Let’s Be Friends
Hi There! I’m Gemma
Welcome to my little corner of the internet.
I’m the founder of This Brits Life. I’m also a British immigrant based in Canada, a digital marketer, virtual assistant, entrepreneur, pet sitter, and single lady currently living in Vancouver, Canada.
As a forever single woman who loves nothing more than having random adventures, I wouldnโt be confidently living overseas now if I hadnโt finally gotten over my fear of solo traveling in my 30s. My biggest regret in life is that I didn’t have the courage or confidence to experience the world by myself when I was in my 20s.
I’m on a mission to make up for lost time and tick some bucketlist adventures off my very long travel wishlist.
Here on This Brits Life, I write about everything I wish I could have told my younger self when I was too scared and insecure to go traveling, while also sharing travel guides of the destinations I experience.
I’m all about solo travel, random adventures, and new experiences, live music (especially country!), learning about history and local cultures while building self confidence.
I want to inspire and support other women to go on more solo adventures while building their self-confidence along the way.
Let’s Be Social
My Story
Getting The Travel Bug
I have always been curious about the world, but I didnโt truly get the travel bug until I finished university and spent a month traveling in America and Canada. We went to New York, California, Las Vegas, and Vancouver by plane and Greyhound. It was then, in 2005, that I fell in love with Vancouver and traveling. The following year, I returned to Vancouver for 3 weeks. In the years that passed, I went to places in Spain, Greece, and Cyprus, and saw more of America with stays in Memphis, Mississippi, New Orleans, Texas, and Vegas.
2015 was a turning point in my travel adventures when I found myself unexpectedly overseas in Vancouver. Iโve always been comfortable by myself, having spent so many years mostly in my own company, so a solo vacation was not a big deal once I got used to it. As soon as I got back to England, I began planning another solo Canada trip to Vancouver, the Rockies, and Calgary, which was a trip of a lifetime.
These days, my favourite travel style is solo, so on this blog, most of my adventures are solo, with the odd group travel experience thrown in on rare occasions when I have travel companions.
โTraveling โ it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.โ
Moving Abroad Alone
Starting A New Life In Canada
Moving to Canada was not in my plansโฆuntil my parents suddenly passed away in 2011, and my life changed forever. All I wanted to do was jump on a plane and run away. But it would be 4 more years before I dared to say goodbye to the UK. Itโs been over 8 years since I arrived in Vancouver feeling excited, hopeful, and utterly terrified. Moving overseas is a rollercoaster of highs and lows. Itโs an amazing adventure, but it can also be a struggle and sometimes overwhelming, so I want to help other expats and travellers.
“And suddenly you know: Itโs time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings”
Let’s Get Personal
Get To Know Me Better
When I’m not working or traveling, I’ve become a bit of a homebody at heart. I’m an introverted extrovert, so after social activities, I value quiet time by myself. I’m a movie and tv junkie who will happily spend a day watching movies; action/adventure, crime and lawcourt dramas are my go to’s most of the time but I also enjoy the odd comedy or a fun rom-com. Some of my favourite movies that I can watch time and time again are the Fast & Furious series, Jurassic Park & Jurassic World, Twisters 1 & 2, Bad Boys, James Bond, and The Hangover Trilogy. My taste in TV shows is pretty similar; Supernatural (I’m a Dean girl), Vampire Diaries, Suits, Lincoln Lawyer, Sons of Anarchy, CSI, NCIS, FRIENDS, Stranger Things. I can rarely handle horror movies, but I do have a slight addiction to true crime and serial killer movies…anyone else?!
When I travel to a new place, live music is the first thing I seek out; preferably Country, and to explore my go-tos are walking tours and hop-on on hop-off buses. Learning about the history and culture of everywhere I go to is always a priority, so I do love a good museum. I also love cute boutique shops and cafes, rooftop bars, reading a good book, sitting at a bar having random chats, whiskey & coke or a nice cold beer, Southern and Mediterranean cuisines, anything chocolate, and a nice big cup of tea.
I’m a unique stays over chain hotels (when funds allow), low-key bars and pubs over high-end restuarants, standing tickets at the rodeo (closer to the *cough* action ๐ ), whiskey & coke or a nice cold beer over an expensive cocktail kind of girl.
Do we have anything in common? Let me know so I can learn more about you. Send me an email or connect with me on Instagram, BlueSky (my politics and travel hub), TikTok or Facebook.
Where I’ve Travelled To
My Travel Experiences
There is still so much of the World to see, but I’ve been lucky enough to visit all these places.
- England
- Scotland
- Edinburgh
- Wales
- Southern Ireland
- Canada
- Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna, Jasper, Banff, Calgary, Regina, Toronto
- United Stated
- California: Los Angeles, Long Beach, Disneyland, Las Vegas & Grand Canyon, Texas, Austin & Bandera, New Orleans, Memphis, Mississippi, NYC, Massachusetts: Boston, Salem, Rockport, Cape Cod, Maine: Portland, Kittery, York;
- Bermuda
- Italy
- Rome, Milan, Venice, Verona, Florence, and Naples
- France
- Calais, Marseille
- Spain
- Ibiza, Benidorm
- Greece
- Turkey
Starting A Travel Blog
How “This Brits Life” Was Born
I have always been an avid reader and a writer. Growing up, I was always reading, writing, or making things. So after finishing school, I got a Journalism degree. I did nothing with it until a few years later, when I finally found a career I enjoyed in digital marketing. After 4 years in marketing roles in the UK, I faced the unique career challenges that every expat has to deal with, with no local experience and no network, so I volunteered for the BC Chapter of IABC. Over 2 and a half years, I was Director of Marketing and Communications, Vice President, and President, and I won several awards with a team of volunteers during that time. It was a big time commitment that left very little time and energy for anything else, so my goal to have a blog documenting my Canadian adventures went on the back burner.
I stepped away from volunteer work in 2019, and after recovering from burnout, This Brits Life was born out of a desire to be creative, do work that I love, and help others along the way. I wish I had had the courage, confidence, and encouragement to travel solo in my 20s, as I missed out on so many possible experiences.
My Mission On This Brits Life
- Inspire and encourage people to enjoy more solo experiences regardless of age or body size.
- Help people, especially women, to become more confident and their own best friend.
- Provide first-hand accounts of my solo travels and experiences
- Give visitors to my channels helpful and practical tips, insights, and guides for their travels, daily life, and well-being.
- Offer authentic reviews of the places, activities, and food that I try, regardless of whether they are good or not. No gatekeeping here.
- Share real photos that haven’t been heavily edited – even if theyโre not very good.
What To Expect On This Brits Life
What You Will Find Here
Your Next Steps
If you’re planning solo travel adventures, start with the solo travel guides for tons of travel tips to help you travel alone confidently. Travel destination guides are here if you already know where you want to go next.
If youโre here doing research for the Calgary Stampede, head over to myย Calgary Guides for literally everything you need to know.
But if youโve landed on my blog to learn more about me and explore possibilities of working together, you can learn more about the ways that I work with brands and tourism boards here.
For details of my freelancing and virtual assistant services, go to my services page.
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Shop My Must-Haves
Not sure what you should pack for your solo adventures? I’ve got you. I’ve curated some of my solo travel essentials for you for all your solo travel needs.
