Eat, Write, Love
I first started blogging on Blogspot in 2005 after my three-month sabbatical in Europe to celebrate my 30th birthday then. It was a therapeutic release for me to put my thoughts and feelings down and share the photos of my travels, because I was a food and lifestyle writer (1999 to 2001), and loved to record my experiences and share them via articles and pictures.
After I left the writing job in 2001, I started Sixth Sense Public Relations & Communications company with my partners and continued my love affair with food, travel, writing and photography by writing articles for magazines such as Appetite, Food & Travel, The Edge Singapore, Business Traveller, Her World and Nautique on a freelance basis.
Travelling is one of my muses and it allows me to explore different cultures through their marketplaces and food, to discover ingredients, taste new dishes and create recipes of my own. Even having a baby hasn't slowed me down, and the good thing is he also likes to travel!
I have to say travelling on my own was a powerful experience and I would recommend it to anyone to do it at least once in their lifetime. My first solo trip took place over 10 weeks in Europe in 2005 at the age of 30, after the end of a relationship. An inner voice told me to go on the road and find myself. To do that, I needed to venture alone, go out of my comfort zone, and conquer my fears. It turned out to be an empowering and spiritual journey, where I found my voice again in a foreign language. Si parlo italiano!
As a result of that journey, I was one of the four speakers at the “Intrepid Solo Women Travellers” talk (in November 2015), which was part of the ‘Art of Living’ series at the National Library and curated by my sister Lucinda Law.
Here are some tips for aspiring solo travellers that I shared during the talk – go forth and spread your wings people:
- For first timers, pick countries that are ‘easier’ to travel alone in, such as one with reliable transport infrastructure to get around and locals who speak common languages
- You can travel with a companion and do your own thing in the day and then meet up for dinner. This way, both of you get to enjoy time alone pursuing your interests, and then enjoy each other’s company for meals and share the costs of accommodation too
- Travel light because there's only so much you can carry on your back for so long. We really don’t need so many things in life and on our journeys; pack travel essentials and a couple of beloved items such as a comfort pillowcase, favourite hat or Spotify playlist
- Learn some basic greetings and words in the language of the country you are going, such as ‘hello’, ‘how are you’, ‘thank you’, ‘beautiful’, and ‘delicious’. It helps to break the ice easily and remember to smile!
- Make friends with locals or other travellers – you will definitely get travel tips or recommendations on where to eat, stay or do that only insiders know
- When lost, do not be afraid to ask for help. Be sure to ask two to three persons for directions because the first person could be wrong (it has happened to me before)
- If things don't go accordingly to plan, don’t fret because everything happens for a reason. Trust the Universe!
- Go with the flow and learn to listen to your intuition about a place, a person or situation. Traveling alone actually helps to hone our instincts and inner voice
- Keep a journal and record your inner thoughts on the trip, names of places and conversations with people you meet. Write a poem, draw or paint scenes that inspire you. My diary has recipes and doodles!
- Have fun by yourself and be comfortable in your own skin. “The worst loneliness is not to be comfortable with yourself” - according to Mark Twain
- The journey is more important than the destination in most cases; never discount pit stops which might become full stops.
