I read something once that stopped me mid-scroll:

“Sometimes the fear won’t go away, so you’ll have to do it afraid.”

It hit me like a truth I’d always known but never articulated. Fear isn’t a stop sign—it’s a signpost. It’s the little nudge (or the big scream) that says, this matters.

And that couldn’t be more true when it comes to travel. Especially the kind that changes you.

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I Was Never Fearless. I Just Did It Anyway.

People sometimes think I’m brave because I travel solo, or because I run tours in places most people can’t find on a map. But here’s the secret: I’ve never been fearless.

I remember as a kid climbing trees I wasn’t meant to, galloping ponies with more spirit than sense, and jumping fences taller than both my pony and me combined! I wasn’t fearless—I was just terrified of losing face. So I did it anyway. Fear in one hand, pride in the other.

Those early lessons (perhaps learned for the wrong reasons) taught me something profound: action doesn’t require the absence of fear—just the willingness to move through it.

Fear Doesn’t Mean You’re Doing Something Wrong

At 17, I left home. Not because I wasn’t scared—but because staying scared me more.

As an adult, I’ve pitched to people far above my pay grade, spoken on stages with a pounding heart, and said “yes” to projects I wasn’t entirely sure I could pull off. And when it came to travel? Facing fear felt like an old dance partner.

Boarding my flight to Sierra Leone for the first time? Scared.

Stopping at my first traffic light in South Africa? Scared.

Paragliding in Annecy? Scared.

But I did it anyway.

Not because I’m reckless. But because I’ve learned that fear often shows up right before the good stuff happens.

The Myth of “Ready”

Let’s be honest: if you’re waiting to feel ready before booking that solo trip, quitting that job, or stepping into the unknown—you might be waiting forever.

Fear doesn’t mean don’t go. It means go prepared, but go anyway.

Because guess what? You’ll never be “ready” to:

• Travel alone to a country where you don’t speak the language.
• Sleep in a tent in the wilderness with no signal.
• Leave the well trodden path behind for a more meaningful experience.

But if you can learn to feel fear and still act—you’ll discover strength you didn’t know you had.

What Travel Taught Me About Fear

Travel has a way of putting your fears under a microscope—and then showing you how small they are in the grand scheme of things.

• It teaches you that getting lost isn’t the end of the world—it’s often where the story begins.
• It reminds you that people are mostly good—even when your anxiety says otherwise.
• It proves that you’re more adaptable, resourceful, and courageous than you give yourself credit for.

Doing it afraid has never failed me. In fact, it’s where most of my favourite memories begin.

So What Are You Waiting For?

Perfection? Total confidence? Zero nerves?

It’s never going to happen.

So do it afraid.

Book the flight.

Start the business.

Say yes to the adventure.

Let fear come along for the ride—but don’t let it take the wheel.

Because everything you’re searching for—growth, connection, joy—is waiting for you just beyond that edge of comfort.

Feeling the fear but ready to leap?

Join me on a transformational journey that will challenge you, change you, and connect you more deeply with yourself and the world. Check out my upcoming tours here.