Welcome to
The Anxious Extrovert
A blog that should have began years ago.
From a young age, I was fascinated by the world around me.
I became obsessed with history, geography, and exploring earth firsthand. Perhaps it was foresight that I would grow up to be passionate about travel.
For the past seven years, I’ve been booking flights, over-planning, and not waiting around for anyone to come along.
I have been to over 40 countries worldwide and plan to continue expanding my horizons.
From watching Orangutans in the Bornean jungle, to diving the Great Barrier Reef, to frolicking through colorful Dutch tulip fields, I’ve done what most only dream of.
Parallel to these experiences is an anxious girl still trying to navigate the world.
As a child, I stressed about menial things. Before bed, I would make sure the doors were locked and the fridge was working properly. Sometimes, I would even come up with an evacuation plan for my pets and me, just in case a fire broke out while I slept.
Even as I reached my teenage years, I worried about everything. The past, the present, the future, the universe’s inevitable heat death a trillion years from now. I was constantly on the verge of a mental breakdown, unable to handle even the smallest inconvenience life threw at me.
Mind you, my childhood was extremely abundant. I had everything I could even want; I was an only child at one home and a big sister at the other, I got every toy I laid my eyes on, and was honestly pretty spoiled. However, there was something wrong with my brain kept me focusing on only the few negatives.
It also did not help that my self-esteem was at rock bottom. I always thought it was easier to hate and blame myself than look at the person I was in a positive light. I even began to feel guilty about my fortunate life; I didn’t think I deserved it.
Thankfully, it’s gotten much easier as I’ve grown older and figured out how to cope.
As I’ve matured, I learn to curb my anxiety more and more each day.
Things that would have sent me into a downward spiral three years ago are now a tiny obstacle, easy to overcome.
At 28 years old, I’m finally learning to chill the hell out and go along with life’s constant ebbs and flows.
Alongside travel, I have always been intrigued by other people.
While I may be anxious, social anxiety has never been an issue for me.
In fact, I love being around people; somehow, it keeps my anxiety at bay.
A life goal of mine is to meet and connect with as many people as possible.
Local or foreign, it’s always been important to me to learn about the way world cultures live.
This is why I travel.
And thanks to travel, I now have friends all over the world. I have stayed in contact with many, and I have even seen them on multiple occasions long after our travels together came to an end.
Travel = Therapy
Traveling is how I remind myself to stay grateful, stay humble, and stay connected to the world.
Experiencing new places, meeting new people, and experiencing new emotions is how I continue to grow and improve myself.
Welcome to the Anxious Extrovert, where I’ll share my personal travel guides and stories, tips for combating stress while traveling, and more!
Thank you for coming along on this journey!
See you soon,
Macie
traditional Hanbok.
