Exclusive travel memoir excerpt #2 Finally solo traveling
Table of Contents
I’m delighted to present an exclusive sneak peek book excerpt into my new travel memoir ‘Backpacker to Nomad’
What’s Backpacker to Nomad? It’s my new travel memoir, chronicling the evolution from naive newbie to full-time traveller through my adventure & misadventures.
Backpacker to Nomad overview:
Trapped with a lunatic pilot en route to a deserted Island in Australia where a cold hard reality hits like a freight train…
Unknowingly scaling active volcanoes in New Zealand with harsh consequences…
Experiencing a euphoric natural high in the heartlands of Jurassic Laos…
Long-term British budget backpacker, Amit, shares fifteen humorous yet thought provoking travel stories of adventures, discovery and despair from his ‘take the rough with the smooth’ journey from naïve backpacker to nomad.
Through the thrills and spills of his early calamitous struggles with solo travel, comfort zones are smashed, crippling fears are faced, there’s the odd brush with death, face off’s with wild animals and the reality of long-term travel life hits hard. While life is always on hand to throw spanners, this remarkable never-ending journey feels like living in an alternate reality.
Amit provides a unique perspective on life, his mentality, shows the transformation he undertakes and reveals why he cannot return to ‘normal life, in this travel memoir sure to fill you with wanderlust and laughs.
Book Launched: July 27th 2022
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Sit back, grab a snack and enjoy …..
Finally solo traveling travel story overview
A new vibrant city, the perfect laid back atmosphere, just what Amit needed, finally solo traveling and it felt liberating. But a heavy weight grew bigger by the day, insecurities came out to play and he found out how uncultured he really was.
Finally solo traveling
With the knife dug in and twisted, pain screamed from my wallet as I reluctantly paid the bill and it was back into the herd of coffee addicts while pigeons went to town on the mess I left behind. The easiest option was to follow the flow of the hordes of locals and camera-clad tourists through one laneway to the other. Some became extremely tight, where it turned into single file, while others widened.
The hole-in-the-wall cafés became fewer and further between and were replaced by an explosion of vibrant colour. Every inch of concrete was hidden behind layers of street art and graffiti. Most of the amazing work looked like it belonged in a gallery, produced by extremely talented artists with such vivid imaginations. It definitely didn’t look like the crappy tags and amateur graffiti on walls back in my home town.
As the cafés disappeared into the distance, so did the clanging of mugs, plates, and glasses. Coffee machine hisses turned into melodic soft music as buskers strummed their guitars and softly sang out—some better than others. A mellowness drifted through the air, it was hard not to be captivated by it while drifting through the graffiti-covered spaghetti maze. Cameras clicked relentlessly, capturing the amazing and vivid artwork, from bamboozling patterns to lifelike portraits of famous celebrities to cartoon characters.
Melbourne Vs Sydney
Melbourne felt like it had a much calmer vibe than Sydney, a slower pace, and that helped me feel at ease in a strange new city. A familiar baked smell wafted through my nostrils and it didn’t take long for my eyes to lock on. The traditional Australian eatery, that was Pie Face.
No, not today, I want a proper meal tonight. If I’m going to be solo travelling, I need to learn to eat and go into bars alone, especially if I want to see live gigs.
I had never sat and eaten a proper meal or drank in a bar alone before, it was just something never done where I’m from. In Sydney, I cooked in the hostel most of the time, but if I ate out, it was with other people or I would bring a take-away back to the hostel. It was definitely never something I had done in England.
Melbourne Vs Sydney
Darkness had replaced daylight and, for now, it remained dry, but temperatures had plummeted. Apparently, according to the stunning black-and-white graffiti mural on the wall, this was Fitzroy. With the streetlights pointed towards it, the mural stood out more than it would have during the day. Friends in Sydney had raved about this place… well, those who fell in love with this city. Melbourne and Sydney divided a lot of opinions—there were staunch, almost tribal supporters for both.
Those that loved Sydney hated Melbourne, and vice-versa. After just a day, Sydney was still home, but the appeal of Melbourne was evident, especially with its calming vibes, which did wonders from the way I felt in Sydney towards the end.
Here I was, a stranger in a new city, gliding through the mellow atmosphere that spread a calmness through me. It’s amazing how just being taken out of an environment can change a mood so drastically in such a short space of time. I didn’t know a single soul and was wandering the streets all day, getting lost from one alleyway to another, it felt so freeing. Fitzroy turned it up a little from the city centre.
A cocktail of musicians and street performers filled the streets in front of quirky shops and odd art, from bright-yellow painted bicycles to unusual sculptures. People floated down the street with a smile, the atmosphere was infectious, and even I wore a natural grin. Another crowd had formed on the corner, but this time, there wasn’t a guy holding up an orange flag. Music pounded out as a solo guitarist sang famous cover songs. He was very talented.
Before I knew it, my body was in sync with the music, moving to the strums like the rest of the crowd. I was falling for Melbourne’s charms—its courtship was intoxicating. It was as if people just let go of their inhibitions, very bohemian-like. This was exactly what I needed after how I had felt over the past few months, either my demons were left behind in Sydney or Melbourne was soothing them.
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Follow British backpacker Amit’s humorous wild ride into nomad life. From his early calamitous struggles with solo travel, the odd brush with death, to ghetto snobbing (his words), it’s been a ‘take the rough with the smooth’ type of journey
Don’t just imagine the journey – see it through this FREE photo album
Internal battle
Time had slipped by, but the music got louder down the main street. People poured out on to the street from the many bars lining one side of the road. Live bands started to play, gigs were going on, adding a student element to the bohemian flair. Most of the little open-front bars, much like the cafés earlier, were filled with a mixture of locals, students, and backpackers, chatting and laughing away. A rock band played in one of them, the music was quite alluring.
But…
My body froze up as I tried to enter. I tried again but couldn’t move. As if an invisible force field was stopping me. Others walked in and out, some looked over as I tried once again, but I couldn’t do it. Not to embarrass myself too much, I just walked away.
What’s going on?
Nope… not doing it. Not going into a busy bar alone looking like a loser with people staring at me.
Nobody was looking, and even if they are, who gives a fuck? We’ll make friends inside, come on.
I do and nope. Try all you want—I’m not letting us go in
Insecurities come out
Time had slipped by, but the music got louder down the main street. People poured out on to the street from the many bars lining one side of the road. Live bands started to play, gigs were going on, adding a student element to the bohemian flair. Most of the little open-front bars, much like the cafés earlier, were filled with a mixture of locals, students, and backpackers, chatting and laughing away. A rock band played in one of them, the music was quite alluring.
But…
My body froze up as I tried to enter. I tried again but couldn’t move. As if an invisible force field was stopping me. Others walked in and out, some looked over as I tried once again, but I couldn’t do it. Not to embarrass myself too much, I just walked away.
What’s going on?
Nope… not doing it. Not going into a busy bar alone looking like a loser with people staring at me.
Nobody was looking, and even if they are, who gives a fuck? We’ll make friends inside, come on.
I do and nope. Try all you want—I’m not letting us go in.
Messing with me
I laughed it off and headed towards another bar. I wanted a beer and to listen to some live music after such a great day. Again, I forced myself, but my body was just not playing ball. My inner voice had taken control and wouldn’t let me go in. I tried another quieter bar, but just carried on walking by like I wasn’t interested. That was a lie, I was.
Come on. I need to do it. Dive in and get rid of the paranoia and fear.
Nope, not today. Not gonna happen.
Stubborn, insecure fuck. OK, lets get some food then.
Sure.
It didn’t sound convincing at all. The main street disappeared as I stepped on to a quieter one looking for a place to eat instead. One looked quite appealing, a Mexican street food place that was cheap enough. After studying the colourful menu almost forensically, I went to step inside but the same thing happened again.
No, don’t like this either
Read full story in new travel memoir
This was just the start of the story, nothing is ever how it seems, adventures can easily turn into misadventures on the drop of the hat and not revealed itself yet.
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2 Comments
Sarah · February 3, 2022 at 7:11 am
Wow! Great post! I loved hearing your inner thoughts- made it that much more real.
foreverroamingtheworld · February 3, 2022 at 5:45 pm
Hiya,
That makes e so happy you enjoyed reading it, I want to give readers a real insight into what ran through my mind at the time – This was just a little teaser for the main book – The inner voices develop through the book as well as the main people involved and the stories 😀 –