Last Updated on December 24, 2024 by myriamoblogger
Who is behind this blog?
Hi, It’s Myriam! I’m a millennial who’s had multiple lives. I graduated in Broadcast journalism in 2016, but I’ve also worked in retail, content strategy, and even nurseries with little kids! As a French-born Ghanaian, I’ve always loved the ‘idea’ of travelling but never did until now.
I have a pretty odd relationship with travelling. Growing up, I loved the concept of travelling but it only stayed in my mind. Instead, I was travelling vicariously through other avenues, such as books and television. I loved libraries, and my favourite publications were illustrated books on foreign cultures. I would spend hours flicking through them as I found it so special to learn about new cultures. A future without travelling seemed inconceivable and yet I spent years not doing it.
Being multicultural
Travelling is not totally foreign to me either. Born in France, to Ghanaian parents, I was introduced to travelling pretty early on. I often visited Ghana for summer holidays and it was always the highlight of my year. Additionally, I moved to Great Britain in 2008 and I still remember my excitement that very day.
However, the exhilaration quickly died out and was replaced with anxiety. As a French girl, how will I integrate myself into British society? It took months before I had enough confidence to speak with my accent. Fast forward to 2011 and 2017, I still dreamt of travelling but student life didn’t permit me. Also, the idea seemed too far-fetched. I convinced myself I should be happy with the few countries I had been to.
When redundancy hits…
In early 2024, I was made redundant from my corporate job. Whilst working at that creative but very stressful and demanding job, I never allowed myself to go on holidays. My former manager often had to remind me to schedule my days off (for admin purposes) and it was torture for me. I feared burdening my colleagues with my share of work if I did.
In retrospect, I think that’s a feeling a lot of corporate workers relate to. That feeling of guilt. Well, let me reassure you, you’re not as irreplaceable as you think and they will do okay without you. I learnt my lesson on my final week when I saw the number of PTO days I had not used. What a waste.
A fresh beginning
Before my redundancy, my girlfriends and I were planning a trip to Milan, and I decided to still go ahead with the voyage post-redundancy. Once there, though I did not splurge on Louis Vuitton bags and designer shoes, I had so much fun.
When I returned, I used time to focus on myself, studied a course and even conceptualised this blog. A few months later, I embarked on a solo trip to Vietnam for my 30th.
In principle, redundancy is a weird concept but I used it as a stepping stone to reconnect back to myself. Funnily enough throughout the year 2024, I felt an urge to pour back into myself, and this blog is the fruit of that.
So, what is Travelling Notes?
Here I want to share my ‘first time travels’. Yes, I want to share my beginner’s journey to interesting places with you, highlighting the various aspects I love about travel such as people and culture. Through my photographs and my travelling notes, I hope to share a few useful tips too 🙂
I call Travelling Notes a travel blog but I’m not a big fan of tags. I simply hope this platform will motivate me (and you) to explore the world a little more. In our own little ways, because I don’t think travelling is the master key to happiness or that one should board a plane to discover things. Even being a tourist in your city is a good enough feat.
As I’m typing this, I’m based in the UK (I’ve been living here for more than a decade!) but stay tuned as this may not be a forever thing. This travel blog is about a woman, who at age 30 learnt that it is never too late to connect back to herself.
Thanks for coming along.
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