In the last 10 years, solo female travelers have become a common phenomenon, and Southeast Asia is a hub for many of these sojourners. Backpacker Business by Nikki Scott is a sensational story about a 23-year-old girl living and traveling alone throughout Southeast Asia. Hailing from a small town in northern England, she decided to drop everything and live the life of a wanderer. She booked herself a one-way trip to Kathmandu, Nepal and eventually Thailand. At one point, Scott wasn’t sure if she identified herself as a backpacker, local, expat or digital nomad. For her, they all seemed to blend together during her time abroad. Backpacker Business is a personal experience about a girl just getting her feet wet in the depths of exploration and getting bitten by the travel bug. By sharing her story of growing into a digital nomad, she hopes to show both new and experienced travelers how to deepen their understanding of the different ways to live in Southeast Asia and the types of jobs they can create while learning a new land. Scott tells stories about culture shock, questionable scenarios and the creation of her travel magazine.
Not many children can look to their own parents for examples of adventurous travelers willing to take on new cultural experiences, but Scott’s father was able to take her under his wing when she was beginning her life in Thailand. By the time she had reached Thailand, her father was living in Pattaya, which helped alleviate some of her fear of doing things on her own. In just a few chapters, Scott creates a vivid picture of the cultural differences of living in another country, the life of being a digital nomad and the unpredictable amounts of fun along the way.The obstacles of culture shock, language barriers, getting lost, catching colds and blindly losing oneself in the middle of a full moon party are the stepping stones of Scott’s narrative.
Now at 32, with ten years as an experienced traveler under her belt, Scott has advice for other young girls who wish to travel and explore the world: “Mold the journey to what you want, don’t force yourself.” Scott hopes to inspire more girls to become independent. She has a travel magazine in three different areas of the world: Southeast Asia, Europe and South America. Her current journey of digital nomading recently landed her in India. Her book and website are full of monthly updates that illustrate the trial-and-error of a beginning traveler and the transformation into a professional traveler. For more information on how to travel smart, fast and simple, follow the links to Nikki Scott’s travel magazine.