When Carly joined us in Serbia this month, she was a complete newbie to adventure travel having only ever taken beach holidays and city breaks. For those considering their first adventure holiday or joining an organised tour as a solo traveller, we asked her to guest blog for us this week and share her experience. Over to Carly… My typical holiday involves relaxing on the beach and feeding myself with lots of nice things. I work hard and my annual leave is precious, so when I go away it’s to switch off and unwind. Never had I imagined taking a week off to work even harder, climbing mountains, abseiling down waterfalls and wild swimming. But do you know what? It’s the best trip I’ve had in a long time and just days after getting home, I’m raring to go again. As I approach 40, I made a promise to myself this year to step outside my comfort zone. So when my friend, Dawn, asked if I wanted to join her on this small group adventure in Serbia, I jumped at the chance. But then I started to think about it. As the departure date neared, I began seriously doubting my abilities and questioning whether I had made a huge mistake. My stomach sank as I studied the itinerary and I stared at my empty suitcase. ‘What am I doing?’ I asked myself. Imposter syndrome There were so many uncertainties. First, the packing. This wasn’t a case of tossing a few bikinis and dresses in my bag. Walking boots, active wear and water shoes were among the required items on the packing list provided. That in itself made me question what I had let myself in for. Another foreign concept to me was a holiday without guaranteed sunshine. Usually, I board
When Carly joined us in Serbia this month, she was a complete newbie to adventure travel having only ever taken beach holidays and city breaks. For those considering their first adventure holiday or joining an organised tour as a solo traveller, we asked her to guest blog for us this week and share her experience.