How Travel Changed Me, and Why I Started Inclusive Travels

My name is Elise. I'll say it straight: I've felt fear, anxiety, uncertainty. But every time I went to an amusement park in a foreign country, or sat in a chair at a drag bar in a city I barely knew, I grew a little braver. I realized that my limits weren't fixed, that they could be stretched. These were not just trips, they were journeys to find myself. And I want to make this possible for more people.

Anxiety in everyday life — and a world that feels closed off

It's far too easy to let your mind shut the world out. Thoughts like "you can't do this," "it's too risky," "what if something goes wrong." I've been down that road many times. Days when I have no energy, when fear holds me back, when I see other people's photos and think, "if only that were me, too."

But I decided: I don't want to be trapped by fear my whole life. I had to test it. I had to go out.

Travel as transformation

I went to amusement parks in new countries, a mix of terror and delight, butterflies in my stomach, strange surroundings. I visited drag bars in cities I'd never dared to before, music, lights, audience energy, powerful expressions. I was nervous, uncertain, but I said yes.

And do you know what happened? I surprised myself. I laughed more than I thought possible. I felt a wave of achievement through my body. I realized I dared more than I believed.

Travel challenges you, but it also gives you space to grow. Even when your mind screams "stop," the magic happens when you push on. On rides, shows, lights, laughter, there you stand in the middle of it all, and you discover you can do more than you ever believed.

From me to us — the vision behind Inclusive Travels

I want people who are stuck at home with dreams of experiences to feel the same: achievement, surprise, freedom, even with the baggage they carry. That's why I started Inclusive Travels.

This isn't about luxury or high demands, it's about accessibility. I want to create journeys with room for anxiety, pace, body, vulnerability, without letting limitations take control. Where you can be yourself, trembling, excited, and still be seen, met, included.

My background in health and mental health, plus my passion for travel, gives me the vision. But the real learning happens in meeting you, those who join me.

Where we are now — and what comes next

Right now I am in the idea and planning phase. I'm writing down concepts, outlining travel possibilities, assessing offerings, finding inspiration. I'm testing thoughts in my head, letting ideas merge and split.

I'm not running tours or pilots yet, I'm building the foundation first. I'm working on finding who I want to collaborate with, what kinds of trips can work, what needs must be met. I think, adjust, let the ideas mature.

The goal is that one day Inclusive Travels can become a community where people with various challenges can travel together, to amusement parks, cultural venues, drag bars, nature, history, and experiences, and feel that the world invites them in, not shuts them out.