Avoiding Social Interaction While Traveling

dan on mt gardner bowen island

I pace quickly up the hill. My feet slamming into the mud of the trail.

My heart is racing, my body sweating. Legs ache, lungs burn. I can’t stop though. There’s something in the trees behind me. Something scary. Not a bear or a monster. Much worse than that.

My housemates.

Now you may think from my last post about socialising while travelling, that I’m a lover of conversation. The truth is, I hate it. I am a level 99 ninja at avoiding it. There’s a lot I’d go through to get out of a conversation. Including climbing a mountain.

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Social Anxiety and Travel

daniel sitting alone in front of a painting in hoi an vietnam

The world of travel is a scary one, whether it’s going up tall buildings, flying in airplanes or simply trying to cross the road in Vietnam. There’s plenty of things out there to fear.

One of the greatest fears for many of us though is something that we’re confronted with every day – even at home: other people.

Whenever I have to socialise, I get a sinking feeling of dread in my stomach. My body physically shrivels just at the thought of some social situations. My stomach gets tight and my head swims. I look for excuses to get out of it.

All I want is to escape.

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