The Adventuress, part one: “I have been travelling slowly for over four years and my life has changed completely”

I was born on a big plot of land surrounded by nature on a tiny island in the Caribbean called Curaçao. My hippie parents raised me and my five siblings in a minimalistic and holistic way connected with nature. For personal reasons, we had to move to a big city in the Netherlands when I was young. Although I got used to my new life quickly, I always struggled with fitting into the “normal” life. I remember calling myself a city girl once I grew up, but deep down I knew it wasn’t my place and something was missing.

Day-to-day life in the Netherlands was too fast and overwhelming and I couldn’t keep up (the grey climate also didn’t help). I tried so hard but I often felt lost and struggled with depression as a teen and as an adult. After I graduated, I started working as a make-up artist, but as much as I loved my job, I quickly started to feel like this life wasn’t for me. I decided to quit my job and sell 80 per cent of my stuff, and three months later I said goodbye to my old life to pursue something I secretly dreamed of: travelling around the world and living in different countries.

I have been travelling slowly for over four years and my life has changed completely! As soon as I got into the outdoors, I felt like I had come home. My adventurous spirit awoke and all I wanted was to explore more and be in nature as much as possible. I found out that I wasn’t a city girl at all and couldn't care less about wearing nice clothes and make-up. I realised my parents were pretty bad-ass for getting away from society and trying to raise their kids in a minimalistic way connected with nature. I guess the apple did not fall far from the tree after all.

Slow travel is more about the journey itself than the destination. It’s the art of slowing down in a fast-paced world and getting back to the root of why we travel. It’s looking for a richer, more meaningful experience along the way rather than just doing a whirlwind tour of an entire country in a short amount of time and only visiting the top to-do’s. It’s about interacting with the place while you’re there, immersing yourself in the culture. Slow travel encouraged me to be a more mindful and responsible traveler and is also the reason why I tend to spend a longer amount of time in countries. I want to fully immerse myself in the cultures, see how locals spend their daily lives, and find out whether I can become one of them by living in the country and exploring off the beaten path.

Over the past four years, I have lived and travelled in a van in Australia, journeyed around Southeast Asia, driven across Vietnam on a motorcycle, learned to scuba dive in Thailand, climbed volcanoes in Indonesia, fallen in love with the great outdoors and lived in my minivan in New Zealand, converted and lived in a small panel van in Europe, and recently made my move to the Portuguese island of Madeira.

Life on the road is truly amazing and even though it is a bit over-romanticised by social media, I love it! Waking up in the morning surrounded by nature, being outside so much, the freedom it gives, and the way you take life at a slower pace without needing much is what makes it all worth it for me. While living in New Zealand I fell in love with the great outdoors after one of my room-mates took me on a hike. I had never backpacked before or hiked, other than going up volcanoes or to viewpoints in Asia. But after that one hike, I was immediately hooked and started to use all my days off to explore the trails.

Being in the outdoors shapes me in many ways: It calms me down from the everyday hustle and bustle and reminds me to appreciate all the beautiful things in life, both big and small. It shows me I’m capable of so much more than I thought. It’s the place I truly feel the happiest, no matter whether I’m covered in dirt and sweat, haven’t showered for days, and have only eaten some energy bars and dried food. I’ll take it over any fancy trip or restaurant.

My friends and ex-partner weren’t as excited about slow travel as I was. I got tired of having to beg people or wait for others to be able to join me, so I decided to go solo. It was a bit scary at first, as you often don’t have phone service on the trails, and I had little experience in the wilderness. I started with short trails and soon felt comfortable enough to go on longer day hikes and even solo overnight hikes. I had no clue what I was doing at first, but I was stubborn, learned as I went, and made many mistakes about what to bring. I searched blogs and YouTube and every time I stayed in a mountain hut I would observe what other hikers brought with them and copy their hacks on my next adventure.

I soon realised I was a bit of an outcast. I often get funny looks on trails and in huts. Luckily, in most cases, it’s friendly faces and I don’t focus on negativity. Whenever I feel uncomfortable I always try to remind myself that I belong there just as much as anyone else. I might be the first Black woman they see there, but I’m hoping to inspire many others, and I definitely won’t be the last. They’d better get used to it!

I do get scared at times and I take safety precautions. I always check reviews of camp grounds, lock my van at night, and trust my intuition. Whenever a place, person, or situation feels off I leave. I pin every spot I sleep in Google Maps, partly so I remember but also so my route is traceable in case anything goes wrong. I tell others if I’m going on an adventure and when I will be back, so they can raise the alarm if I haven’t returned before that time. I also don’t often go solo backpacking on lesser-known trails in rural areas or wilderness, especially not if there are hunters around.

Something about being a young Black woman staying alone in a mountain hut or rural areas with armed men doesn’t feel like a situation I want to be in. Being a woman is one thing, but in the back of my mind, it still sits with me that someone could be racist and I would be out there alone. However, doing things I wouldn’t usually do and going to places where I usually wouldn’t belong gives me excitement and a feeling of accomplishment, so I continue to push myself further out of my comfort zone, even if it’s by doing smaller things like camping alone instead of staying in a mountain hut. I would love to get into more mountain sports. Maybe one day I’ll climb the high peaks in Nepal to test myself and inspire others. No matter our background or when we start, we — the outsiders — truly belong everywhere!

Adventuress: Women Exploring the Wild by Carolina Amell is published by Prestel, and is available from Easons, €55.99. prestel.com

Follow Beth on @lostwithbeth