Hi! I’m Finola and in the summer of 2011 I turned 30 and quit a mostly lovely life in favour of some adventures and the unknown.
Things had been pretty secure and steady; I had great friends, supportive colleagues, good students. I lived in a lovely part of the UK, and I had a teaching job that paid a decent salary and that I loved more than I hated. The fact I had a job, in this current climate, should have kept me sweet but for some reason I was unsettled.
So yep, I packed it all in and packed myself up to travel for as long as feels right. I will have to work along the way, and I hope to do some volunteering, HelpXing and CouchSurfing and WWOOFing too. I’m keen to visit families, communities and alternative set-ups and see how different people live their lives. I’m interested in physical, emotional and intellectual adventures, and intrigued by social, environmental and sustainable ventures. I want to push myself out of my comfort zone. I want to feel alive. And I want to find the creative space to write.
I’m not sure travelling will have the answers I’m looking for, but being settled with a job and house didn’t offer that either, so there’s only one way to find out. My last paycheck has long been and gone, and it’s a bit scary. I’m travelling solo, and that’s a new challenge too.
My hopes and goals for my travels include:
- WRITE! Regularly update my blog and publish various articles
- Hear, taste, touch, see, feel , experience and learn from different cultures
- Learn Spanish well enough to hold a conversation
- Open my mind, be calm, stay healthy, smile, dance, laugh, talk, let go
About the blog
Why keep a blog? For a few reasons, including:
- To write. I love to write and a blog provides the perfect platform to practise and improve that skill (please give me feedback!)
- To share my experiences with other travellers and potential travellers (and hopefully gain some feedback, ideas and comments in return)
- To network with other writers and publications
- To keep family and friends updated as to my whereabouts
Contact
Travelola logo by Rob Adderley @ robadderley.com
travelola 
Hello lovely, just saw Zoe and Matt and she told me about your travels and blog, I hope you have an amazing time, you certainly deserve a few wonderful experiences by the sounds of it xxx will send you a mail but will definitely be following the blog xx take care of yourself xxxx love and thoughts xxxx
Thanks Lu, would love to catch up when I’m next back in the UK. Your site is great, btw, such beautiful wedding photography. You know how to capture the magic! Lots of love to you all. x
Finola, I think it’s amazing what you’re doing! That’s exactly how I felt too (hence, I’m in Southeast Asia doing some traveling). Life is a grand adventure and sometimes, we need to get away from what we’re familiar/comfortable with in order to experience living. Best of luck on your travels and be happy 😀
“we need to get away from what we’re familiar/comfortable with in order to experience living” – yep, it brings me back to a Germaine Greer quote that I’ve referred to over the years: “Security is when everything is settled. When nothing can happen to you. Security is the denial of life.” Good luck with your own adventures!
Hey Finola!
Love to hear more of your traveling experiences. Good blog! 🙂
I love to write too heh!
Finola,
Thank you for liking my blog entry “no, no, no..I insist: on arnnarn.com. I hope you continue to enjoy them.
Thanks for popping by my blog. Will keep up to date with your pics and write-ups.
Thanks for liking my blog. I am also a traveller but not full time though. I have started learning Spanish and still a long way to go..
Hi. It’s fun to see your reactions to traveling in South America. I love Ecuador (as you do), and lived there for 5 years. And, Brazil is great, too. But huge! Thanks for reading my recent Colombia blog (check out the other two before this one). I hope my experiences enlighten yours. And, vice versa.
Yes, Brazil is somewhere I’ll go back to in the future, such a big place. Will read up on your other Colombia entries before I head over that way. Thanks for stopping by!
Hi,
Thanks for following my blog “arnnarn.com”. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do yours.
Bruce
Great blog! Super interesting to read!
Glad you’re enjoying it! Thanks for stopping by.
Finola,
Thank you for commenting on my new blog http://www.artteachtravel.com ! I’m so glad to find you!
Sincerely,
Anita
Nice blog… I’ve just started travelling… 🙂
Enjoy your adventuring and writing! Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Hello Finola,
I hope you are having fun travelling around and meeting different people. Wish you all the best. Please do not forget to keep us updated about your adventures, especially about South America!
Cheers,Alex
Hi Alex,
Glad you stopped by my site – cheers for the comment. I’ll keep travelling and writing if you keep reading!
Keep up the good work on your blog.
Finola
Hi there! Thanks for visiting my blog and ‘liking’ my photograph. I appreciate the feed back! Keep blogging;)
Thanks for visiting my blog too! And keep up the good work.
I love to look out and see another woman living life large. Good on ya! Thanks for an excellent blog.
Is there any other way to live?! Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Hi and thanks for reading my blog on Granada, Nicaragua. I read a few of your posts and love them. Great writing! Keep living out of your comfort zone and keep writing.
Cheers for stopping by and commenting. And keep enjoying the Spanish – such a useful languague – my language skills are still way off where I’d want them to be so some more time in Spanish speaking countries is a must!
Hi Finola! Just wanted to stop by to say thanks so much for liking our latest post about bungy jumping in Japan. Much appreciated! Love your blog and admire your courage to give up what you had in the search for something greater. Looking forward to following your adventures! 🙂
Welcome on board! Keep enjoying your adrenaline, adventuring and writing.
Subscribed.
Great, Michel. Welcome on board!
Hi Finola,
It’s good to hear from you again. Thank you for liking the Fourth Note post on arnnarn.com.
I love receiving your updates on your blog. It’s like I’m traveling along with you. Keep it up!
Bruce
Cheers Bruce. Keep enjoying the writing, photography and book promotion. It must all be starting to come together now?
Hi,
Yes, it is. Just completed a video for the book last week and it should go up on youtube in another week or so. Also been invited to participate in the Southern Festival of Books – that’s a big one. It’s at the same time scary and very exciting.
Bruce
Hi Finola, I nominated you for the Capture the Color competition: http://catbirdinoman.wordpress.com/2012/08/18/my-world-in-five-colors/
Thanks Cat! Your nomination means a lot to me. I’ll get straight on it and have a look back through my photos. I love your pictures, by the way. Beautiful.
Thank you Finola! Can’t wait to see your pictures!
Thanks Finola! Can’t wait to see your photos!
You are absolutely adorable, I’m just saying 🙂
Erm… I can’t say I know how to respond to this one!… but I’m glad you popped by, read some of my scribbles and said hi 🙂 I’ve got some big sea sailing adventures coming up on my blog before too long that may fit a bit with what you’re doing – hopefully you’ll stick around for a read. Keep enjoying your boat and exploration. Looks like you’ve made some pretty big and interesting decisions in life…