Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
My name is Marion – Marionnette for my friends – and I am 30 years old. I am originally from Picardie but Lille is my home; when I am not travelling, Northern France is where I enjoy recharging my batteries. Before my solo trip around the world, I was working in a travel agency; today, I feel lost when it comes to my professional life and I would like to find a job that would allow me to keep travelling. The main difficulty is to live in a world where kindness is not a top priority, I live in a child’s fantasy world where I love to meet people and explore their true kindness while I travel; I need this in my daily life as well. I love life, I am always smiling! I love to share my positive vibes and I thrive for human connections and nature. Here is a short list of what makes me happy in life: cooking, African dance, meditation, my friends, my family and spirituality.
When did you start travelling and why?
I was lucky enough to travel a lot around France with my parents when I was a kid. My first solo experience was when I was 18 during a school exchange in London. My mom put me on a train and I felt freedom for the very first time, away from family problems and life difficulties. I really felt true happiness and I have never stopped travelling since that day; it became my adrenaline, my joy.
Travelling quickly became a passion, and when I was between 18 and 27, I worked and travelled a lot. I have always felt better abroad, it is a way for me to feel myself elsewhere than France. When my mom passed away, I struggled a lot and I went through a burnout. I felt like I was not in the right place, I felt empty and lost. Watching travel documentaries made me cry, this is when I decided to do something about it and to go explore!
My very first backpacking experience was in Cuba, I wanted to experience the adventurer’s world. I just loved it! I was being hosted by locals, I lived the authentic Cuban life. However, I already knew I needed something bigger: a solo world tour.
I gave myself only three months to plan my solo world tour.
When I came back to France, I decided to move out and start getting ready for my world tour. I gave myself only three months to plan everything. I didn’t want to be a consumer any longer, I needed to know who I was and what I was capable of. I left not long after : Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Canada, Malaisia, Nepal, Thailand, India and I finished with France. What was supposed to be 6 months ended up being 27 months!
What is your favourite way of travel?
I mainly hitchhike and couch surf.
When I started travelling, I was following a schedule and a specific itinerary, but I quickly stopped doing this! I would much rather travel with my own rhythm, following my needs, my feelings and depending on my encounters.
When I started travelling, I used local buses and it was my main way of travel; then I met a traveller who taught me how to hitchhike. I loved it right away! I travelled through Central America hitchhiking, I even slept in luxurious buses that accepted me without making me pay anything.
I mainly hitchhike and couch surf. Local hosts have taught me what “humanity” really means.
When it comes to accommodation, I was not feeling comfortable in hostels, that is why I quickly decided to try being hosted by locals. Again, I loved this way of travelling and it became addictive, today I couldn’t travel in a different way. Understanding cultural differences and sharing local lifestyles is priceless! I started staying with locals in Mexico: I found my hosts through Couchsurfing, local Facebook groups or through random encounters. These people have taught me what “humanity” really means, they welcomed me like they would welcome their sister, their daughter or their best friend. I have also experienced camping with strangers, waking up to a beautiful landscape – this is also an incredible experience.
However, I had some struggles in Asia, where I was feeling very frustrated. Men were insistent and human connections were rare. That is probably because of cultural differences and I accepted it, it made me a stronger person.
When I think about it, I believe that my favourite Couchsurfing experiences occurred in France. I have met amazing people whose main values are sharing and communicating. All these people, with all their differences, have made me grow up and leave with a very deep message of generosity.
What has travelling given you?
Happiness while travelling, it’s this feeling of freedom, losing sight of time, not knowing what day we are, feeling close to nature and feeling free to do whatever you want, whenever you want. Travelling has brought me a better knowledge of myself, it has healed some previous scars and has in a certain way erased all my education from the past – I have built my own education through travelling and I am proud of it, I feel connected to the entire universe. Travelling has also made me realize even more how important it is to respect nature and be tolerant towards other cultures; now I try to live one day at a time and trust the universe.
This solo world tour made me push my limits and find out what I was capable of.
My solo world tour was an initiatory trip for me. It made me discover new places, new cultures, but it also made me push my limits and find out what I was capable of. During this trip, I discovered a buddhist meditation method called Vipassana, that I experienced for ten days; my trip then also became spiritual.
What do you think about the HerShe Travels project?
I find this initiative amazing! We don’t always see this, but some Couchsurfing hosts try to coax us, they think we owe them something if they host us. When you are new to being hosted by locals, it’s easy to feel unsettled. I have encountered a few problems, nothing major but I was feeling a little bit down. I got misfortunes especially in Malaysia and India, where men can be quite insistent.
I have felt down a few times, and women have always been there to cheer me up. When I am among women, there is no barriers, I feel safe and confident. We can talk about anything and everything, with no taboos or hidden agenda, which is very enjoyable; this has helped me a few times to open up even more and experience even deeper things with locals.
Final words for your audience?
Solo travelling is the best experience ever! In life, you don’t know what you are capable of until you are left to your own devices. Even if we are in a foreign country, we always sort things out, communicate with people without fear, we learn how to trust our bodies and follow our intuitions; we grow skills we didn’t even know we had. I would recommend doing it to all women!
Where can we find you on social media?
You can find me on Facebook at Le Smiling Tour and on Instagram at @marion_salingue.
Also, I just started a blog: https://lareveuseconnectee.wordpress.com/