Time for an Adventure!

It's difficult to remember where my fascination with travel came from.

As with most children, I used to love pretending that I was embarking on a huge adventure when I was little, whether it was trekking through the jungle in our overgrown garden, or discovering hidden dragon caves on the beaches of Cornwall. But I'd probably pinpoint my determination to see other countries after a geography trip to Iceland around 8 years ago. I was absolutely blown away by how breathtaking the natural world could be, from walking on glaciers and standing behind waterfalls, to gazing over icebergs and watching geysers burst into life. As soon as I came home, I promised myself that one day I would see what else was out there.

So this year I'm going to do just that. Next week I'll be flying out on a one way ticket to Bangkok to explore what the other side of the world has to offer.

On my own.

I must be crazy!

The idea of solo travel is one that's always intrigued me, but one that felt completely unachievable. As someone who can barely find their way around London on their own, even with the help of Google maps, how on earth would I successfully navigate the completely alien streets of South East Asia!?

There's always been something stopping me, be it fear, lack of money, or just general commitments. But as they say, if you wait until you're ready, you'll be waiting your whole life. And with no major responsibilities holding me back, there's no time like the present!

Yes, I'll admit, I'm terrified. I border on panic every time I think about what could go wrong, and I've mentally replayed every possible scenario over and over. There's a constant voice in my head telling me I can't do this. But the voice telling me I'll regret it if I don't try is so much louder.

So for the past few weeks months, I've been planning until there's been nothing more left to plan. While I'd love to be that free-spirited nomad who just goes with the flow, for my own sanity (and my parents!) I'm going to at least make sure I'm prepared for anything!

While I'm ticking those last few things off my to do list this week, I'll be sharing my amateur travel tips for any other newbie traveller out there who may be reading. And of course I plan on writing all about my travels while I'm out there (although with a combination of dodgy WiFi and my questionable organisation, I can't promise any regularity!) Hopefully by the time it comes to jumping on that plane, I'll have a slight idea of what I'm doing!

So there you have it! Although I'm nervous, I'm very excited for this path that lies ahead and where it will take me.

Because after all, what's life without adventure?

Love, Beth xxx