Friends like these…

Updated on February 26th, 2025

Laura, I haven’t seen for over 10 years as she lives in New Zealand. Laura was my first ever big-time travel companion when we explored Australia and New Zealand together in our 20s. Along the way we had many entertaining mishaps and adventures which has been a theme of my travels since. It has certainly been where my belief that “everything will be OK in the end” came from! 

And if you believe this, it makes taking the leap into travel a little easier.

For example, there was the time we got caught in a 20-year storm while kayaking the Abel Tasman. Or the haphazard way we did so many multi-day hikes, starting with the famous Routeburn Track in New Zealand. I think that’s where my love of walking came from, having since taken on the Quilotoa Loop in Ecuador,more recently the Camino de Santiago and of course, tackling Mount Kilimanjaro to celebrate my 50th birthday.

But most recently, the time we travelled together was different. It was back in 2015, the year after I lost my beloved husband, Terry. The year I got invited by people who loved me to join them on trips around the world. The year holidays with friends and family became the diversion I needed to get me through those first 12 months. The year I realised that travel could be so much more than a distraction. 

It could be my path to healing.

Laura had been living near Portland in Oregon for a year due to her husband’s work contract. But while he was super busy, as their time in the USA came to an end, she wanted to discover more of the state they had called home. She was planning a road trip around Oregon with her two teenage daughters.

“Would I like to join them?”

I said yes, and next thing I knew, I was camping for the first time in years next to a gorgeous lake, eating my first ever S’more (and I can assure you, not my last!), playing badminton in my pyjamas and adding Crater Lake to my list of “Unexpected Wonders of the World”. (Have you been? It’s stunning! See the photo above for the evidence).

As with all my travels that year, it is a bit of blur. I had no input into the planning, the itinerary, the choice of destination. I hadn’t even looked at a map until I was chief navigator. I had no idea of the amazing wonders that Oregon had to offer.

But I had never been more grateful to be there, along with all the other trips I took to distract me from my everyday all-encompassing grief.

However, by the end of that year I decided that I had to take control of my own life. I couldn’t rely on friends and family forever. I would not always remain top of their agenda when it came to holiday companions. 

Life had changed. I was on my own. I had to create a plan for me. A plan that included what I wanted to do rather than wait around for others to incorporate me into theirs.

It was a tough realisation. Waiting on others was the easy route. Going out and doing it myself, with the fears and insecurities that had developed over that year would take strength, determination and courage.

That’s when I created my Life List. A list of 117 things I wanted to do, see or achieve which became the roadmap to finding myself again. Many call it a Bucket List but “things to do before you die” was a little too close to home for me. 

My list brought me back to life. 

And that is why I have included creating your own Life List in my new Find Your Way course. It is a fundamental piece in the puzzle for discovering WHERE will be the best place to start your own personal Travel Journey and how to make it happen.

I have specifically designed Find Your Way for women with a deep desire to explore the world but who feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of planning and preparation involved. That’s exactly how I felt back in 2015. Then, I didn’t know what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go. Travelling helped me find my purpose and develop a new life for myself.

So, if you feel similar, whatever has brought you to that point, and whether you think this is something that could help or just want to know more, then hit reply to this email to let me know. Alternatively, connect via your social method of choice (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, Threads or LinkedIn), or click THIS LINK to add your name to my list and be the first to know when it is all written and available.

To celebrate the start of the Paris Olympics (for which I am super excited about EVERYTHING!), this week over on YouTube is my latest video on what to do in the City of Lights if you have just 24 hours. It’s a whistlestop tour of the main sights which I did with my lovely family last year and gives you an excellent insight into how long you need to be prepared to queue! But don’t panic, links to all the Skip the Line ticket options are attached! The highlight for me was seeing the Eiffel Tower twinkling against the night sky. Check it all out for yourself HERE. 

Until next time, 

Safe Travels

Sue x

This newsletter may contain affiliate links. By using these, Sue Where Why What may receive a small commission for which I say thank you, but you will not pay any extra charges for this. My opinions remain my own.

​More of my Adventures…

Blog – Hiking the Routeburn Track – New Zealand

Blog – New Zealand Travel Diary, 1995 – Misadventures on the Sea.

Video – Best Things to Do in 24 Hours in Paris Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, Notre Dame & More!

Download a PDF VERSION OF THIS NEWSLETTER

Just click the 5th icon in the grey tool bar below (with the down arrow) to save the pdf to your computer.

Follow Me!