WanderWomanWednesday; Della

A huge part of travel for me is the people I meet and the friends I make in the places I get to experience. Some of, well most of my best friends are people I have met while living overseas or travelling and the number one thing we have in common is that we get it. Get what? The whole travel life. The coming and going frequently, the moving towns often and regularly. The face that we will rarely if ever live in the same place for long. And the feeling of saying goodbye/reuniting with each other. Soo when I meet people who share this passion and understanding I immediately want to know more about them and where their adventures have taken them. I find myself drawn to these sorts of people even if I've never even met them in real life, enter Instagram, Facebook & Twitter. The whole wide World of blogging has given me the opportunity to (virtually) meet people I would never have if it wasn't for this passion project I have.

Five years ago travel wasn't on the cards for Della. But she took those fears head on and overcame her anxiety to become completely obsessed with travelling the world and experiencing all there is to it! She has experienced some of the World's most incredible places and is now addicted to travel! To find out more about July's WanderWoman keep reading!

Alright, tell all these wanderers about yourself…

I’m Della, a travel blogger and self confessed travel addict. I love nothing more than planning my next adventure away and when I’m not venturing around a new country, I’ll be wanderlusting about what’s next. I’m a huge bookworm and love everything to do with discovering a new read. I love to bake, trialling out new cooking recipes, and to write. I’ve always dreamt of being a bestselling author and have my name published in print.

What is something people might be surprised to learn about you?

There are two things people are often surprised about when they meet me. The first is that I have a twin. We’re fraternal twins and really don’t look anything alike and more often than not, people think we’re friends rather than sisters. I’m the eldest and we’re 8 minutes apart.

Also, my real name isn’t Della, it’s a nickname my twin sister gave me when we were little and it’s stuck since then. It can be weird when people refer to me as my real name, Daniella.

Did you always want to travel/what made you start?

This is a pretty interesting question, as five years ago travel wasn’t really on the agenda for me. I had really bad social and travel anxiety that the thought of getting on the plane terrified me to the core. However, after getting to grips with that fear and going on a few flights as an adult, I came to realise that travel was my thing. I fell in love with discovering new cultures, roaming around places I’ve never seen before, meeting new faces along the way and trying every type of food out there. I caught the travel bug and never looked back - and fully overcame my travel anxiety.

How do you decide where to travel to?

This is a pretty hard question as there are a lot of things that inspire my choice of where I want to travel next. Usually, it’s seeing different countries/cities online and on travel blogs or hearing recommendations from friends which make me want to go. Every year, I tend to make a ‘travel to do list’ of places I want to visit and map out my plans from there.

Top 3 bucket list places you’d love to visit?

There are so many countries on my bucket list and it can be tricky to only pick 3. However, I would say Sri Lanka, Indonesia and the Philippines are at the top of my list. There’s something about those 3 destinations that I’m eager to experience and explore.

What is something you wish you could share with your pre-travel life self?

With how often I’ve travelled and the many things I’ve experienced, I think the one thing I would share is to ‘not be afraid and go for it.’ The world is your oyster and there’s so much of the world to see!

Best & Worst travel moment?

I’ve had many incredible moments when travelling but also a few bad moments too- and it can be hard to pinpoint one. I think my best travel moment (there are two which stand out to me) is firstly, going to the elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai, Thailand and being up close and personal with my favourite animals. And, the other would be in Vietnam, when I was cycling around the village of Hoi Van. It felt incredible to be in the midst of rural Vietnam and meet local people. My worst travel moment was probably when I lost my purse in Florence as it had all my cards in. Luckily, it was given in at a local hotel so I was able to collect it.

Do you think social media has changed travel, and if so, how has it changed?

I definitely think social media has changed the way we travel. For instance, Instagram is a huge influence on the places people should go and it’s all about getting the perfect picture that I think people can base their choices off the app. I also think we're so transfixed on getting perfect photos abroad to share with our online followers that we can often forget to put the phone away and soak up what is around us, and experience the culture first hand.

A decade ago before social media was so prominent, people would go travelling and experience the authenticity more as there was no pressure to share it all online or look like you’re having the perfect time away.

What advice do you have for anyone in their 20’s who want to travel but are scared to take that first trip?

Simply, go for it! Until you take the first step to travelling, you won’t know what you’re missing out on. Save up, get planning and experience the world has to offer. I promise you, you won’t forget it! And, when you’re old and grey, you’ll have a lifetime of memories to share.

Famous last words for all the wanderers out there...

Explore, experience and live the adventure! The world has plenty for you to see, learn and experience. Keep travelling, be you and have fun!