All about Stories from a Backpack…
The world is waiting to hear your story…
Hey! I’m Laura, the chief storyteller here at Stories from a Backpack.
This is my blog about documenting life through stories. I believe, by saving our stories and treasuring our precious memories, we can make the most out of this one beautiful life we have. We can learn from our experiences. We can re-live some of the best days. We can become an Everyday Storyteller.
What can you expect from Stories from a Backpack?
- Practical advice to help you write about your life.
- Travel stories to entertain and give you examples of how you can document your life.
- Tips to help you explore life documentation.
I am learning to write better stories and, through writing better stories; I hope to live better stories. I’m building a community of storytellers who have been irrevocably changed by their experiences and want to keep learning and moving forward, but not forgetting everything they’ve learnt by writing it all down. Telling the stories of their life one memory at a time. Does that sound like you? I believe the best stories come out of a backpack and this is a place for you to learn how to write your stories and join the adventure.
The story so far…
I’m going to take you back to the year 2007. You know the year when everyone wore 3/4 length leggings, the word emo was dropped into casual conversations and squeezing a digital camera into your tiny going out bag was the norm. I was knee-deep in my A-levels, all my friends were talking about UCAS applications and I was busy saving and planning for an around the world trip.
I’d planned on having a gap year ever since I spent a summer in Cambodia. I’d smelt the freedom that travel gives you. I’d experienced the magic of a new culture and I’d tasted some of the possibilities that were only a plane ticket away. I bought a map and stuck on my wall, opposite my bed. I went to sleep dreaming of the world and I woke up each morning knowing exactly what I was working for. I spent that summer working over 60 hours a week in 3 jobs. I needed money to travel, and I grafted.
That trip changed me. It was one of the first times I learnt the lesson of intuition and gut. I learnt how to follow my heart and I learnt about who I was and who I wanted to be. This was the spark that started Stories from a Backpack. I needed a place to document all these experiences. I needed to remember all these lessons I was learning. But most importantly, I needed a place where I could talk to other people who had been through the same transformative travel experience.
And then I did nothing. My biggest travel regret My biggest life regret is not writing it all down. So now I’m on a mission to document it all. I even wrote a book about this. Life goes by so quickly. We don’t remember most of it, but I want to dig deep and treasure my stories, share them and empower you to do the same. My biggest fear is looking back on my life and not being able to remember some of the most incredible parts.
Stories from a Backpack is a place for all those restless souls. The wanderers who have returned and the explorers that aren’t quite ready to set sail. Let’s start remembering and documenting and sharing our stories because the world needs to hear them.
More about Laura…
- If I’m not writing, you’ll find me spinning plates. Writing books, teaching writing courses, renovating our new house and generally trying to survive my 30s.
- I’ve lived and worked in 7 countries, travelled to 27 and plan to conquer many more. You’ll find lots of my travel stories on this site.
- My general attire is pyjamas and the way to my heart is through coffee, cake and Greys Anatomy or Gilmore Girls box sets (happy to talk about these all day, or just tweet each other related Gifs).
- Books make me happy and I feel very concerned if I don’t have a backup pile of 5 new books ready to read. Books are a great way to help you document your life, too.
- That feeling when you get off a plane, in a whole new country and it’s so warm, you breathe in the heat and know an adventure is about to start. That. That makes me so happy.
- I’ve learnt life is all about the people you meet and the time you spend with them. I want to build a community of Everyday Storytellers who have shared values.
- Check out my travel bucket list.
Sounds good? How about a free travel reflection guide to get started?
My life has been filled with wonderful opportunities and very special people. I’m sure yours has too. I have had hardships and struggle. I have had love and laughter. I have learnt and I am forever making mistakes. But I want to remember it all. I would love to hear from you. To share your journey and your stories. Join the newsletter to be the first to hear updates, advice and, of course, lots of stories. You’ll also get a free. travel reflection guide.
