And So It Began, Dot Dot Dot

From a teenage dream and a “no” from my mama, to my first solo trip across Australia and New Zealand, this is how it all started. I’d always wanted to see the world, but life, timing, and type 1 diabetes had other ideas and it took me decades to make it happen. This is where TravelChickFrom76 really began; an over packed massive rucksack backpack, some group tours and rediscovering my spark.

When I was a teenager (I’m 49 now), I dreamed of travel, really travelling, seeing the world, meeting new people, taking a gap year. Everyone in my school year seemed to be talking about it.

My mum said no. Looking back, it was probably a mix of things: I was her only girl, I was travelling with type 1 diabetes, and the idea of me joining a group of strangers abroad must have been terrifying. I respected that.

Years later, life forced a reset, my mum passed away in 2009, I was separating from my partner and selling our business. My world was spinning, my mental health was at rock bottom, and I had no plan for what came next so, in 2010, I walked into a travel agent and booked something that would change everything - a whirlwind adventure through Australia and New Zealand.

It was a blur of airports, hostels, on and off a coach with incredible sights thrown in: Sydney, the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Uluru, Darwin, and finally Auckland with a dash around the North Island. Sometimes it felt like there was barely time to breathe, never mind unpack, I don’t think we ever did!

I was 34, one of the oldest in the group, but I wasn’t the only one flying solo. There were a few other solo female travellers over 30, all teachers, and the tour company roomed us together, safely distanced from the party-mad gap-year crowd. 15 years later we still keep in touch on Facebook dropping each other various “Happy Birthday”, “Congratulations” and “Safe Travels” messages.

I never felt unsafe, even wandering the cities alone at night and that journey completely erased any fear I had about solo travel, and I think it would have calmed my mum’s worries too. The downside of it was that everything felt rushed, there’s so much I want to go back and see.

Travelling with Type 1 Diabetes

Managing type 1 diabetes while travelling back then was different, no continuous glucose monitors, just four injections a day, finger prick blood tests and some trial and error. I did have to skip one day trip, snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef, still a sore point, because I was too hypo-hungover (iykyk) to function. My body was shouting at me to rest, and for once, I listened.

That experience taught me early that solo female travel isn’t about pushing through everything or trying to cram everything in; it’s about knowing yourself well enough to pause, rest, and regroup.

By the end of the tour, I’d found something I hadn’t realised I’d lost - confidence. I came home lighter, clearer, and with that little internal spark that says, “You can do this,” and I setup Offbeat Brewery single handedly with the little chick as the logo.

It took another decade (and a pandemic) before I booked another big trip alone, but that first adventure planted the seed. In 2023, I finally took the plunge again travelling solo to Costa Rica. No group, no comfort zone, just me and the road ahead, but that’s a story for another post.

And So It Began…

Very Mamma Mia, Honey Honey, “dot dot dot,” you know the scene where they’re reading the diary and every story ends with “dot dot dot”? That’s how this feels. One adventure leading to another. Each one teaching me something new - about the world, about people, about myself.

That first trip wasn’t glamorous or perfect, but it was mine. And it’s where the story of TravelChickFrom76 truly begins.

Dot Dot Dot

If you’ve ever found yourself at a crossroads maybe what you need isn’t a plan, but a ticket. My first solo trip taught me that bravery doesn’t always look bold; sometimes it just looks like saying yes.

Follow @TravelChickFrom76 on Instagram for more travel stories, practical tips on travelling with type 1 diabetes, and inspiration for your own dot dot dot adventures.