Solo Travel Can Be Seen as Self-Guided Exposure Therapy for Social Anxiety

When looking back on the time I spent travelling solo, I can see how helpful it was for overcoming some level of social anxiety. I wouldn’t have ever called this kind of anxiety debilitating, but it’s always been there in the sense of relying on alcohol to feel relaxed socially – to have the social…

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Can We Justify Flying in an Age of Climate Breakdown?

With international travel coming to a halt during the pandemic (or at least becoming cumbersome and prone to cancellation), I’ve been waiting patiently for the time when I can hop on a plane again and go on some trips that I’ve been planning. Before the pandemic struck, I had a flight booked to the island…

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Travelling Around the World on a Vegan Diet

Before I started my round-the-world trip in 2015, a few people asked if I would still stay vegan while travelling, sceptical that it was possible. In the early days of the job I had before this trip, I remember talking to the director of the company at lunch about the topic of vegetarianism (after she…

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The Realities of Moving Abroad

Moving abroad can be an exhilarating and life-changing decision, opening you up to new sights, people, relationships, and experiences. It can take you from a familiar culture to one that is vastly different. This new culture that you immerse yourself in may turn out to be much more aligned with your values, lifestyle, and plans.…

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Travelling Around Borneo During the Southeast Asian Haze

My trip to Malaysian Borneo in September 2015 began in Kuching, the capital and most populous city in the state of Sarawak (the city was formerly known as Sarawak in the 19th century). ‘Kuching’ derives from the Malay ‘kucing’, meaning ‘cats’, and the city has since become known as the ‘City of Cats’, which makes…

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