Hi, my name is Bell!
I was born in Germany, grew up in the UK and have lived in Australia and Canada. I think moving to London in my early teens kickstarted my travel bug and I have now visited 30 countries (and counting) all over the world.
Over the past 7 years, I have travelled on and off. My first big solo trip was at just 18-years-old to Australia and I remember being terrified. I just barely made it on that plane, a sobbing mess.
I spent my Gap Year exploring everything from the touristy east coast to the undisturbed natural beauty of the west.
While there, I worked any and every job I could find.
From bartending in a dodgy nightclub in Cairns to babysitting a 1.5 year old for the first time in Melbourne all the way to a research internship in Sydney. It was one of the best years of my life so far and I changed more in that year than in the three at university that followed.
I continued travelling sporadically throughout university. Once I finished my degree, I moved back to London to build a career in the international non-profit world. It was exciting and I learned a lot about things like voluntourism and exploitation, however, I quickly felt stuck.
I remember looking in the mirror and seeing my washed out reflection staring back, caused not only by the constant lack of sun in the UK but also the anxiety and depression that comes with trying to survive in one of the most expensive cities in the world.
In September of 2022, I booked a one-way flight to Montpellier, France for a language course. After only two weeks of basking in the sun, new friends and delicious food, my skin was glowing, I had a tan and was happier than I’d been in a long time.
I realised that I needed sun, people from different walks of life and the excitement of exploring. Something needed to fundamentally change!
I gave myself a year to figure out what I wanted from life. Canada had always been on my bucket list and with two days left on the visa deadline for 2022, I applied.
By December, I had made it to Canada. What followed were 7 of the happiest months of my life. I became a snowboard instructor and roadtripped all the way to the Yukon. Between the coldest days of my life and experiencing the northern lights dance across the sky for the first time, I found clarity.
The plan to study for a Masters in September was thrown out the window (sorry mum) – I wanted to give my life-long dream of being a travel blogger a go.
Which brings me to today. I don’t know exactly what tomorrow will hold or which country I will be in and that’s okay. I want to chase sunsets, see the freckles in my face multiply and feel alive.
That’s what life is about for me – at least for now 😊
FAQ
Why Travel Off Script?
Prior to this blog, I had one called Bell’s POV for about a year. The blog wasn’t really focussing on one thing and navigating it quickly became messy.
In May 2023, I finally realised that it was time to rebrand. I wanted to create a travel blog that showed my readers that anyone can travel and there isn’t ONE right way to do so. There is no script that lays out how you have to see the world, including how to support yourself financially.
Hence, Travel Off Script was born. Together, we go off the beaten path, literally and figuratively. We explore working abroad, young-person visas, volunteering for accommodation and digital nomadism. We everything from the most popular cities to the least explored remote areas, travelling by plane, boat, train, ferry and more.
My blog is also “off-script” in the sense that I believe modern travelers need to focus on sustainable and ethical travel, which is still a relatively new topic. Its not as prevalent yet and a lot of misinformation is spread online, which is why I am going to focus on providing you with clear guides and facts.
Why Start a Travel Blog?
Firstly, well, I love to travel.
If you couldn’t tell from my essay above. Travel is where I’m at my happiest. It’s how I met my best friends and learned most of what I know about myself. It’s a constant battle with my comfort zone which reminds me that I am alive.
I have a design degree and experience in the field of communications, meaning I have some of the skills needed to run a travel blog. Don’t be fooled – it’s still very scary and a constant learning process (setting up the website took me over 3 weeks), but it feels worth it.
I enjoy being creative and writing is a way to creatively share your passion with other people. I want to be able to talk about the things I wish I had known when I started travelling, as well as explore and learn together about the world of responsible travel.
To me, it is a way to combine my passion of travelling with that of making a difference to the world. Cliché, I know, but hoping that what I write and share will maybe have some positive effect on our environment and the local communities is what makes me want to keep going.
Finally, I want to connect with others in the same place as me. Who feel that maybe their goals and dreams are a little bit different to what we are a told a career should look like. Who can never quite stay in just one place. Who want to learn by seeing and experiencing, rather than just from books.
If that sounds just a little familiar, join me on this journey and we will figure out this thing called life together 🙂
