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Bivouac Outdoors - Barton Street, Hamilton

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Dare to Travel Solo: Exploring Croatia and Italy with a light carry-on bag and a ton of determination.

A white pebbly beach in Croatia. A rustic fishing village in Italy. A perfectly clipped garden overlooking the Amalfi Coast.

What would it take, Katherine wonders, to get there?

Approaching the big five-oh, juggling teenagers and family commitments, plus the exhaustion of nursing and nightshift, Katherine has dedicated her adult life to helping others. Now it’s her turn.

She’s not sure if people are more worried about her gallivanting off to Europe by herself and travel solo, or her travelling light with a ridiculously small carry-on bag.

She begins to wonder whether she has gone completely mad and at the very start she almost turns back.

Will she cope by herself? And will she have enough?

As she gets out of her comfort zone and into her adventure zone, what starts out as “I just need a break” turns into way more than she has bargained for.

Written with light-hearted wit but also deep reflection, this is a true story about grabbing life’s opportunities, believing in yourself, living life to the full and turning dreams into reality.

Join Katherine on her one-month escape, where she swoons at the freedom of travelling at her own pace.

Be warned…this book will have you booking your own liberating adventure...or just daring to do something out of the ordinary.

Lovely things early readers have said...

The honest and at times raw account of her travel made it all so relatable.

"I just loved the inner messages in the writing. It was so so much more than her solo travel experience, and much about her courageous adventure and opportunity to grow and discover herself. Her travelling light concept goes far beyond the physical items in her bag but to me leads itself to a more joyful, peaceful way of life with reduced physical and mental clutter." - Raewyn, New Zealand

Dare to be inspired and possibly follow your dream too.

"Dare to be inspired and possibly follow your dream too. There is an honest rawness to the writing and the author will no doubt inspire other readers to wonder 'what if'. And maybe you'll even 'plan and do similar'; travel solo. I'm totally captivated by this 'bare all' memoir of a life written by a woman who was always going to be a traveller. The personal revelations are heartfelt; written in a style that is page-turning and completely relatable. It's the story of a woman who travels far and wide to find out how resourceful and independent she can be. And is." - Gaylene, New Zealand.

The author shows how to turn a dream into a reality.

" I loved Dare to travel solo. With the vivid descriptions, I felt like I was there and having a holiday myself, without leaving home. The issues she described such as banking and accommodation, are things that do occur when travelling, and she showed how to manage them, and also how to plan for such eventualities. The author shows how to turn a dream into reality." - Jo, Australia.

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This book could be just what you are looking for IF YOU’RE THINKING…

You need a virtual holiday escape to Dubrovnik, the Dalmatian Islands, the Amalfi Coast, or the Cinque Terre.
You’re wondering…”What’s next?” or “Is this it?” or “What’s possible?”
What could life look like in the empty nest, midlife, after illness, after burn-out?
You’d like to have some me-time.

OR maybe you’re thinking about…

Giving solo travel or travelling light a go.
Trying something different…it could be anything.
Just having a break – that was my initial feeling.

Blending in on Capri!

What’s this DARING all about?

I chose solo travel to be daring. Then I chose to write a book!

Daring looks different to us all. Daring can be…

Changing jobs or career
Retiring
Starting or ending a relationship
Booking that holiday!
Living with no regrets
Honouring yourself
Moving countries
Putting yourself first

Whatever daring means to you, this book is much, much more than travelling solo with a carry-on bag.

For me it was about believing in myself, learning I could overcome fear, and succeeding – all while having the most fabulous trip of a lifetime.

What might your daring be?

On The Path of the Gods, Amalfi Coast.

"Change begins at the end of your comfort zone."

-Roy T. Bennett

The writing process!

I started writing this book in June 2020 after much encouragement from my mum.

It took about 18 months to write, nine months to do more edits after editorial feedback, a week to create the cover, a month or two to get it printed and set-up for e-book and print on demand, and then it's been six months of sitting with it. Anxiously dilly-dallying over whether the time was right.

And I think it now is. It's time to be daring and PUBLISH IT!

A huge thanks to everyone who supported me in the process. It has been a huge learning curve - but I have absolutely loved the journey.

If you want to write a memoir, I highly recommend a book by Rachel Herron, Fast-Draft Your Memoir: Write Your Life Story in 45 Hours. - Note, that's just the first draft...there are maaaany drafts after that!

And I would also strongly encourage you to join a writer's group. I joined the 'Romance Writers of New Zealand'. I cannot emphasise enough how much this group of talented writers helped me on my journey. Their writing and publishing expertise is phenomenal. And I am forever grateful!

"Life's too short not to be a little daring!"

-Katherine Leamy | The 5 Kilo Traveller

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More lovely reviews ...

A delightful tale of Katherine's transformative solo trip at the age of 49.

"Dare to Travel Solo is a delightful tale of Katherine's transformative solo trip at the age of 49. The book reads like a travelogue with engaging destination descriptions of Croatia and Italy. Travel insight paired with her honest internal dialogue provides the narrative for her self-discovery and transformation. What started as a break became a significant life reset. Katherine shares her wide range of emotions, mishaps, and travel triumphs. While every woman's journey to solo travel will be different (literally and figuratively), the book contains many scenarios that readers intrigued with solo travel will resonate with." - Tracy, British Columbia.

It’s liberating for her to embrace her rediscovered grit and determination.

"In her recollections of a solo trip to Croatia and Italy, she unashamedly shares it all—the fear and the worry, along with the elation and joy with her epic adventure. Many of us have traveled solo when we were broke college students. But how many venture forth, when the household has expanded to hold a husband and a couple of teens?

Is it a selfish or irresponsible choice? Or is it a soul-satisfying decision? There are some that she meets along the way who are mystified and others who are envious. Bottom line: it makes Katherine’s soul sing! She sets free her inner daring self and revels in the freedom of traveling as she wants, on her own agenda. It’s liberating for her to embrace her rediscovered grit and determination." - Mary, Arizona.

"I absolutely loved it and couldn't put it down! Brilliantly written and very inspiring. So much to think about for this age and stage. Thank you for sharing." - Liz, New Zealand.

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