Holland, Germany, Sweden, Norway, France, Spain, and Italy.
The inseparable couple spent a total of eight months traveling together through more than 25 cities and villages located in 11 different countries. Hammerton documented all of their adventures on their public Facebook page.
His amusing holiday album is packed with pictures of Bandit posing in front of famous monuments all around the world, from the Colosseum in Rome to the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Hammerton stated that traveling was the most magnificent experience of his life and that it also him a sense of complete liberation.
“We traveled the world in the direction of the sun and camped out under the stars in some very amazing locations.
He continued by saying, “I spent it with my best friend, and it was a lovely day.” Although I have less money now, I am a far wealthier person than I was before.
The year 2015 marked the year that Hammerton rescued Bandit from an animal refuge, and ever since then, the two have been inseparable.
Even when Charlie was working for the Royal Air Force in Coningsby, the small ferret would accompany him everywhere he went, including to his military digs (RAF).
Hammerton claims that his companion has been there for him through both the finest and the worst times of his life. Bandit has been by my side through both the good times and the bad.
In addition to the incredible road trips they’ve taken across the continent, they’ve also done a lot to bring attention to various charitable organizations.
They did this in order to raise money for a charity that helps people with motor neurone disease (MND).
Additionally, they skateboarded for 40 miles across London in order to raise money for a charity that raises awareness about drugs.
The title of Hammerton’s book on his trips is “Before Our Adventures,” and it was published in November 2018 under that name. The book may be purchased on Amazon.
“The book is about how you can take anything unpleasant and turn it into something incredibly nice,” said Hammerton. “The book is about how you can take anything negative and make it into something extremely good.”
“That is something that can be done by anyone, and they have the right to do it. It is quite simple to fall into a routine, but there is no reason to do so.
“I was going through an extremely difficult time, and as a result, I acquired major depression. He went on to say, “I was having suicidal thoughts and just didn’t know what to do with myself.”
“My life had been turned upside down by a series of unfortunate events, and I had every cause to feel hopeless about the future.
“But I came to the conclusion that that was not the kind of person I wanted to be. I didn’t want this to be the thing that characterized me. I was able to transform the destructive force into something constructive by channeling it.
Presently, Charlie is employed at schools all around the country, where he teaches young people how to improve their self-esteem and confidence levels, as well as outdoor living skills such as camping and bushcraft.
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