GT of Month Alice of Teacake Travels

Hi there Globetrotters! My name is Alice and I’m from the lovely tea-loving land of London, England. I used to be a Psychologist working in mental health but in 2010 I declared ‘See Ya Later Britain!’ and galloped off to teach English abroad in South Korea. That was five years ago and here I am, still travelling and getting away with it! I’m all about pushing your boundaries as a woman to achieve your full potential through travel. I personally scream about this from the mountain tops at my travel blog Teacake Travels. You can usually find me flashing some ankle with Burlesque dancing, rocking out on the drums, hiking a mountain and covering myself in mud on a motorbike in between too.

I’m a serious advocate of slow travel. I like to take my time immersing myself in the intoxicating sights, sounds, smells and magic of a culture. This has ended up with me being in some places for more than two years! Like the tortoise who’s hopefully getting one up on the hare, I’ve managed to see South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Taiwan, Singapore and The Philippines so far. Can I get a cat with nine lives over here to help me out please? My parents are wondering when and if I will ever make it back for a cup of tea (it’s not looking promising at this point).

I actually don’t have a bucket list. I turn up somewhere because the wind has landed me there. When it comes to deciding about whether I should head north, south, east or west, I ask a local and see what secrets they have up their sleeve. I’m an opportunity seeker and taker, so if something awesome presents itself, I’ll grab it with both paws and make the absolute most of it. My friend asked me to go with him to Bangladesh next month, so of course I said ‘Hell Yeah!’ I relish in spontaneity and feel I’m in my dream destination right here, right now.

Pure luck and chance. I was on a train in England heading back home from a weekend away in Nottingham. A lady sat next to me who was a reading a Psychology research paper. We got chatting and it turned out that she had just got back from India teaching English in a tiny village. I was so inspired and infused with excitement about her adventures, that as soon as I got off the train and back home, I booked myself on a TEFL course, quit my job, my house…and three months later I was in Korea. Right on!

Hell…travel has given me the most liberating, rewarding and fulfilling experiences a solo lady could ask for but it isn’t all magical unicorns, rainbows and endless ‘I’m having the time of my life’ quotes. I had to go through with an abortion in Cambodia, dodge a knife fight in a restaurant, navigate my way through Vietnamese mountains in fatally high winds and experience love and heartbreak within 48 hours. I want to stress to you that I wouldn’t erase any of these experiences from my life. This is what travel SHOULD be about…about seeing what you’re capable of, what you want, need and can do. It’s essential to see what the world really is, how you can make it better and be a better person yourself.

I’ve had some quick jolly jaunts in Singapore and Malaysia whilst camping out in Thailand these last two months but my last epic trip was in Taiwan. Seriously globetrotters, you gotta get your ass there. Taiwan blew my mind for all the reasons I never expected! I’m STILL writing about it on my blog, months after the trip has finished because there is THAT much to say about it.

Call me a ‘Jackie’ of all trades. I can speak a little bit of everything: Korean and Chinese are my strongest where I can be polite and chatty but I wouldn’t be able to go as far as to discuss politics or anything with you unfortunately! The geek and perfectionist in me wouldn’t mind getting to that level though!

I’m off to Bangladesh to see and experience it’s ever-changing beauty. Things aren’t too good in the media right now for this tiger-infested slice of adventure but I’m going to soldier on and venture into the unknown.

You are capable of anything you desire. Let go of fear, welcome strength in and follow that deep urge within your bones to seek, learn and uncover your inner travel soul. Time is ticking my friend and it’s a whole big world out there. Show this planet what you’ve got so you can see its awesomeness in return. Peace out!