Hello, and welcome to enJoy Life Adventures!

I am Joy, and I am delighted you have found your way here, especially if it was because you got lost on your way somewhere else! I believe we find what we need when we get lost! 

This space on Substack is new for me, so there may not be much for you to read yet. I plan to share small stories here as I embark on my quest to find my storytelling voice as I write my first book. 

Oh…what is the book about? (thank you for asking!)

Since I started travelling continuously a few years ago, after travelling regularly for a couple of decades, I have received lots of questions from family, friends and friends of friends. The most common questions ask what it is like to travel full-time, how to get started and how I became a digital nomad. The book will answer those questions and more, along with little stories from some of my adventures. 

My goal is for the book to help anyone who is thinking about travelling long-term to feel confident making their own decisions.

I want to share the message that you can totally do it if you really want to and that there is no right or wrong way, only your way. 

If you would like to follow along, I invite you to subscribe to enJoy Life Adventures.

Who is Joy?

In case you do not already know me, or even if you do, let me give you a bit of my backstory. 

For most of my life, I considered myself a numbers girl. This suited me well when I was working in banking, which I did for over twenty years.

It was during this time that I discovered my love of travel. I was focused on introducing my children to other cultures and environments so we could learn about the diversity that exists across the planet and the need to care for and respect all things.

As I approached 40, I wanted a career change and opened the first coworking space in my hometown of Toowoomba, Australia. I worked really hard to build a beautiful, supportive community for entrepreneurs and small business owners. I also designed and delivered programs to help startup founders, and an incubator for young businesses looking to grow. I learned so much from this experience and made lots of new friends all over the world. The global coworking community was growing rapidly and very inclusive.   

Eventually, I decided it was time for me to spread my wings and fly off to explore the world more. My children had grown up and were off on their own adventures, and my parents were preparing to retire and start exploring what that meant for them. No one really needed me to be physically close by at this point in their life. The time felt right for me to take the next step. 

That meant I needed to learn new skills so I could keep earning money. An opportunity presented itself, and I grabbed it with both hands and threw myself into learning to be a software developer. I had been running a coding club for kids for the previous six years, so I had a basic idea of what was involved. Still, it was new, and I was in my mid-40s already. I needed to be brave and put myself out there to get a job. I was really clear on my boundaries for the type of work I was willing to do, who I wanted to work with and that I needed to be able to work remotely but with support as I got started. 

Once the pandemic restrictions for Australia were lifted, David, my partner, and I flew out to begin exploring life in different parts of the world. I intended to write about our travels and adventures as we went. I quickly learned that I find it really difficult to write. The narrative that flows so beautifully in my mind stutters and stumbles as I attempt to write the words down. Creating a single blog post became painful and draining. I was not enjoying it, but I was enjoying my work and travelling, so I focused on those instead. 

Yet, I really want to capture the memories

I take loads of pictures, but as a former scrapbooker, I know that while a picture may say a thousand words, it does not tell the story in the way that I want to remember it. A photo is only a prompt. They do not share my version of the story with my family and friends. I have learned so much while travelling, for example...

I can surf, surf-skate and scuba dive.

I can drive a left-hand drive manual transmission car on the right side of the road, pick out a horse’s hooves and scratch a pig’s belly.

I can grow a bountiful garden from seed where it snows and speak Spanish and French.

I can paint with watercolours and acrylics and write calligraphy.

I can hike up mountains, paddle a kayak in the ocean, operate locks, tie knots and drive boats.

I can weave threads into a piece of fabric and turn fabric into many things.

I can turn strangers into friends and say goodbye without crying (most of the time).

I can sit in silence and happily spend days by myself.

I can appreciate art, music, architecture, history and food.

I can practice gratitude.

I can work and sleep anywhere. 

So, now I am here

Soon, I will turn 50. I am embarking on the quest to find my storytelling voice. I know that I learn best by doing, and the challenge of writing a book gives me a clear goal. Taking a sabbatical from full-time work has opened up the space for me to write, especially while I am still slow and find it mentally exhausting. 

Travelling continuously gives me a plethora of topics to write about from firsthand experience. The world feels smaller than it used to, but it is still really big. There is so much that I have not experienced yet, so I have no plans to stop anytime soon. I remain curious and excited to learn what it feels like to do so many things I have not done yet. It is the part that I enjoy the most. 

In truth, I am writing this book to prove to myself that I can. I also want it to be useful and enjoyable for the reader, so I will do my best to learn the craft of writing in a way that is informative, interesting, and inspirational. I am hopeful that the experience will change my perception of writing from something I feel anxious about to something that I turn to for pleasure.

If you have made it this far, well done and thank you! 

If you are willing to be part of my journey as I find my storytelling voice by reading what I write, and/or you are curious about my progress toward becoming an author, then I invite you to subscribe to enJoy Life Adventures.

Note: I am not putting any pressure on myself to publish content here according to any set schedule, nor am I promising when my book will be available. This concept is also new for me, as I usually have very SMART goals…but this time, I am giving myself space to breathe. 

Subscribing to enJoy Life Adventures is free; however, if you have a few dollars to spare, please consider making a donation to a cause that I am actively involved in. 

Did you know that many children in Africa have to walk more than two hours to get to school and then two hours to get home again? Having access to a bicycle can reduce that time to less than thirty minutes, which increases attendance significantly.

Having an education opens the door to a world of possibilities, including increased earning potential, lower rates of domestic violence and longer life expectancy.

I am currently fundraising to purchase bicycles to deliver to a school in a remote part of South Africa in October 2024.

Part of the proceeds will also go towards training a local resident as a bicycle mechanic so the bicycles can be maintained and repaired for years to come. This also provides the new mechanic with the skills and resources to create a business so they can provide for their family. 

Please contribute if you can. I look forward to sharing photos and stories about this adventure when the time comes. 

Donations can be made via https://uhambo2024.raisely.com/joy-taylor or by scanning the QR code below.