About Freedom to Wander
Hello there! I’m Lorna, the free-spirited writer and traveller behind “Freedom to Wander”.
When I’m not penning down my adventures and discoveries here, I’m busy getting creative and strategic for DTC clients across the globe through my other creation; a location-independent digital marketing agency lovingly called Nightbird Creatives.
My journey here hasn’t exactly been a straightforward one, but then again, whose truly is? I pursued a Law degree in the United Kingdom after high school.
Yet even during those days, I’ve always known deep down that the structured, corporate-driven lifestyle wasn’t for me.
The fancy black-tie events, formal networking, and the idea of bouncing between the office and courthouse’s four walls felt restrictive. So while it did look glitzy and attractive, I could never muster up a “heck yes” whenever those came into the picture.
Instead, the call to explore life beyond those walls only grew louder by the years…
When Life Becomes A Pinball Machine
The next decade played out pretty much like a pinball game (3D space pinball anyone?). I bounced through various roles across different industries and this left everyone puzzled; “why go through the challenges of law school if you’re not going to practice law?”.
The truth was, I didn’t have it all figured out yet.
My journey was filled with ups and downs, unexpected launches and wild falls. But through it all one thing stayed consistent – I never stopped daydreaming about life beyond the sparkling windows of whichever impressive corporate building I found myself working in.
You’d always find me researching the history, culture, food, and local quirks of cities across the globe that caught my attention on that particular day.
I Didn’t Have It All Figured Out…But Here’s What I Knew
As much as I dreamed about travel, comfort was something I refused to give up on.
Backpacking, hostels, and strict, organised budget tours were out of the question because I am simply not built for it. My chiropractor and masseuse can both attest to that, hahaha! And chubby travels (luxury travels) were beyond my capacity.
I eventually found my sweet spot in mid-level travelling. It is neither frugal nor extravagant, but it allowed me to spend beyond a month in each location to soak up the local way of life and discover myself along the way.
All without giving up on one of the things I value most – comfort.
Traveling Between Roads Less Taken And Paths All Have Driven
Much of my childhood was spent bouncing between Malaysia and Singapore, so travel was always second nature to me.
Airports, immigration lines, the peaceful solitude of commuting, the thrill of discovering local convenience store offerings, and local public transport always brought a sense of familiarity.
But I’m not a fan of big crowds or tourist traps. Sure, I’ll visit them once just for the experience, but if given the choice I’d rather not.
My fondest travel memories involve little magical finds; the cosy sundae gukbap shop run by a warm old couple in Seoul’s Jayang-dong, mouthwatering minced beef pies at a neighbourhood bakery in Cambridge, New Zealand, a little bar in Kuala Lumpur’s TTDI serving pandan and lemongrass-infused homemade gin cocktails, or the delicious Singaporean fried hokkien mee at Holland V’s old wet market.
So Why This Blog?
Freedom to Wander was created as a guidebook for those of us who want to discover the joys of adventure without sacrificing comfort.
I was inspired by the RPG game guides that filled my childhood. Think Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, The Legend of Heroes, Pokemon, and Zelda. They were filled with maps of new locations and indexes of the city’s local gems and hidden treasures.
I wanted to create the same for those like me. Travellers who seek authentic experiences on roads less travelled while still holding on to life’s comforts.
Maybe our journeys will interlap, maybe it will be in parallels. But I hope that the things I’ve learned and shared along my journey will give you hope and courage to explore your own freedom to wander.