Globetrotters Writer Spotlight Story— Orla Kenny

To travel is a privilege — I don’t like to forget that

Hi Globetrotters. My name is…Orla.

As someone who does not like to be in the spotlight, this is a big step for me.

A lot of writers have written an About Me page, but no matter how long I think about it, I don’t know where to start!

When I saw this easy-to-follow format on writing your own ‘Writers Spotlight Story’ by JoAnn Ryan, I thought, “yeah, I could do that!”

So thank you for inspiring me to introduce myself and share my Globetrotting experiences with you all.

I love to travel because…

It’s the best way for me to be alone for long periods of time while doing things that bring me joy and freedom.

I love traveling as it makes me feel completely free.

My number one travel activity is…

This is a great question. I was pondering on it yesterday as there are so many things I like to do when traveling but to pin it down to just one is tough.

Hmmm, let’s see… I would have to say it is exploring new cities on foot. I love cities as they are so full of life. For me, it’s where it all happens.

For example, I arrived in Lyon, France, yesterday after spending 2 weeks in Montpellier. I traveled by bus. I was tired when I got here, but even so, there was no way I could go straight to bed.

Coming from the bus station to my cute French hotel room, I crossed the river Rhône in a taxi. It looked so beautiful, I had to go out and explore.

It’s not so much excitement as a deep curiosity in me that keeps me interested in traveling. I am always curious about what I will see, hear, feel or touch. I like to walk around and soak up the atmosphere, noticing everything.

I was enjoying trying to work out who was French, who was a tourist, and who were the people who have possibly migrated here.

Just breathing in the city's life is fun for me.

I also appreciate good architecture and not just the buildings, the bridges too. I love bridges!

I come from…Dublin, Ireland.

I work as …an English language teacher. I’m also a life coach and writer. I’m not coaching at the moment, but I plan to set that up online soon.

The best place I’ve been is…

Oooh, another tough question..I don’t know if I could say just one place as each country has its own beauty and mystery.

I loved Vietnam, but sometimes it drove me crazy! I always enjoyed Malaysia for its vibrancy, and the people are sound. Thailand is welcoming, beautiful, and the food is out of this world!! Singapore is dazzling and…then there’s Europe where I am now.

Kenya is fabulous with its gorgeous African sky and lovely warm people…the US has some amazing places to visit such as the Grand Canyon in Arizona, Colorado, and many more. I could go on. Every country has its own charm.

We are blessed to live in such a beautiful world!

In my spare time, I like to…

I’m doing it right now. I’m sitting on my bed at the hotel writing this, eating a fresh baguette with cheese and salami and I’m trying out a new flavored drink (pomegranate and apple). It’s nice!

Earlier, I went for a cappuccino in a small cafe on a side street and took a walk along the river Rhone. What can I say.. only.. Wow! It’s beautiful. The river is so wide and the architecture with its different colors along the banks is spectacular.

I like to do other things like cycle, swim, read, cook, shop a little, meet friends for coffee or lunch, or watch YouTube videos of one of the spiritual teachers I follow or how to learn something new.

I like plants and a little gardening, but as I don’t have a fixed abode, I have to live without that joy.

I want to visit the different vineyards and do some wine tasting while I’m in France. I think that would be fun!

I like adventure trips too, but only now and again. I tried most of those things in my 20s and don’t feel as much of a desire for them now.

One thing I want to do more of is going to the countryside, hiking in the mountains, skiing, camping, etc.

I’d also like to do more motorbike trips. I feel I should have done more of them when I was in Vietnam, but I was busy doing other things. I did have a small motorbike and took short trips, but I‘d like to go further next time with an organized group.

My top travel tip is…

Go slow.. take your time. Savor the experience!

Live it one moment at a time.

My second tip is to travel light.

If I could live somewhere else, I’d live in…

I’m happy where I am now. I have just arrived in Lyon, France where I’m going to stay. But, in the future, I’d like to spend some time in Japan, China, South Korea, and also... Canada, as my dad loved Canada and I’m curious to know why.

My favorite way to travel is…

I think by bus. I enjoy bus journeys, but they must be less than 9 hours. After that, I’m just itching to get off it.

I have been a budget traveler for 5 years now, so I use the buses a lot. It’s the only way if you want to travel long-term. But, in the future, I will probably do a lot of traveling by car. I use the trains too, but only if it’s a long trip.

Three lessons I’ve learned from traveling are…

• Not everyone is going to welcome you.
• Remember, you are a foreigner, so respect the culture.
• Always be kind and open to learning.

If you would like to know in more detail why I like to travel, you can read my story below:

That’s it!

Thank you for reading and thank you Globetrotters for adding me as a writer to your lovely publication. :)