ABOUT ME
Hey there, I’m Lucy and an Australian junior doctor with a passion for exploring the world. Before we get started, welcome to Travel Textbook! I’m not sure how you found me out there in the big wide world of modern-day travel blogging, but I’m super glad you did.
It’s exciting to have you here, and if it’s your first time, this is a great place to start. Travel Textbook may be a little different to some of the other travel blogs floating around. I am not a career travel blogger and I certainly have not given up my every-day life to travel (although there are definitely days when it feels like not such a bad idea). So if you’re looking for a travel blog of endless beaches and long dresses, this may not be the right URL. Instead I’m focusing on balancing work as a budding ObGyn with this lifelong passion to see the world. Travel Textbook has been a way to showcase the possibilities of travelling whilst at university or in the early stages of a not-so-mobile career. (P.S. if someone finds a way to be a full-time travelling ObGyn though, can you let me know?).
On Travel Textbook I want to take you guys on the wildest ride. Those who know me are well-versed in my ridiculous plans and travel ideas. No destination is too obscure, and no adventure too big. Whether it’s completely solo, with family, or with my ever-patient partner, adventure is never far behind.
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So, why put everything on the internet?
Well, to be honest, it started off as a way to take my mind of studying. Procrasti-blogging is real. But then it became a passion and as I learned the ropes, the posts became more frequent and fun to produce. Eventually, I started getting messages from people who had loved a recommendation or taken up some advice and it was the most rewarding feeling in the world.
I want to share through my journey as a young person pursuing a life of education and travel with other students/young professionals, and show that we don’t have to choose career or adventure. I want to continue to push the envelope of what is possible. With a bit of hustle and passion it can work.
There is so much more to travel than photo ops, Instagram, and big nights out. And with the rise of social media, travellers have developed a bad rep for these things. But not all young people see travel in this way. It is endless learning — cultures, flavours, history and people. When I write for you guys, I want to convey how multidimensional each place is. To make you feel like getting up, hopping on a plane and jumping into an exciting adventure. And yeah, sometimes it will involve corny photography and a bar or two, but it’ll also delve into the deeper stuff.
Without a formal background in communications, photography, or travel writing (could medicine be anything more different?), I am continuously learning as I go along. I am still developing my creative style and trying to up-skill. Travel Textbook is a manifestation of this, and you will see the changes as it continues to grow and evolve.
We only get one crack at life, so why not live it to the fullest? I can’t wait to use my medical degree to get out there and make a difference in my community whilst experiencing as much of the world as possible.

A BRIEF TIMELINEÂ
1996Â Born (who would’ve thought?)
1996 – 2013 School and family trips
2014Â Year of travel in Europe, North America and North Africa
2015Â Started medical school in Melbourne, Australia
2015 – 2016 Summer South East Asia and Indian Subcontinent
2016Â Hawa’ii, Europe (Switzerland, UK, Scandinavia)
2017Â South Korea with AMSC, India with 40K Globe
2018 Japan, Malaysia with AMSC, Philippines, New Zealand
2019Â UK for medical elective (France, Italy, Portugal), Taiwan, Mexico + Cuba, graduated!
2020Â first year as a doctor + Covid lockdown in Melbourne
The year of travel after finishing high school was what kicked off my desire to always have travel as a part of my life. That year was the epitome of slow travel and experiencing each destination to its fullest. It was easier to incorporate travel during the early years of university (who knew uni students got so many holidays?), but life as a junior doctor has a much less satisfying work-travel balance.Â
Anyway, sorry for rambling. Hopefully there is something here that helps you garner a passion for exploration. That together we can discover destinations that inspire you, stories that make you laugh, and not too many moments that make you wish I stuck to medicine.
So come and join along in whatever way you like! I will share the honest struggles, the hilarious truths, and the travel advice you will want to know before hitting the road.
Lucy x
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