From Pickle Books to something more...
This isn’t just about a book anymore, it’s about sharing the journey, growing ideas, and building a community around curious kids, meaningful travel, and a life lived with intention. It’s about following those little nudges, creating something from what I love, and encouraging others to back themselves and build a life that feels right for them too.
Corinne Sim
5/8/20244 min read
Hey there,
I’ve never really been much of a literary genius, I’ve always seen myself as more of a street wise, give it a crack kinda person, but here goes.
I don’t think I’ve ever been very good at sitting still. Even as a kid I was always asking, “what are we doing today?”
I was lucky. Both my parents were around during school holidays, so we were always off doing something. Camping by the river, heading to the beach, or just mucking around close to home. I think that’s where it all started… that little itch for adventure.
Somewhere along the way I fell in love with travel, nature, and that quiet kind of freedom you only really feel when you’re somewhere new.
At 17 I went on a school exchange to the UK, and that was it. I was hooked.
By 19, I’d packed a backpack, deferred my studies, and booked a ticket to Europe with my brother and my high school sweetheart. We just went for it. No real plan, no smart phone, not much money, and honestly, we had no idea what we were doing half the time… but I’d never felt more free.
That one trip somehow turned into two years overseas. Working in hospitality and travelling whenever we could, and saying yes to pretty much everything that came our way.
Those years changed me in ways I still can’t fully explain. They stripped everything back and showed me who I was without all the routines, expectations and comfort zones.
Eventually, real life caught up. Visas ran out and I came home. I finished my Environmental Science degree and stepped into what people would call a “real job”.
But travel didn’t stop. It just looked a bit different.
Throughout my twenties I kept chasing adventure, just in new ways. I spent a lot of birthdays overseas, backpacked through India and Nepal, studied yoga, volunteered in conservation, meditated, and fully leaned into that free-spirited hippy era (don’t we all).
Then came South America. Hikes, wild landscapes, and a bit of a shift in how I saw things. I turned 28 in Bolivia and remember being called the “older solo traveller” by a few backpackers… little did they know the best years were still ahead.
As I got older, things softened. Party hostels were swapped for slow mornings, wine bars, local breweries, and wandering small towns with my partner. It became less about cramming everything in and more about actually being where I was.
After a year of renovating a house together, we packed up again and travelled for six months. Somewhere in the middle of that trip, we eloped in Central Park… rude not to.
It still makes me laugh. It was 11 degrees, we had cobbled together some outfits in the days prior and had photos taken between Midtown to Wagner Cove with our photographer who kept referring to us as “the man” and “the lady”, as he didn’t remember our names and then meeting our orthodox rabbi who also happened to moonlight as a non-denominational celebrant. Wild day.
Because of the work my husband and I do in natural disaster response, we’ve always felt drawn to helping in recovery and rebuilding. When we get an idea, we usually find a way to make it happen.
Not long before the world shut down, Hurricane Dorian hit the Bahamas and wiped-out entire communities. We managed to get over there for a couple of weeks, volunteering to rebuild a school with All Hands and Hearts and working with World Central Kitchen helping feed around 9,000 displaced people each day.
It was heavy. Confronting. But also, one of the most meaningful things we’ve ever done. It completely shifted how I see travel. Less about ticking places off, more about connection, perspective, and showing up where you can.
Then life changed again, in the best and gentlest way.
We welcomed our little boy toward the end of the pandemic. And just like that, adventure changed shape all over again.
These days it looks different. Slower. A bit chaotic if I’m honest. And a lot less about trying to see it all. It’s picnics, playgrounds, campfires at the farm, bush walks, zoo days… noticing all the little things I used to rush past.
Now that our little guy is four, we’ve just taken our first overseas trip as a family. And honestly, it feels like the beginning of something new all over again.
Travelling with a kid changes everything. Less rushing, less ticking boxes. More noticing, more presence, more appreciation for the small stuff.
I’ve always felt like travel evolves as you do. The same place in your 20s feels completely different in your 30s, and that’s actually the best part. You see more. You look for different things.
Adventure doesn’t go away as you get older. It just evolves with you.
And that’s really where Our Little Footprint comes in.
Pickle Books is still there, just in a way that fits where I’m at now. But this feels like something a bit bigger than that.
I’m following the nudge to share more. The stories, the lessons, the messy bits of what travel and adventure can really look like.
A space for learning, for ideas, for raising curious kids and exploring the world together.
A place where geography feels fun (I do love a good map), creativity feels doable, and even the smallest ideas feel worth backing.
But it’s also about something a little deeper.
Remembering we’re only a small part of a very big world.
And maybe our job is just to explore it, learn from it, and take care of it along the way.
To tread lightly. Stay curious. Do what we can.
It’s taken me a long time to realise that this love I have for travel, adventure and the environment isn’t just something personal. It’s something worth sharing. Something worth building on.
Because when it comes down to it, it’s pretty simple.
Don’t let life pass by without noticing it.
Stay present.
Back the things that light you up.
And build a life that actually feels like yours.
I’m really glad you’re here.
x Rin
