I didn’t have many opportunities in my civilian life to travel internationally so one of my main goals when I decided to become a companion was to experience the world more. It didn’t want to restrict my companionship to being just a London male escort so I looked abroad to expand my adventures. For me the world was my playground where Patrons were waiting to explore my companionship.

I decided to tailor my effort towards an international client base and pursued my goal earnestly. I eventually realised my ambition and literally jumped for joy when I found my first overseas patron. At first I thought Europe would be the limit of my travels. Who would procure my services further afield? My self-limiting belief was truly demolished when I found Patrons in the US and Australia.

I used to think that the difference between two countries was the accent and the colour of their taxis but I was wrong. I found that not only does each country has it’s own unique charm and tempo, but also people think to a different beat. My travels also contributed to me becoming more ‘cultured’ (I use that term very loosely) in terms of familiarising myself with the world’s current affairs and international perspectives.

If you’re feeling indolent to the idea of travel, think of it as a chance to immerse yourself in different cultures; an opportunity to absorb new experiences that will expand your horizons of the world.

Chris Baréz-Brown summarised it best in his book ‘Shine’:

‘...There is a whole planet out there waiting to be explored. The diversity of nature, people and cultures is what can make this adventure resonant. The difference between even the north and south of Italy is profound, let alone Iowa versus Karachi.

Travel keeps your fresh, tolerant and always open to new experiences. Get a ticket, get a buzz.’

We can compartmentalize many of our different modes of living, and perhaps companionship is one area that we try to keep separate from our 'real' life. That doesn't mean we need to treat each area of our lives with different standards. Integrity, honour and truth shouldn't just be applied to one mode of existence just because it suits the circumstance, but the said virtues should be the engine which fuels, distills and manifests itself into all areas of living and conduct.

I recall a Patron telling me once: 'Cole you must never lie, even in companionship.' Just because escorting perhaps stretches the realms of truth at times, doesn't mean that it needs to be devoid of positive behaviour. Besides, lies will always come back to strike you. (For some reason it rebounds back at you twice as hard in the companionship world. Trust me on this one.) I think there are also enough lies and deceit in the world, we don't need to add to it through our own thoughts and actions.

No one said that trying to lead a 'virtuous' life was easy, and many times we do capitulate to more negative emotions within ourselves. We sometimes hold this lofty vision of ourselves as a shining beacon of congenial goodness, only to succumb to a destructive mindset when challenged at our most difficult times.

There's no perfect ideal in this world, we all make mistakes, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't continuously seek to apply the principles of positive behaviour. A samurai sword is folded many times before it reaches its ideal sharpness, but that doesn't mean the end result is the perfect sharpened sword, that's because it can be folded many times again. Perhaps it's the journey which builds the character, not a destination.