Shygirl

Daydreamer

As an introvert it’s so easy for me to get lost in my own little world in my head and disengage with reality. There’s nothing wrong with that – it’s practically survival mode for an introvert. However, the thing I love most about travel is that it shakes me up and brings me out of myself for a little while. For once I don’t shut the world out but embrace it, the colours, the sounds, the beauty. The key thing about solo travel is that you don’t have to put up with a travel companion at the same time!

Introverts are rare and I believe pretty misunderstood. As you get older and wiser you realise you have to embrace the things that make you different, the things that make you, you. Solo travel is just one part of that.

Being an introvert means a lot of different things to different people. It doesn’t always mean you’re shy and socially awkward (though I am) and it doesn’t mean you don’t want to socialise and have fun. What it does mean is that you have a rich inner world and a powerful mind. This deep inner life and strength of mind is what makes solo travel so appealing to introverts. It is the chance to have adventures, see the world and be around people but not necessarily have to engage with or speak to them. You can go at your own pace and leave the party whenever you want to. Whilst an extrovert might struggle to be alone with their thoughts for a whole trip, enjoying their own company comes easily to introverts.

Solo travel pushes me out of my comfort zone, forces me to converse with strangers on a regular basis (often poorly in another language), and sort out any problems that arise all by myself. I always come back feeling stronger, tested, more alive.

Writer

Writing has always been a big part of my life. From a young age I loved reading and writing but it took me many years to actually start writing novels seriously. When I write the outside world fades away and my imagination takes over. This immersion in my mind has always felt like my true calling, it is when I feel most myself. The things I cannot articulate in speech or am not given the time or the moment to say, flow from my mind to the page. Through writing I have a voice.

When I started solo travelling regularly the idea came to me to combine my two great loves of travel and writing. It is a more complicated relationship I have with blogging. Writing novels is a simple, pure form of creativity, whereas with a blog you tend to spend as much time editing photos and frowning at code than actually writing. Yet I love sharing with the world (or the two people that read this) my experiences and passion for travel. Hopefully it will inspire you to get out there and see the world too. Just remember that you don’t have to wait for someone to go with, get yourself on a plane and have an adventure!