Globetrotters Writers Spotlight- Melissa Morris
Hello Fellow Globetrotters,
I have been writing on Globetrotters for a while but haven’t gotten around to properly introducing myself.
I’m Melissa, and I seem to travel to some of the most untouristy places. Egypt, Kenya, and central and eastern Africa. I lived in Europe throughout 2020/1, but unfortunately, that was also when touristy things weren’t happening.
It’s given me an interesting take on the world, as most places I have visited have been for longer than a few days.
I love building relationships with people, and the places I have lived have special memories that wouldn’t have been possible if I was just passing through.
I love to travel because:
It’s exciting, and I get to see new places and experience new things. I don’t like to do things just because everyone else is and gravitate to ideas that are outside the box.
My number one travel activity is: Exploring the streets and hopping on public transport. You can learn so much from just walking around.
I originally come from: Queensland, Australia, but I have moved a lot in the last 10 years.
I work as a: My job title has changed a lot, and I’m not really sure. I have a background in healthcare and working with not-for-profit organisations. Currently, I am exploring the possibility of writing for a living.
The best place I have been is: Each place is unique for very different reasons. I loved living in France, but my time in rural eastern Africa was equally life-changing. Meeting people from that place and forming friendships is what I value when travelling.
In my spare time, I like to: Read, listen to music, explore the outdoors and have deep conversations with friends.
My top travel tip is: Pack for the weather and make sure you explore things off the beaten path. Try not to do everything touristy but find out where the locals hang out.
If I could live somewhere else, I’d live in France at the moment, but anywhere where I have a good community of friends to share life with.
My favourite way to travel is: By train, mainly because I rarely do it and coming from Australia it is a novelty for long-distance travel and so much quicker to get on and off than planes.
Three lessons I have learned from travelling are.
- Take it slow and be in the moment. You can learn so much from walking the streets and just observing.
- Don’t be afraid to take risks (obviously within reason). Of course, travel isn’t always comfortable, but you can have some great experiences you might not find anywhere else.
- Be flexible- nothing will go exactly to plan, even if you have thoroughly planned it. Sometimes you need to roll with the punches and take the highs while navigating the lows. Not everything will be a walk in the park.
I love reading all of your stories and connecting with you :) Most of my Medium feed is full of travel stories or ideas for travel.
Melissa is passionate about building authentic and supportive communities to empower people to live physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy lives.
You can email her at [email protected] or find her on Twitter and Instagram.
Medium is an amazing platform to write and share your stories. If you’re interested in joining, here’s my affiliate link for you to get started
