The idiot behind the windscreen and camera.

That’s me, James, eating a Mac ’n’ Cheese sandwich on the beach in St Andrews, Scotland. Yes, it’s exactly as good as it looks. No, I will not be taking further questions.

Grew up in France, live in Berlin. A late arrival to hiking and the outdoors. Now there isn’t much else I’d rather be doing.

The camera has been along for the ride for almost twenty years. Mostly portraits of my friends, usually with no budget for clothes (more at jayslaffat.art ). But whenever I head into the mountains or up north, my camera comes too. The views up there have fewer curves than my friends, but at least I can post them on Instagram and show them to my parents.

What pulls me up there is the raw, untouched kind of nature you don’t find easily in central Europe. Volcanic fields still cooling off, glaciers carving their way through valleys, coastlines shaped by thousands of years of wind and waves. Landscapes that remind you the planet was here long before we were, and will be long after. That’s what feels like real wilderness to me. Not a well-maintained forest with a car park and a snack bar.

That feeling kept growing. The only reasonable response was to take a three-month sabbatical and drive north until the trees stop.

I’m returning to Iceland, this time to explore the Highlands. Then up through Norway and Finland to cross the Arctic Circle. A dream I’ve had for a long time, finally happening. The plan: a Dacia Bigster, rigged to live out of. Yes, a Dacia. No, it’s not a Land Rover. I’ll be overlanding on a budget, which mostly means browsing Reddit threads and watching YouTube videos at 2am, trying to understand how to rewire the electrical system, pick the right gear, and hopefully not destroy the car in the process.

Following the road rather than a schedule, waking up somewhere I hadn’t expected, staying a day longer when a place deserves it. My first real overlanding trip.

If I survive this one, the next adventure will be England, Scotland and Ireland. Trading fjords and northern lights for roundabouts, sideways rain, and a string of cultural crimes: ordering vegan haggis in the Highlands, alcohol-free Guinness on the Wild Atlantic Way, and putting the milk in first in the Lake District. Obviously there will be tea and scones. Can’t wait.

Wish me luck.