If the topic of my three-month solo travel adventure ever crops up (or rather, if you can stop me from talking about it), there’s a few routes that the conversation could go down. There are people who simply have no interest in travel, and especially not the long-term type, so they’ll ask why I’d even want to embark on something so alien to them. I had my reasons, as I’ve written about before, but for the most part, the responses are more positive, and they go something along these lines:
I wish I was brave enough to travel alone
You are. Travelling doesn’t come down to your personality-type or how extrovert/introvert you are. Whether it’s a weekend away in the UK, or you’re packing up your entire life with a one-way ticket in your hand, travelling alone is a big step. But with preparation and determination, you absolutely can explore the world in whatever capacity you want.
I wish I had the money to do that
You do. OK, maybe not right now, but if you really want to travel the world, you will make it happen. Make sacrifices in other areas of your life, squirrel away bonuses and birthday money, plan ahead and make a budget. I had a year’s worth of savings in my account before I went off (admittedly I was saving for a house, but I wanted the trip more), and it meant that I could travel exactly how I wanted to.
I wish I’d done that when I was your age
I was 27 when I went off for my big trip, but I was actually 19 the first time I boarded a plane completely on my own to meet a friend in Switzerland. Some people take gap years before university, some take sabbaticals from work, some wait until retirement. Your age has nothing to do with when you go, it might just change which experiences you choose to have. Either way, you’ll still love it.
I wish I didn’t have responsibilities holding me back
Look, I’m in the position where I don’t own property or have children, so I get it, you can’t just jack it all in bugger off somewhere (well, actually, you CAN, but you probs don’t want to). But life adapts with you, not the other way around. See the world but in your way; be that with a two week jaunt to a seaside resort with your mates, a Bank Holiday weekend where your parents have offered to babysit, or backpacking and hostelling around Asia on your own.
There’s no excuses. JUST GO.
It’s the words that me and my awesome group of gal pals (also known as our Whatsapp group name of ‘Bangarang’) live by. We’re the sorts to book a holiday whilst still on holiday, or to peruse Skyscanner like other people would ASOS, but our love for travel and the eye-opening, life-altering experiences it can bring means that at any chance we get, we Just Go.
In honour of our love of throwing caution to the wind and living the intrepid explorer life in amongst a 9 – 5 job, we’ve partnered with the jewellery brand Zeal & Heart, who have engraved our life motto onto a limited edition run of beautiful silver pendants. There’s only 100 out there (I have #5!), and all proceeds go to Headway, a charity especially close to our hearts after Charley lost her best friend, Amy, last year.
You can buy the pendants here, and if nothing else:
JUST GO.
What I’m wearing
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| Jacket – Zara (old) / Necklace – Zeal & Heart* / Bag – Missguided via LovetheSales* / Jumper – Beyond Retro / Suede skirt – Beyond Retro / Socks – WeGo Japan / Shoes – Primark |