Meet: The Blog

This blog initially started as a way to chronicle my 2008 trip around the world over the course of 11 months. That trip ended so now I blog about my wanderings post-RTW trip, the fabulous tips and advice I have gleaned as a sassy world-savvy solo traveler (too cheesy?), and other travel-y things that strike my fancy (and hopefully yours too!).

Also, I recommend products, services, e-books, etc. and  in some cases (and I’ll tell you when) I make money when you click-through and buy something (a girl’s gotta eat!). My promise to you is that I’ll never, ever, ever purposefully lead you astray and my recommendations are not influenced by the affiliate commission – if I say I like, then I do.

Ok, blah, blah, enough with the blog.

An Introduction: To Me

So, it would seem appropriate for me introduce myself here. I, Shannon O’Donnell, am currently 26 and I’m from the American south…but not the true south.

Florida.

Yes, I know. Your grandparents just moved there.

I’m a bit of an anomaly here because I was actually born and raised in the state…as opposed to the masses who come later in life to accompany their parents or the snowbirds who putter down the flat, sprawling streets in their huge Cadillacs.

In high school I yearned, I mean truly yearned, to leave Florida and attend a fancy-schmancy out-of-state University;  instead I (gratefully) accepted a full scholarship to a Florida university and then proceeded on the “normal” path for a while – even a little off-normal, but still pretty “on-track” for my life goals.

I moved myself to Los Angeles right after graduation with aspirations to rock the acting world with my mad skills and just general, all-around amazingness.

Umm… that didn’t happen.

In fact, it really didn’t happen. I hit a wall in my life that can only be described as my quarter-life crisis in May of 2008 at the ripe age of 24. Everything seemed to be on the right track…at least right in line with what nearly every actor does at this stage in their lives. But LA began to suffocate me and it hit me all at once: this is not my life.

And although I still really love acting, I will never be a Los Angelino and besides, I’d rather travel.

In 2008, I sold most of my possessions, packed up my car with the rest, kissed my LA friends good-bye and drove aaaaallll the way back across the country to Florida. I deposited what was left of my possessions at my parents house, packed up my bag and headed on the road for a one-year RTW adventure.

I recently finished my initial 11 month backpacking trip around the world from Australia, through SE Asia, India, Nepal, Eastern Europe, the UK, and Ireland. Now it’s home for a bit and then on to perhaps South and Central America, or maybe back to SEA…who knows!

How the Love for Travel Started

Me @ 16 Working the Tampa Bay Renaissance Festival

Some people hear about my plan to travel all over the world and automatically assume that I’m this vagabond with no aspirations for my life and no plans for a family and settling down. In truth, I do hope for some of that in the long-run, but I’ve learned enough about myself to know that I need to travel to sustain a piece of my soul (melodramatic much? I know).

Traveling was always a part of the plan for as long as I can remember – even back when I was 12, pining after Prince William, and dead-set on moving to England and marrying HRH ( how embarrassing in retrospect!).

My reasons for traveling may have matured just a bit in the intervening 12 years but the wanderlust is still there.  I really love to learn new things. All knowledge is worth having. My travels are fueled by my true and honest love for education – learning new languages, new skills, and new cultures, I love it all.

But wait, Shannon, I still don’t feel like I know you!

Bored yet with my gratuitous display of self-love and epically long bio?

More you ask? You want more from me? Okay, if you insist. I mean, I think everyone’s a tiny bit narcissistic inside, especially actors!

I’m the type of person who laughs at her own jokes – and not just laughs, I fall over laughing so hard I actually hurt myself. I’m opinionated and tenacious and conduct my life and my passions with the enthusiasm of a brass band. I’m a long-time vegetarian and really, really care about the environment…and I really, really hate that others don’t care too. Oh and I have a life-long love affair with chocolate; it borders on unnatural how much I love it…

Perhaps this simple phrase might wholly sum me up: “I’ve got something to say, and if you’re smart you’re going to listen very, very carefully.  ;-)

So, that would be me in a nutshell (Help! I’m in a nutshell! Let me out!).  If you want to know more, I daresay you’ll learn more about me through my latest blogs, photos from my round the world trip,   or shoot me an email (ShannonRODonnell <at> gmail <dot> com) if you have some pressing question that might cause you to self-combust in a fiery explosion of inquisitiveness if you don’t find out an answer…I’ll always answer…unless you’re rude and officious. Then I’ll still likely answer out of an over-powering need to have the last word, but it will likely be an unkind response if you’re not being nice.  :-)

So be nice, leave comments and subscribe to my RSS feed if you really want to show some love.