
Hi! I’m Carmen, a challenge-loving, airport-anxious, socially-overstimulated explorer on a mission to visit all 197 countries—without melting down in customs lines.
This blog is where I share:
- How I travel as a sensory-sensitive, not-yet-diagnosed ND adult
- Unfiltered thoughts on solo trips, group travel, and weird destinations
- Some sarcasm and dry wit, and utter travel realism (it’s not always pretty)
Some Fun Facts about me:
I am on a mission to visit all 197 countries in the world. Sometimes I do this slowly, sometimes as quickly as I think is sufficient, mostly intentionally, and certainly on my own terms.
I hate airports and flying most of the time, but I love what’s on the other side of the journey (and I have unconsciously developed some hacks to make them bearable).
Challenges light me up and I will probably never be able to resist them. If you give me a complicated destination, an unusual visa process, or a logistical puzzle, I’ll be obsessing over it in an Excel sheet by lunch.
Adapting to a new culture feels just like navigating any social interaction to me. I overanalyze, script it in my head, and hope I’m reading the room right.
What You’ll Find Here:
🧠 Neurodivergent Travel Tips
How I prepare, what helps with overstimulation and all the sensory fun, what I tried and did not help, and why check in queues give me actual rage
🌍 Destination Guides
Places that work for sensory needs or that are just freaking awesome—especially but not also in shoulder season, with the one or other hidden gem
🛫 Solo Travel for the Socially Awkward
How to get through airports, avoid small talk, eat alone, explore alone, and still have a blast
🧳 Planning & Logistics Hacks
Excel sheets, offbeat planning obsessions, introvert-friendly day structures, etc. (yes, I’ve mapped out where the bus stop is from the arrivals terminal. You’re welcome.)
😂 Stories That Didn’t Go As Planned
Because not everything is magical—and that’s part of the story too.
ND? Curious? Just Tired of Pretending to Enjoy Small Talk?
This space is ND-positive, messy in the best way, and full of honesty, overthinking, dry wit, and cashews.
I haven’t got an official diagnosis (yet), but lived experience is valid, and this is my safe space to share what travel feels like from inside my head. Spoiler: it’s chaotic but beautiful.
