TRAVEL
Solo Traveler Jenell Diegor Recounts Most Memorable Adventure
For Jenell Diegor, travelling alone around the world has become the norm. After getting her first taste of solo travel in 2013 by visiting cities in the United States and Canada, she began expanding her destinations to include exotic locations such as Greece and Mexico.
In 2014 she made it her personal mission to visit the New7Wonders of the World beginning with the Colosseum, Italy’s most famous attraction. It was part of her first European tour where she travelled to seven cities in seven countries – in just seven days.
Next up was a trip to Mexico, where she stayed at a downtown hostel near the bus station. She then braved the 3-hour bus journey to Chichen Itza accomplishing her second wonder.
A month after that, Jenell flew to Peru and used a combination of local combi vans, trains and buses to reach the high-altitude ancient city of Machu Picchu.
The next trip was more challenging as it involved flying to the Middle East and travelling all over the Kingdom of Jordan. A 3-hour ride through the desert took her to the 2,000-year-old city of Petra.
In 2016, Jenell flew to Beijing, taking advantage of the 72-hour visa-free policy to visit a portion of the Great Wall of China in Badaling.
That left her with to visit, and so she went to Rio de Janeiro as they got the city ready for the Summer Olympics. While there, she found her way to the magnificent Christ the Redeemer statue that overlooks the city, creating a spectacular view.
The last trip she took was to the subcontinent of India. Jenell landed in Delhi in the wee hours of the morning and later in the day she hired a car to take her to Agra to visit the magnificent tomb, the Taj Mahal. And on that day, July 30, 2016, she proudly completed her mission. She chronicled this adventure in a travel memoir that can be found on her website.
“I believe that more and more women are taking the steps to travel by themselves,” said Diegor. “For me, it started with my schedule not matching my friends’ and so one day I just decided to go ahead anyway. All my experiences contributed in making me a better person and having a more positive outlook in life. Everyone should try it.”
Jenell Diegor can be followed on Instagram @_.jenell and more information regarding her books and films can be found on asianonamission.com.
Kenneth is a proud native of sydney, born and raised there. However, he pursued his education abroad and studied in Australia. Kenneth has worked as a journalist for almost a decade, making valuable contributions to prominent publications such as Yahoo News and The Verge. Currently, he serves as a journalist for The Hear Up, where he focuses on covering climate and science news. You can reach Kenneth at [email protected].
