travelher stories
Thank you for visiting! Here you will find a collection of travel stories from women around the world. Each one is as unique and varied as the next. Enjoy!
Mel and I lay on the beach and talked about life, swam and surfed constantly, met new friends and generally made the most of living in such a magical spot for a short moment in time.
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The course weaved around the city, and gave me outstanding views of the Seine, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Grand Palace, Chateau de Vincennes, and of course I could see the Eiffel Tower in the background at many different points. It was a bit surreal, seeing all of these iconic landmarks that I had only ever seen in books and movies. Sort of like running through a fairy tale… The physical challenge was enormous—but so was the mental challenge. I would try to occupy my mind throughout the day while I was running so that I wasn’t focusing on the pain in my body. I grabbed my passport and boarding pass from her (crotchety old) hands and set off on The Amazing Race: Toronto Airport Edition. What ensued was nothing short of a miracle, not to mention an amazing cardio workout! I depleted all the Euros I had on me (ready to be converted into Serbian Dinar when I arrived) to catch the next connecting flight to Zurich. Strong winds above the Swiss Alps left the pilot unable to land which meant I had to backtrack to Ghent if I wanted to get to Serbia at all. Sixteen hours later I arrived with no money, no luggage and almost no life left in me. While visiting these spots, it occurred to me that taking a selfie with a large monument or a minuscule masterpiece is, you know, really embarrassing. Not to mention logistically awkward. It was the first time I had travelled anywhere overseas alone, and my nerves were all over the place. What happens when I get there? What if my feelings are different in person? What if he doesn’t like me? If things turn sour, what do I do? Mom did not have a glamorous life for sure, anything but; she had a very challenging life. But she always rose to those challenges. And that drive and determination was instilled in me by her. It's funny how life is, generally we want all we can for our children, it's a given. But there was I, wanting more for my mother. My mum asks me to send her a postcard from wherever I go, and every time she receives them, she gives me a call and tells me how excited she is that I have visited yet another country on my list. She keeps count of the number of countries I've seen and is my biggest supporter when it comes to getting out there and making the most of it, no matter how much she misses me while I'm away. Although I am primarily a solo traveller, I often say it’s not about what you see when travelling, but who you see it with. The best part of this story is I moved to my mum’s hometown - a small village in London called Barnes, where her mum still lives as well as her sister. My day involves walking the same paths she did, taking the same buses, visiting the same stores, smelling the same smells and exploring the same sites. Then suddenly, our three-year-old son simply let go of my hand, ran off, got through the barriers and started patting the Liberty Bell with a big proud smile like it was his new treasure… A second later two security guys approached me with the look on their face like we just killed someone. I can’t remember exactly what we talked about, but what I do remember is the bright, cheery sound of her voice. It was probably mid-afternoon in New Zealand, perhaps my little brother had just woken up from his nap, and she chatted to me about normal life and made me feel as though I wasn’t alone. It was such a warm contrast from the deadly quiet, pitch black streets. I should mention my mom is five feet nothing and a tiny little blonde woman – and never once did she give the impression that she couldn’t do something. I remember thinking at this exact moment how wonderful it is to be with your sister and mum. This was the first time we had gone away just us three and we kept on saying how lovely it was sitting with the sun on our backs and being happy together. It was really cool to see where Rosie lives, works, goes for a drink, and to meet her friends. And of course we loved New Zealand, what’s not to love? I learned not to judge and to be kind. I learned to take leaps of faith because often they deliver you right where you’re meant to be, and as a result, I met and fell in love with my now husband. My mum cut her first trip to Paris short, vowing that one day she would take her future family there, and truly experience the beauties of the French capital. Nearly 30 years later, she did. My dear mum had passed away the year before. She knew that I had always, always wanted to go to Greece. A painting of Santorini she did for me hangs on my wall – not her best work (as she aged her Parkinson’s got the better of her magical artistic talent), but filled with love, just for me. There was never a dull moment growing up with a woman who lived life with passion and craved adventure. I inherited these qualities from her, and I am forever grateful. It was the perfect trip to get away from everything and everyone I knew, out of my comfort zone and into the open and unknown. I questioned everything I’d envisioned for myself in the past and tried to imagine what I wanted from life in the future. I didn’t find an answer… until I got to New Zealand. With each day and experience our confidence grew and we thought we were invincible. Look at us – we were killing this travelling thing, nothing could possibly go wrong! Or could it? Finnish people love their summer and so do I. I enjoyed the long sunny days, bathing in the lake and warming up in their traditional sauna. We found a flat on the first day and a job within a week. I did it—I moved to a new country on the other side of the world, found a job, and started a life! It was liberating to know I could do it. Being confronted with children on the streets, begging to survive, I felt a great need to do something, rather than accept this inequality as normal. |
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