Life changing

Winner embarks on year–long journey around the world

Millionaire Matt Myles is jetting off on a year-long, 19 country world tour 3 years to the day after his win. Matt banked £1M on EuroMillions in 2014 and on April 8, the anniversary of his win, he will be boarding a flight to India with girlfriend Stacy, and his rucksack, ready to circle the globe in an amazing year long trip.

Matt is going to be sharing his trip with us at The National Lottery giving a little peak into what you can do with a year off and a healthy bank balance. However it isn’t going to be private jets and 5 star hotels all the way. We caught up with Matt just two days before his departure to ask him about his plans, what he is most looking forward to and to discover that he hadn’t even packed yet.

You can follow Matt’s Gone Global journey bit.ly/GoneGlobal17

For daily updates, make sure you check out his

Instagram: http://bit.ly/GG17Inst

The National Lottery (TNL): Two days until the flight, how are you feeling?

Matt: Excited. We fly Saturday morning to Dehli and I can’t wait.

TNL: It’s 3 years since you won - happy anniversary.

M: Thanks. I try to do something every year on the anniversary of my win. The first year I flew to Dubai, last year I bought a car. This year I am going back with my family and friends to the café where we went the morning after I had won. It will be weird to remember how in 2014 none of us had slept and my mum had a strange deranged smile on her face. A great memory. After breakfast I’m off round the world with my girlfriend.

TNL: Your itinerary looks amazing – India, China, Japan, South East Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, USA, South America – has this been long in the planning?

M: I had a big blow out with 3 mates last September when I turned 30. I decided then to properly go travelling this year. April 8 is my day and I said to Stacy lets fly to wherever and go from there. She can take a sabbatical – she is an NHS Play Specialist, supporting children and families through tough times, which is a really demanding job. She finished a few days ago and just seems to have slept since. We have our itinerary and a long list of things to see and do in each country – we can’t wait.

TNL: What are you most looking forward to?

M: I have been lucky enough to go to Bali and Thailand to relax before but I only worked when I was in Australia before my win so I’m looking forward to holidaying there. I also can’t wait to see the some of the less touristy parts of SE Asia, like Vietnam, and I expect the Philippines to be amazing. Also New Year in Sydney. We are so lucky.

TNL: So this is luxury all the way – is it all private jets and 5 star hotels?

M: No this isn’t a millionaire world tour. We are packing rucksacks and staying in hostels, we want to have a proper travelling experience. We are doing home stays in India, living with a family. I love cooking and am looking forward to learning some skills – although I am rubbish with spices.

TNL: Come on – millionaire stays in hostel – are you sure

M: I have had some amazing holidays, staying in some of the best hotels in the world with no expense spared. But real travelling is experiencing real life and meeting amazing people, not having the best free toiletries. I am going to see if I can grow my hair and not shave, I going full on hippie traveller.

TNL: So what is it like being a lottery winner?

M: Oh my god, my life has never been the same since the win. I was an electrical engineer doing night shifts and working hard. Now I have so much freedom, I’ve not done a real days work since. I do work but it is what I choose to do which is so different. I have invested in various things, I have some properties and have made the money work for me. Some people say you ‘only’ won £1M. I have worked hard with my cash, invested wisely and also had some fun. Hopefully I am now set for life.

TNL: What has been the best thing you’ve done with your money?

M: Paying off all my parents debts and seeing their faces – no one can ever take away from me – it was one of the best days of my life.

TNL: Is your mum alright with you jetting off round the world for a year?

M: No, she is worried about me looking after myself and Stacy. She still thinks I am a teenager. Thank god for my mobile I can make sure she knows we’re alright.

TNL: So what’s on the global to do list?

M: There’s so much we want to do. We’re starting at the Taj Mahal, we’ll be staying in an elephant reserve, we plan to do the biggest bungee jump in the world in New Zealand, fly around Everest in a helicopter, in along the Great wall in China, see the blossom trees in Japan. We want to soak up every bit of culture everywhere we go.

TNL: Are you packed?

M: No I’m not, I’ve been putting it off. I don’t know when I’m going to do it, we’ve got to go and see family and friends to say goodbye. In fact I’ve got to go and see my mum now.

TNL: Good luck, keep in touch.

M: We’ll be blogging at bit.ly/GoneGlobal17 and posting pictures here http://bit.ly/GG17Inst. It’d be great if you follow us on our trip. Bye for now.

The National Lottery has been changing the lives of winners and supporting good causes across the UK since 1994. In that time, there have been more than 7,000 new millionaires created and by playing The National Lottery you raise over £4 million for Good Causes every dayΔ.

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