I realized that I am getting older when my mum told me I should slow down a notch cause “quote…you are middle-aged after all…unquote”. The shock of being referred to as middle-aged had no relevance to the fact that my brain still triggered the same stimulus as when I was thirty. But my bones sometimes reminded me otherwise.  Therefore, I prefer to think of myself as a young woman trapped in ageing packaging.

I have had a full-on life.  I am a successful entrepreneur and have travelled in more than 50 countries during my working life. I have always managed to combine my business with pleasure – and have mostly travelled solo.

This is the reason I have decided to let go of my day-to-day executive job and continue to just travel solo for pleasure.

I will share my experiences and destinations.  If you are looking for excitement, safety and stylish travel tips, you have landed on the right page.

Fishing for Barracuda in Belize 2017

A Little Story About My Life

I was a precocious child with a very curious mind. I am 5ft 2″ and being so “petite” – which sounds nicer than downright short – I was always in the front row of my class.  Being a jack-in-the-box this earned quite a few black marks.  Learning came easy and by the age of 23, I had graduated in Finance and had a great position in one of the local banks.

I was born and bred in the little Island of Malta – which we fondly call “The Rock” – with good reason because it is really a rock in the Meditteranean. Despite the fact that people from small Islands are labelled as having “the Island Mentality” – I realized at a very young age, that I needed to get out of Malta and discover more of the world.

My first travel adventure happened when I was 13.  I went to Bavaria on a youth exchange for a month and discovered my love for fresh cream and long walks.  The food, the culture, the language were all alien to me as a 13-year-old.  But that first trip gave me wanderlust.

I did several other trips in Europe – but my breakthrough trip – one which irrevocably changed my life happened when I was 24.

I speak fluent Italian – due to the proximity of Malta to Italy and also growing up with Italian TV Stations blaring out of the box.  I jumped on an opportunity when some Italian acquaintances asked whether I would go with them to Hong Kong and Taiwan for a Trade Fair and act as their interpreter. I jumped at the opportunity and took two weeks off work from the bank and went packing.

My first trip to Asia literally changed my life. I will tell you the story in another post.  But on my return from Asia, I quit my job at the bank and started an import/export business selling pearls and furniture.

Since my first fateful trip to Asia, I have returned to different parts of Asia every single year of my life bar one.  I am currently living my dream in Bali. I have travelled to Africa, North America, Central America, South America too.  My bucket list is nowhere near complete and I plan to continue travelling and writing and of course FISHING!

Why I want to travel and Write

Throughout my working life, I have learnt to travel solo. I learnt how to stay safe when travelling alone and how to combine business and pleasure. Every single business trip I took, always ended with a few days of holidaying and discovering the country as a tourist.

My brick and mortar business – a chain of furniture and home furnishing store called ORIENTA is now a well-structured business which is run by the rest of my family.

In the past thirty years, I have amassed a wealth of information on sourcing goods from all over the world.  I have made many errors but also made scoops that have earned me a very nice income.

What I would like to share with my readers is my experience in travelling and how to turn every opportunity during your trips into an income stream.

Finally, I will share the adventure and my love for life.

Perching the Falcon in the Arabian Desert Dubai

My Promise to Females Flying Solo

Although today many women are independent and travelling solo is much easier – I still meet very successful women who are uneasy to travel on their own.  Coming from a small island like Malta, I understand the challenges and the fearmongering of women heading abroad alone. I have started this blog to dispel the myths and to show women how to travel alone, safely, in style and have a lot of fun.  For the keen-minded, I am also happy to share my wealth of knowledge into how to turn your travels into business opportunities.

Feel free to drop comments and ask any questions and I will be sure to come back to you with an honest answer. And remember Carpe Diem!  Live the Day
All the best,

Mariella

https://femaleflyingsolo.com/