“To not needing a man!” I shuddered as the shot of rakia hit the back of my throat, grimacing at the sudden burning sensation that was centered in my chest. “And to Lauren’s solo travels!” I grinned as my newfound travel friends took another shot of the potent liquor our guesthouse owner had handed out. There, in the company of four cheering girls, I began to wonder why I’d been so afraid to travel. The first self-portrait I took on my travels: wearing a stupid hat on the beach in Dubrovnik Earlier that morning, at 6am on the 17th July 2011, I’d reluctantly shuffled onto a plane with a one-way ticket in hand. I was flying from London to Dubrovnik and I had no idea when I’d be returning. I’d never travelled for more than three weeks before, never travelled alone. I had no idea what I was doing. I felt liberated, exhilarated and afraid. This was it. This was me following my dreams. I’d planned on travelling the world with ...