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Category:

Opinions

    LifestyleOpinions

    On Dreaming, and On Staying Ambitious

    by Brenna Holeman August 21, 2016
    written by Brenna Holeman
    August 21, 2016
    17 comments
    1 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
  • AdviceDating and RelationshipsHighlightOpinions

    On Ghosting (and what to do if it happens to you)

    by Brenna Holeman August 8, 2016
    by Brenna Holeman August 8, 2016

    The first time I was ghosted, I didn’t understand what I had done wrong.

    I met Chris in a little cocktail bar one rainy night in London (sidenote: my best friend has demanded that I never again date a guy called Chris… I’m cursed with guys called Chris). We had a fantastic date, one of my best ever, and it culminated with both a passionate kiss and an invitation to a second date. He texted me on the way home.

    “I can’t stop smiling…,” he wrote, and oh my god, there is no better feeling than getting that text after making out with a ridiculously hot, ridiculously intelligent journalist named Chris, let me tell you.

    Over the next couple of days, we texted back and forth and made plans for our upcoming dinner date. And then, the day before, I texted him to confirm what time we were meeting. No response. That seemed a bit strange, but I tried not to let it bother me until the next day. By lunchtime – I would assume we were meeting only a few hours later – I texted again. Yes, oh yes, the dreaded double-text. But I was kind of worried, and very confused.

    “Hey,” I texted. “Are we still on for tonight?”

    And that, dear friends, is when I encountered my first ghost.

    140 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
  • OpinionsTravel

    Why We Need Travel More Than Ever

    by Brenna Holeman July 21, 2016
    by Brenna Holeman July 21, 2016

    I try to remain positive every day, and to remind myself that the majority of the people on this planet do not wish harm against one another. But fuck, it’s difficult sometimes. It’s difficult when you hear about a person with so much hatred inside him that he feels the need to fire a semi-automatic rifle into a crowd of people dancing, that he feels the need to detonate a bomb strapped to his chest while surrounded by families doing their daily shopping, that he feels the need to wield an axe on a train of commuters just trying to get home, that he feels the need to drive a truck through a busy street filled with children. It’s difficult when you hear about young men being shot just for reaching for their wallet. It’s difficult when you hear about casual post-Brexit racism happening in your own neighbourhood, to your own neighbours. And I sit down, and I read all the news articles I can, and I debate whether or not hashtag activism is insensitive or not, and I talk to my parents about it, and I talk to my friends about it, and then I just feel hopeless. I feel like there is nothing I can do.

    But, in a way, I suppose there is something I can do, and something you can do, too.

    1 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
  • OpinionsTravel

    Nine Mistakes to Make as a Traveller

    by Brenna Holeman June 8, 2016
    written by Brenna Holeman
    June 8, 2016
    23 comments
    0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
  • OpinionsTravel

    On Being Addicted to Travelling

    by Brenna Holeman April 20, 2016
    by Brenna Holeman April 20, 2016

    Three days ago I was there, in the place you see photographed above: Cinque Terre, Italy (and that, specifically, is the village of Vernazza). I had an amazing time in Italy, my sixth time to the country; I ate lots of great food, went hiking on beautiful trails, sat by the water with glasses of wine, drank far too many espressos, and even met some handsome Italians (that always helps). And then, with one two hour flight from Pisa and a bus from Stansted airport, I was at home in my flat, unpacking and doing laundry and wondering whether or not I could eat enough sushi to warrant the minimum delivery surcharge (spoiler: I could, even though I ordered so much they delivered it to me with four sets of chopsticks).

    Something I often think about – and quite frankly, something I often worry about – is whether or not I’m addicted to travelling. That, perhaps, I’m too consumed by it, and, what frightens me the most, is that I’m often the happiest when I’m on the road. So what does it mean to be addicted to travelling?

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  • Opinions

    People Are Good

    by Brenna Holeman March 23, 2016
    by Brenna Holeman March 23, 2016

    I’ve been meaning to write this post for a long time. I remember thinking I should write it after the Paris attacks, and then again after the Ankara and Istanbul attacks. I thought about it after Tunisia and Kenya and Yemen and Cote d’Ivoire and Indonesia and Mali and Somalia and Lebanon and California and so many other places, not to mention what’s happening in Syria, Afghanistan, and other war zones. I meant to write it after certain politicians in various countries continued (continue) to incite hatred and racism. And then, yesterday, after the horrible events in Brussels, I felt like I couldn’t hold it in anymore.

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  • OpinionsWriting and Blogging

    14 Amazing Women (who also happen to be travel bloggers)

    by Brenna Holeman March 8, 2016
    written by Brenna Holeman
    March 8, 2016
    52 comments
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  • HighlightOpinionsTravel

    My Most Hated Travel Quote

    by Brenna Holeman February 29, 2016
    by Brenna Holeman February 29, 2016

    I once met a girl named Courtney while I was travelling through Nicaragua. She was tall and rail thin, her body covered in tattoos. From Seattle originally, we met on a volcano-boarding tour just outside of Léon, a small colonial city where all the buildings were painted dark pinks and greens and blues. We’d spent the day climbing Cerro Negro Volcano and then riding on sleds down the side of it, hurtling ourselves down the soft black ash.

    “I just got this one before I left for Central America… look.” She instructed me to pull down the back of her t-shirt, revealing sprawling script across her shoulders. I recognised the words; it was a quote by Saint Augustine. I had heard the quote a few times before, seen it on a mug or read it on a blog. This was before it became one of the most popular travel quotes splashed across the internet, found on thousands of Pinterest boards, the text always written over the image of a pristine beach or a young woman standing on a mountaintop, her blonde hair blowing in the wind.

    The thing is… I hate this quote.

    2 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
  • Dating and RelationshipsOpinionsStories

    On Being Dumped, Or, Why I’m Glad That Guy Dumped Me

    by Brenna Holeman February 14, 2016
    by Brenna Holeman February 14, 2016

    While this is primarily a travel blog, I’ve never been shy about writing about other aspects of my life, including romance. If you’ve read this blog long enough, you’d know that I haven’t been in a serious relationship for a very long time. I’ve dated here and there, and met some absolutely lovely people. I have never considered myself unlucky in love, not at all; in fact, I consider myself extremely lucky in love, simply from the fact that I’ve had the chance to get to know some absolutely wonderful people from around the world. Because I don’t put much pressure on myself to get married or have kids (nor am I sure that I want either of those things), I’ve been able to date around, have fun, and figure out what it is I truly want out of a partner.

    And then I met Scott.

    3 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
  • LifestyleOpinions

    The Danger of Someone Else’s Dream

    by Brenna Holeman December 17, 2015
    written by Brenna Holeman
    December 17, 2015
    67 comments
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About Me

About Me

Hi, I'm Brenna

After travelling to more than 100 countries over the past 19 years, many of them solo, I write about travel a lot but I write about other things, too: break ups, buying way too much jewellery, and whisky, for example (none of those things are related, I swear). You’ll find a mix of advice, opinion pieces, and stories on this blog, but either way, I hope to make you want to read more. And up next? I'm now a single mom to a beautiful little boy, the biggest solo adventure I've ever been on. For more about me and what you'll find on This Battered Suitcase, click here.

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INSPIRATION

Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life." - Jack Kerouac

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AFFILIATE POLICY

Please note that some links on This Battered Suitcase are affiliates (at no extra cost to you); I only recommend products I use and love. This Battered Suitcase is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Currently in

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA

Last Stops: Phoenix, AZ & Vancouver, BC

Up Next:  Curacao

 

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This Battered Suitcase is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and links to Amazon.com. For the full disclosure/privacy policy, please click here.

Popular Posts

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    On Ghosting (and what to do if it happens to you)

    August 8, 2016
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    December 15, 2014
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    What to Wear in Canada in Winter

    February 28, 2018
  • 4

    Giraffe Manor: Is It Worth The Cost?

    November 22, 2017
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This Battered Suitcase
  • Home
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  • Start Here
  • Destinations
    • Africa
      • Botswana
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      • Uganda
      • Zambia
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      • Bhutan
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      • Cambodia
      • China
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      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Israel
      • Japan
      • Laos
      • Macau
      • Malaysia
      • Mongolia
      • Myanmar
      • Nepal
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      • Dominican Republic
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      • Guatemala
      • Honduras
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      • Mexico
      • Panama
      • St. Kitt’s and Nevis
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      • USA
    • Oceania
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      • Bolivia
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      • Colombia
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  • Topics
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