Summary

Jenny Austria, a Filipina writer based in France, shares her passion for travel, her unique family history, and her love for bees, trees, and local honey, while offering insights into her favorite travel experiences, activities, and lessons learned on the road.

Abstract

Jenny Austria, a writer with a zest for exploration, has lived in various regions of France, from Paris to Provence. Her inquisitive nature led her to discover the origins of her surname, "Austria," in a Spanish-mandated surname catalog during the 19th century. An avid solo traveler, Jenny finds joy in the freedom and diverse emotions that traveling brings, from exhilaration to regret. She prioritizes walking tours to familiarize herself with new places and has a particular interest in beekeeping, which she integrates into her travels. Jenny's wanderlust was sparked by her father's collection of National Geographic magazines and a world map that adorned her childhood home's wall. As a freelance email copywriter, she is also focused on creating digital assets. Jenny fondly recalls finding love in her native Philippines and encourages sending postcards as a magical way to capture travel memories. She values the lessons learned from travel, including openness to surprises, the importance of not assuming, and the practicality of using an Apple AirTag for luggage.

Opinions

Jenny enjoys the freedom and emotional spectrum that travel offers, considering it a source of happiness and personal growth.
She values the importance of understanding one's heritage and finds joy in sharing fun facts about her surname's origin.
Jenny is passionate about solo travel and the independence it provides, as well as the unexpected experiences that come with it.
She believes in the power of walking tours for immersing oneself in a new environment and considers eating local cuisine a top travel activity.
Jenny has a deep appreciation for nature, particularly bees, and dreams of becoming a beekeeper.
She attributes her early wanderlust to childhood exposure to geography and culture through maps and magazines.
Jenny finds train travel to be a comfortable and less stressful alternative to flying.
She emphasizes the value of being open-minded while traveling and cautions against making assumptions based on stereotypes.
Jenny recommends using technology, like Apple AirTags, to ensure peace of mind while on the move.
She cherishes the act of sending postcards as a way to reflect on and relive travel experiences.
Jenny reflects on the serendipity of life, such as meeting her partner in her home country, where she was the tourist and he the resident.
She expresses a desire to live in places that offer new experiences, such as South America for learning Spanish or Sardinia to understand the secrets of longevity.

Travel

Globetrotters Writer Spotlight — Jenny Austria

France-based writer who loves bees and trees

Hello Globetrotters!

My name is…JENNY AUSTRIA. I’m a Filipina writer based in France. I used to live in Paris, then Normandy, and now, Provence.

*Somewhere* in Montenegro. Photo credit: Jenny Austria

While writing this piece, I fell into a (Google) rabbit hole of research. I wondered, Where did my family name come from? Why Austria like the country?

Bear with me as I nerd out. Who knows, maybe you’ll meet a Filipino and need an icebreaker. Here’s a fun fact:

In 1849, when The Philippines was under Spain, it became mandatory for locals to adopt surnames. Enter the Catalogo Alfabetico de Apellidos, a list of 60,288 surnames that families had to choose from.

As I flipped through the (digital) pages of the catalog — lo and behold — on page 52, I spotted Austria. I wonder if my ancestor eenie, meenie, miney, mo’d it.

I love to travel because…it’s when I feel the freest and giddiest. I like exploring solo.

Travel lets me experience all sorts of feelings—from laugh-out-loud happy to sh*t scared to #grateful.

A few times, I felt regret. Because I ordered chocolate cake and sipped coffee oh-so-slowly when I should’ve been in a cab to the airport.

I know, I know. Go early to avoid stress, says everyone. I guess a part of me wanted to know if I can run fast to catch a flight.

My number one travel activity is…walking. On the first day of a trip, I take a self-guided or “free” group walking tour to orient myself in a ne —

Wait, who am I kidding? My #1 travel activity is to eat, eat, eat! I also have a thing for tasting local honey wherever I go. I’m obsessed with bees, and I’d like to be a beekeeper one day.

Learning about Carniolan bees and apitherapy in Slovenia. Photo credit: Jenny Austria

I come from…The Philippines! Pearl of the Orient Seas. Home to 7,641 islands. Land of coconuts, mangoes, and beauty queens.

Enjoying my view during a holiday in Palawan, Philippines. Photo credit: Jenny Austria

When I was a kid, my family traveled locally but rarely overseas. Two things at home sparked my wanderlust:

A big National Geographic world map that lived on our wall for decades
A bookshelf that housed the iconic, yellow-spined Nat Geo magazines (my Dad subscribed from the 1980s to 2000s)

I traced my fingers on that map. I read those issues from cover to cover. I dreamed of traveling the world.

I work as a…freelance email copywriter. But I’m also building my own digital assets, so I can eventually focus on doing my own thing.

The best place I’ve been is…under a tree in El Nido, Palawan, Philippines. That’s the spot where I found love. After so much traveling, I didn’t expect to meet a French guy in my own country, where he was the resident and I was the tourist.

In my spare time, I like to…take long nature walks and play tug-of-war with my stubborn yet funny dachshund. Recently, I also started learning the ukulele, so I make a lot of noise around the house.

I love sending postcards to family, friends, and even strangers. Photo credit: Jenny Austria

My top travel tip is…send postcards to yourself. There’s something magical about writing in a foreign place. And trusting these tiny love letters to find their way back to you.

By the time a message reaches my mailbox, I hardly remember what I wrote. So reading it feels like a surprise and I love it.

If I could live somewhere else, I’d live in…South America because I’d love to learn Spanish. Or Sardinia because I’m curious to live among the world’s centenarians. Maybe their longevity will rub off on me.

My favorite way to travel is…by train. It’s less stressful than flying. Plus, I can read, watch, and sleep in a comfy first-class seat without breaking the bank.

Three lessons I’ve learned from traveling are…

Be open to surprises, good and bad. We can’t be in awe if we know everything, right? So get ready to ditch plans. Say “yes” to new experiences. And believe that our best life stories are still waiting.
Assume nothing. How many of us have judged people or places based on news and stereotypes? We learn every day, especially from mistakes.
Get an Apple AirTag. Do you really want to face Karen at the Lost and Found counter? I don’t. Get the tracker. Your peace of mind is worth it.

Thanks for reading. Happy travels! :)

If you liked my intro, perhaps you’d also like to read my other stories.

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Globetrotters Writer Spotlight — Jenny Austria

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