To Voyage: An act of travelling; a long journey or expedition; a course of passage to a distant place; travels as the subject of a written account.
Virgo: The sixth astrological sign in the Zodiac, Virgo is depicted as a woman or goddess. She is strong, capable and determined.
What is the Voyaging Virgo Travel Blog?
The Voyaging Virgo began as a pandemic passion project: a place to share my travels, photographs and love of discovering somewhere new.
For years, I dreamed of exploring far-flung places, with South America at the top of my list. But work, money, health and a lack of travel companions kept that dream on hold. Growing up in a traditional South Asian household also taught me that some freedoms were different for girls. When my brother could travel or try new things, I was often told, “It’s different for him—he’s a boy,” or “You can do that when you’re married.”
I know those views often come from a wish to protect women. But they also left me sheltered and unsure of myself. It took time to realise I didn’t need to wait for the perfect moment, the right person or anyone else’s permission to start living more fully.
So I’m making space for the dreams I put aside and learning to follow them, one journey at a time. I hope this blog encourages you to do the same, whether that means taking a solo trip, learning a new skill or simply trying something that feels a little daunting.
You’ll find travel stories and practical tips here, alongside photography, food, culture and the occasional reflection on life. My hope is that they’ll inspire you to see more of the world, and more of what you’re capable of.
A Little About Me…
I’m a thirty-something British Indian woman from Essex with a growing love of solo adventure travel.
During the week, I work in the City. Outside work, you’ll usually find me exploring London, planning my next trip, hiking, taking photos or getting happily sidetracked by a new language. I’m also vegetarian with a serious sweet tooth, so finding good food is very much part of the adventure.
I’ve been fascinated by other cultures and languages for as long as I can remember. Growing up trilingual, between Eastern and Western values, probably helped spark that curiosity. And after years of watching David Attenborough documentaries with my dad, I developed a love of wildlife and the natural world too. Before long, I was wondering what lay beyond my little corner of Essex—and how soon I could go and see it.
There was one slight obstacle: my fairly conservative parents weren’t convinced the big wide world was a place for a young woman to explore alone. I moved away for university at 19, then went to Berlin at 21 on a study abroad programme. Studying German and living in another country gave me my first taste of independence, a new culture and travelling on my own. I’ve been finding reasons to travel ever since.
I’m naturally an introvert, but living abroad helped me build the confidence I hadn’t quite found growing up. Travel has pushed me beyond my comfort zone, introduced me to fascinating people and given me memories I’ll treasure for life. Solo travel, in particular, has felt liberating, empowering and, fair warning, a little addictive.
Through this blog, I hope to encourage you to try something new, whether that’s taking a trip, going solo or simply doing something you’ve been putting off. If you’re waiting for the right person to go with, or for the perfect moment to arrive, perhaps this can be your little nudge to take the leap.
I hope you enjoy the travel stories, photos and occasional ramblings. Comments and suggestions are always welcome.
Peace & Happy Travels!
You can also follow me on Instagram @TheVoyagingVirgo
“I travel not to cross countries off a list, but to ignite passionate affairs with destinations”
– Nyassa P Chopra –