Scared and Going, Alone For Real - ep30

Dreaming of hiking in Nepal but not sure where to start?In this episode, I share everything I wish I'd known before my first trek, from choosing the right route and bargaining tips to making the most of the experience.Whether you're planning your first solo adventure or simply curious about trekking in the Himalayas, these are the tips, mistakes, and lessons that can help you feel more confident before you go ! It is unfortunately the last episode before the summer break... I will see you in September !

After Indonesia, Singapore felt almost too easy; drinkable tap water, clean hostels, food courts where every culture met on one tray.Then Taiwan surprised me entirely: a middle school teacher I hadn't seen in 10 years, expat families who talked about moving countries the way others talk about changing jobs, a black sand beach in the fog, and a coastal bike ride with a stranger.By the end, I was a different traveller than the one who had landed in Bangkok two months earlier. I just hadn't noticed yet.

Travel has taken me to many countries, but one of the most important journeys I've been on happened without moving an inch: learning English.In this episode, I look back on how my relationship with the language evolved, from struggling through my first books and TV series to eventually thinking, counting, and even dreaming in English. I share the moments that made me realize I was not as good as I thought and how English completely changed the way I travel and connect with people around the world.But there's also an unexpected downside: when English works almost everywhere, learning other languages becomes a lot harder.This is an episode about language, travel, and how a second language can slowly become part of who you are.

This week, Anusha shares her experience of discovering two completely different sides of Fiji. After staying in luxury resorts surrounded by postcard-perfect beaches, she chose to leave the tourist bubble and live with a local family. There, she encountered a reality that shocked her: difficult living conditions, a lack of basic hygiene infrastructure, and a completely different way of life from what most visitors ever see.In this episode, we talk about culture shock, privilege, tourism, human connection, and what it means to truly experience a country beyond the curated image sold to travelers.

Indonesia was my first time truly on my own. One month, several islands, no safety net. What followed was equal parts terrifying and transformative; a chance encounter on the most beautiful beach I have ever seen, a meal shared in the rain with strangers who spoke no English, a volcano climbed in the dark, and a city that broke me a little at the end.This is the episode where the fear started losing its grip.

I had never set foot in Asia. The culture felt too foreign, the distance too great, the risk of getting it wrong too real. But I went anyway, first to northern Thailand, where I traded the beaches everyone else was going to for jungle roads and elephants, then to China during Chinese New Year, where I discovered what it means to be truly lost in a crowd…This is the first episode of a several-part series about three months backpacking across Asia, and the six that followed in Japan. It starts here, with the fear.

I went to New Zealand when I was ten years old… and for years, I thought I barely remembered it.In this episode, I revisit that trip through a conversation with my dad. What started as a few blurry childhood memories turns into the story of a completely improvised family adventure: six of us, a campervan, no itinerary, and two islands to explore.We talk about what it means to travel with kids, what we missed, what stayed, and why sometimes the most unplanned journeys leave the deepest mark.

My first time in Latin America didn’t go as expected. From a controversial train cutting through the jungle to ancient Maya ruins, vibrant mountain towns, and a church where Coca-Cola is part of sacred rituals, this journey through southern Mexico was as fascinating as it was unsettling. Beneath it all, I began to glimpse a deeper reality; one of resistance, cultural identity, and ongoing struggles for autonomy.

Since traveling more and living abroad, distances that once felt huge now feel almost normal. A five-hour train ride doesn’t seem that long anymore, and places that once felt far away suddenly feel within reach.In this episode, I reflect on how travel changes the way we perceive distance, how our mental map of the world evolves, and why the planet can start to feel much smaller once you begin moving through it.

This week, I’m telling you about the month I spent trekking in Nepal. I share what long days of walking really feel like, the toughest mountain passes, being hosted by locals, and the strange feeling of reaching a summit without the expected euphoria. It's an episode about slowing down, pushing your limits, and finding peace on the trail.