A Solo Female Traveller's Quest for Self-Discovery and Growth
Affordable Travel Options for Thrifty Explorers
Before I used to think, I must spend so much money to visit places like Iceland or Scandinavia, but now I know how to save money and travelling in this budget-friendly way actually makes it easier.
Breaking the Bubble and Seeing the World
My favourite Workaway project was the one in Norway helping at a husky kennel. This is a very cool thing for me because I never heard about that when I was living in Asia. I was just so happy being around the huskies, and the family was very nice to me. I had dinner with them every day and they also showed me around the area. I really enjoyed my time over there. It showed me a totally different lifestyle, completely different from what I’m used to.
Seeing the Northern Lights was something really impressive and incredible. It made me feel really alive and lucky to be in this world! I’ve seen such beautiful things. It reminds me the world is not that bad, and encourages me to find more good in the world.
Mastering English Through Cultural Integration
Before I travelled, my English wasn't so good. I think in Hong Kong most of us are quite shy to speak in English because we are afraid to make mistakes. When travelling it is really important because it is the way we communicate; so I become more willing to express my personal feelings and talk with people.
I also learned to understand different cultures and share my culture with others. In the beginning I was so worried about cooking something from my country because I feel I’m not very good at cooking and I don't know if they will or be used to that taste. But I think it's a really good way to share culture!
Developing Transferable Skills for Work
I’m interested in photography and making videos, but it's just an interest - and I saw this Workaway in Greenland and I really wanted to go. I had never done social media before, it was my first time. Because of Workaway, I can do things even if I dont have the degree or experience!
The most important thing is the experience because it isn’t something I can just buy with money. It's very special and you really get very deep in the culture in that country, and feel like a member of the family and get very well known about the country. I can see so many opportunities in the world that I wouldn’t know about if I was just stuck in Hong Kong ...Workaway shows me that there's so many possibilities!
Exploring New Opportunities
Workaway is what keeps me travelling. It was my first time travelling alone. I went to Iceland at first and everything was so amazing and it opened my mind. I thought I should keep going because I kept seeing so many interesting Workaways and I wanted to try everything! I thought ‘why not?’...So, I kept going!
Taking the Leap to Travel Alone as a Solo Female Traveller
Most of my friends from Hong Kong are very busy with working or studying so they don't have time to travel, also my family doesn’t really enjoy travelling… But I really enjoy solo travelling because it’s much more flexible, I can just decide what I want to do and change my plan at any time. I don’t need to ask for other people's opinions, and I feel more freedom by doing solo travel.
I personally don't have any bad experiences, I’ve been really lucky I guess, most of the time I meet really amazing people on the way.”.... ‘I'm not saying I’m 100% safe all the time but I would know how to protect myself. When travelling you have to use common sense and trust your instinct to be cautious with the people and places you are not familiar with. But also try to stay open minded and be aware of any cultural differences. If you are scared of everything you are not familiar with, you will never be able to learn new things and fully enjoy your trip!
Choose a profile with some nice references and before you go there, have contact with hosts and ask for more detail. See the way they respond, if possible make a video call so it's easier to know how people are. If you feel uncomfortable, leave, you don't have to stay at the place.
About Stephanie
Stephanie was born on an island and raised in a British/Portuguese multicultural background. From a young age, she learned how to embrace different languages, traditions and cultures. This upbringing