Travel and Personal Growth: Niamh McAnally Of The Writer on the Water On Why & How Traveling Can Help Us Become Better Human Beings
Adaptability
Not all travel will go according to plan. It’s important to remain flexible and see these issues as inconveniences or better yet, opportunities, rather than disasters. Learning to become adaptable enhances all aspects of your life and especially during those periods of major change.
Traveling can broaden our horizons and make space for people to become more open-minded. How can travel give us the opportunity for personal growth? What are some ways that travel can help us become better human beings? As a part of our series about “How Traveling Can Help Us Become Better Human Beings”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Niamh McAnally.
Niamh McAnally, known as The Writer on the Water, is the author of Following Sunshine: A Voyage Around the Mind, Around the World, Around the Heart (September 12, 2024,) winner of the 2024 Literary Titan Gold Award for Nonfiction.
A bestselling author, keynote & corporate speaker, and former TV director, Niamh is the youngest daughter of the late BAFTA award-winning actor, Ray McAnally, and actor, Ronnie Masterson. Her first book Flares Up: A Story Bigger than the Atlantic was shortlisted in the 2023 Sunday Times Vikki Orvice Award. The Ray D’Arcy radio show chose her memoir-short Haul Out from over 3,000 entries for a coveted spot in the anthology A Page from My Life, and her whimsical series Falmouth Freddy and the Cruising Kanes has been serialized in Caribbean Compass Magazine. Niamh has also been published in The Journal, Sail, The Irish Times Abroad, Writing.ie and Subsea magazines. Following Sunshine is the winner of the 2024 Literary Titan Gold Award for Nonfiction.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
I grew up by the sea in Ireland, the youngest daughter of BAFTA award-winning actor, Ray McAnally (The Mission, My Left Foot) and Ronnie Masterson (Angela’s Ashes).
“Never a dull moment” was a common phrase in our home. And there wasn’t. Variety was the norm. My parents would often be cast in a show that would only last three to four weeks at a time so the financial tightrope they walked had no safety net. We weren’t monetarily rich, but no matter what befell my mam and dad, they always found a way to provide a solid roof over our heads and nutritious meals for our bellies. Their lifestyle, and their commitment to their craft, taught me to embrace living in the now. I learned that change is the catalyst for growth and to have the courage to pursue my passions.
Ireland is a magical island, and there is nowhere more stunning when the sun shines. However, growing up, I remember lots of rain engulfed in low grey clouds, and short winter days that would smother me in darkness.
One year, due to a change in casting, my dad was released from a five-week film shoot and the producers paid out his contract. In addition to saving money for emergencies, my dad took us on our first overseas holiday — to Spain! My twelve-year-old brain was astonished to discover that the sun shone in other countries in February! I decided right then that I wanted an atlas for my birthday and as soon as I was old enough to leave home I would follow the sun and live by the ocean. The water draws my soul.
In my late teens I was further influenced by Cardinal John Henry Newman’s essay on The Idea of a University — that it was “a school of knowledge of every kind, consisting of teachers and learners from every quarter.” Ireland in the 1970s consisted of a fairly homogenous society compared to today, so I felt I needed to go abroad to meet people of different creeds and cultures. After finishing high school at seventeen, I moved to Paris to study French language and literature at the international school at the Sorbonne University. There I met students from diverse backgrounds and societies and found it invigorating. Couple that with my time spent volunteering as an au pair in a local family, my desire to explore the world as a traveler rather than a tourist was born.
What or who inspired you to pursue your career? We’d love to hear the story.
Over the last forty years I’ve had five separate careers in five different industries. If I had presented an employer with such a resumé years ago they probably would have deemed me as flighty, unable to hold down a steady job, and passed. Nowadays, savvy companies view this assortment of experience as a positive.
My work in the entertainment industry — in theatre production and later as a television director — was naturally influenced by being raised in a theatrical family. Accompanying my father to the set of The Mission in South America and working as the stunt assistant in the Columbian jungle and by the Argentinian waterfalls of Iguazú further fueled my passion for travel and adventure.
As a result, the subsequent professional shifts I made were based on my love of the ocean and my desire to explore the globe. For many years I taught scuba diving in the Florida keys, but when I needed a job with benefits I looked to the hospitality industry and became a hotel manager. While it involved long hours and little free time, it satisfied my need for variety because no two days were the same.
To create more flexibility, I looked at the Florida demographics and recognized that the state attracted many a retiree. So, I re-tooled and trained as a certified retirement financial advisor and insurance agent. Working for my own company enabled me to make my own hours and create opportunities to travel.
However, as my mother aged, I chose to be closer to Ireland and returned to the eastern side of the Atlantic and to hotel management on the enchanting island of Sark in the UK Channel Islands. It was an idyllic life on an unpaved, car-less island accessible only by ferry, and became a bridge to my ultimate profession as a writer.
None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Was there a particular person who you feel gave you the most help or encouragement to be who you are today? Can you share a story about that?
Every job we do, every person we meet, feeds into shaping who we become. It is certainly true for me. So many people along my path: parents, siblings, teachers, friends, and colleagues have inspired and guided me through my various careers. I’ve always been a writer, most prolifically about my travels on land and sea but there is indeed one person who has specifically encouraged me and has shaped my career as an author, keynote speaker and workshop presenter — Gary Krieger.
My volunteer projects have brought me to many remote islands and exotic locations in the Caribbean and South Pacific including St Barths, South Water Cay, Moso, Vanua Levu, Waiheke, Bora Bora, Nomuka, and Palau. They have found me working in a variety of roles in the marine environment including turtle conservation, dolphin research and coral reef protection.
In 2015, after the hotel I was managing on Sark closed, I dedicated a year to volunteer travel. The final project was to crew for a solo sailor from Florida to the Bahamas (enter one Captain Gary Krieger). It was only supposed to last a month. But when you live 24/7 in a 40ft space, without wi-fi or cell service and must rely on your fellow mariner for your safety, you talk. We got to know each other from the inside out. One month turned into four, a year into six spent cruising up and down the east coast of America and through the Bahamas and Caribbean islands. Somewhere on that beautiful blue ocean a spark ignited between us, and we kissed the flame.
Early on I had shown Gary one of my short stories and he was so enamored with my storytelling he encouraged me to write full time. And so, I finally leaned into my true calling as The Writer On The Water.
I’m delighted to say Gary is now my business manager, marketing manager, director of my audiobooks, and when he is not too busy he doubles as my husband! I am very blessed and grateful to him for his belief in my abilities and his unwavering support.
It has been said that sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share the funniest or most interesting mistake that occurred to you in the course of your career? What lesson or takeaway did you learn from that?
I tend not to study guidebooks that suggest the absolute must-see tourist sights. I prefer to explore and discover unique places rather than trundle around like a tourist on travel tip overload. That said, after a major faux pas in Vietnam, I’ve had to modify that rationale and ensure I am familiar with the cultural norms of a country.
Here’s a snippet from my memoir Following Sunshine. I had just arrived in Hanoi and was in search of something to eat. The host of my accommodation said there was a shop across the road:
“Indeed there was. Oddly, there was no door per se; the entire front of it was open to the street. Stepping up onto the white-tiled floor, I felt I had walked into someone’s front parlour. A woman sat on a white plastic chair by the entrance, reading a book. She didn’t look up. The rear of the shop opened into a sitting room. A man, presumably her husband, was stretched out on a red velvet sofa. Eyes closed, with hands crossed over his chest, he was either dead or sleeping off his dinner.
On one wall, wooden shelves, painted in white, displayed newspapers, souvenirs, ornaments and various snacks I couldn’t quite identify. I did see packets of dried noodles but nothing that looked like a quick and easy meal. I was turning to go when I spied some fresh fruit on a tray on the corner shelf, next to a vase of fresh flowers. Great. Something healthy that wouldn’t need cutlery. I picked up two large shiny red apples, dug out some notes to pay, and brought them over to the woman sitting in the chair.
Three things happened at once. She looked up, dropped her book, and started shrieking like a parrot on hormone replacement therapy. Even if I had a couple of words of the vernacular, I still don’t think I would have understood; I was fairly sure no actual words were coming out of her mouth. Next, she started hollering in the direction of her husband, flapping her arms fast enough to replace the engines of the Boeing I had just flown in on. In a flash, the sharp nails at the end of her bejeweled fingers almost pierced my stomach as she snatched the apples out of my arms and returned them to the tray.
Only then did I notice that next to it was a framed black-and-white photograph of an older couple, a lit votive candle and a statue of a Golden Buddha. I didn’t need a translator to finally understand that the apples were not for sale, nor were the fresh cut flowers. Somehow, within two hours of landing in Hanoi, I’d desecrated a home altar dedicated to ancestor worship. I tried to apologise but she started shooing me off the premises as though I was the devil himself. I walked across the street, avoiding wayward scooters, and doing my best to ask forgiveness from the Gods. I waited for a response from on High. The only thing I heard was a loud rumbling. Instead of three “Hail Marys” and one “Our Father”, my penance, that night, was going to bed on an empty stomach.
Can you share your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Why does that resonate with you so much?
My father had a couple of sayings that resonated with me. One of them was “When you know something, you can’t not know it anymore.” I have found it to be true, especially if it is something negative. Once you know something or someone is wrong for you, you can either make changes or choose to ignore it, but you can’t not know it anymore. Your decision in how you handle it can be either fear-based or courageous. Ultimately, if you want to become unstuck and honor your calling, you must embrace the courage to make the necessary changes. This rang true for me when I found myself in an unsuitable relationship — I knew it, I couldn’t not know it, but it took me some time to acknowledge the truth and extricate myself. Since then, I have embraced the concept more fully and tend to act more quickly now.
The other life quote I live by is: “Nothing has any meaning except the meaning you give it.” I have found this to be true for both simple items and profound experiences. For example: Let’s say you miss your plane. You can choose what that means — you can decide if it is a catastrophe and over-react with a stress-induced response or you can consider it an inconvenience and figure out your next steps. You can also apply another meaning — perhaps there is a better travel option, or the delay will reveal a new possibility, perhaps time spent getting to know a stranger who will become an important person in your life. So, the event in and of itself has no meaning. You have the choice to give it meaningful one.
I combine this principle with “Ask A Better Question.” Instead of asking why is this happening to me, I ask why is this happening FOR me? — Where’s the gift in it, what can I learn from this situation? This reduces stress and anxiety and quells any tendency to over-react.
I recall an incident when I first employed this life strategy. Early one morning I was woken up by the actions of an unfriendly neighbor. He had deliberately parked his tractor lawnmower right outside my window, left it running just to annoy me and went off to have his breakfast. Initially my brain defaulted to, anger and frustration. But I knew I had to ask a better question. Who would be happy about being woken up like this? Finding an answer was a struggle. Finally, it came to me — someone who’d undergone a miraculous surgery to restore their hearing would be delighted to hear any sound at all. This put me in a state of gratitude for all that I have: my sight, my hearing, my health, a room to sleep in, friends and family to connect with and a career that nourishes me. As soon as I made that shift in thinking, I got up to take advantage of the extra hours I’d been given in a new day and my anger fell away.
But it can also work with life changing events too. When I found myself divorced and childless and seeking my place in the world, I asked: What can I do that women with childrearing responsibilities cannot? The answer was obvious — long term travel. And so, in my mid-fifties I sold almost everything I owned, put the essentials in a backpack and set off for a year circumnavigating the globe as a volunteer.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?
So many fun projects in the works. I’m updating “behind the scenes” slide shows for book clubs who choose my books for their groups, one being Flares Up: A Story Bigger Than The Atlantic. It tells the true tale of why two middle-aged British men rowed a 20ft wooden boat 3,000 nautical miles across the Atlantic, how it affected their families and how the experience changed them as human beings. Not every one of my readers will row an ocean or climb Mount Everest but my purpose in depicting this story is to inspire us all to achieve goals we set ourselves, big and small, push past obstacles we may face and to live a meaningful life.
My husband, Gary and I, are guest speakers for Celebrity Cruises in their wonderful Beyond The Podium series. I’m currently working on new presentations for our next set of cruises: a transatlantic passage from Barcelona to Tampa followed by a voyage through the Caribbean. Some of my talks are about unleashing the writer within you. I believe everyone has a story to tell and only they can uniquely tell theirs. This can be as simple as a family history to pass on to future generations, a memoir that will help or inspire, or an intriguing novel that will stay with us. I’m passionate about encouraging emerging talent and creating a safe space for writers to share their work. In 2020 I founded an international writers’ group and am curating an anthology of their work titled Stories of Place which will be published in May 2025.
I’m also preparing my application for a TEDx talk. My goal with this one is to share inside tips on how to follow your passion, create the life you want and travel the world inexpensively while also giving back to the community you visit. For those unable to leave home I present the opportunity to travel vicariously through my stories.
OK, thank you for all of that. Let’s now shift to the core focus of our interview about travel and personal growth. Let’s dive deeper into these together. Based on your research or personal experience, why do you think travel can lead to personal growth? Can you share a story?
When we travel we are exposed to other views and customs. Here’s another story from Following Sunshine that really made me stop and question societal and cultural norms, this time with regard to animals. I was living on the remote island of Nomuka in the Kingdom of Tonga volunteering for an Australian family. Tris and Dave were licensed by the Tongan government to bring visitors out into the ocean to swim with the humpback whales who migrate from Antarctica each year to birth their young.
“Tris had a mission to protect animals and it was her goal to bring vet services to the island. She would often care for stray dogs abandoned by their owners. One Saturday afternoon she returned from the village carrying a live, almost fully grown turtle. A fisherman had caught it intending to cook it for the Sunday Umu. (feast). Tris went to see his wife, to explain that turtles were endangered. The woman explained to Tris that she had to feed her family.
I’ve often wondered what makes an animal acceptable fodder in one culture but not in another. In India the cow is sacred yet gets slapped on BBQs in the west. The French like to devour a horse; in Ireland we only ride them. Bugs are delicacies in Asian communities but stomped on in Lower Manhattan. Who’s to say what’s right or wrong, other than tradition and custom. I imagined the two mothers sitting in the woman’s kitchen, one driven to protect the turtle, the other seeing no wrong in eating its flesh.”
The effect this had on me was to let go of some preconceived notions of how I thought things should be because that was what I had always known. It taught me to take a more elevated view of controversial matters, to apply critical thinking and understand that there can be many viewpoints from which to consider an issue.
A recent survey from Psychology Today showed that over 80% of participants found that travel helped them with problem-solving or decision-making. Why do you think this is true for so many people?
Before home computers and laptops were common, most people had to book trips or specialized vacations through travel agents. Now, most of us can do all our own research: flights, visas, accommodation, car rentals, itineraries and excursions. There is a plethora of information to consider, and multiple options to choose from. Without realizing it, we’ve become adept at figuring out logistics and honed our decision-making skills. Similarly, when things go wrong after we’ve left home, we are forced into finding solutions on the fly. Navigating these issues often requires quick thinking and adaptability, skills that can transfer to problem solving in other areas of life. To my mind, therefore, travel makes our brains nimbler and improves cognitive function.
Do you think travel enhances our mindfulness, optimism, or sense of gratitude? How? Can you please explain with an example or story?
On a practical level travel teaches us to be mindful, to pay attention to our surroundings to keep ourselves safe. But it goes deeper, it gives us pause for thought, time to step out of our daily routine, break free from habitual thought patterns and reflect on our journey through life, how we are showing up, and how we are serving others.
Seeing the world through someone else’s viewpoint can stimulate new ways of thinking, offer fresh perspectives that might not be apparent in a familiar environment and inject us with enthusiasm and hope. But above all, when we get to know an individual from another country our pre-conceived notions of stereotypes get stripped away and we see the person not the generalization. We embrace our similarities rather than our differences. We learn that, at our core, we are all essentially the same — souls having a human experience and ultimately looking to be an expression of love.
Surely not everyone who travels automatically becomes an exemplar of human decency. What are a few reasons why some people completely miss out on the growth opportunities that travel can offer?
Growth comes from change and change is an inherent byproduct of travel.
For some, the fear of the unknown can be crippling, and they would rather stay home than be exposed to something new that might challenge them intellectually, emotionally or physically.
Then there are those who, while brave enough to travel, curtail their experience by seeking the familiar rather than trying new things. For instance, they seek out their usual fast food chain restaurant rather than local cuisine or stick to the monster tour busses that skim the surface of a city rather than walk through town by themselves. Without experiencing the culture there’s no reason to pause and ponder, no chance to expand one’s view and no ownership of the butterfly effect — how an action in one country can affect another one on the far side of the earth.
What are your “5 Habits You Should Develop In Order Make Travel Into An Opportunity For Personal Growth?”
- Curiosity
Tap into the curiosity you had when you were young — that childlike wonder will entice you to explore and learn from other ethnicities and cultures during your travels. Immersing yourself in other customs and traditions can help crystalize your own identity, values, and desires, leading to a greater self-discovery and an opportunity to grow.
2. Adaptability
Not all travel will go according to plan. It’s important to remain flexible and see these issues as inconveniences or better yet, opportunities, rather than disasters. Learning to become adaptable enhances all aspects of your life and especially during those periods of major change.
3. Open-mindedness
Just because other countries or peoples do things differently doesn’t mean they are wrong. As we age we tend to we stop questioning and start to hold fast to our opinions. Rules of how things should be feed judgement, and judgement closes your mind to any opposing opinions. Remaining open-minded enhances your ability to accept diversity and makes you more of a global citizen.
4. Minimalism
The lighter you travel the further you’ll go — both in experiences and locations. Start now by decluttering your home. Three Ds. Discard, donate or dump items that no longer serve you, including people and relationships that hinder you from being the best version of yourself. Minimalism brings clarity and clarity fills you with ease and grace. Letting go of material stuff releases you from living in a fearful state of scarcity and instills a belief that you will always find what or whom you need when you need them. You become centered and free to live up to your pure potentiality. Like attracts like. The best way to draw enlightened people to you is to be one.
5. Gratitude
Practice gratitude every day, start with the basics. Be grateful for your family, your friends, your health and well-being. And as you travel be thankful for all the people in the chain of transport who get you safely where you want to go. Appreciate the new experiences and embrace the opportunity these give you to grow. Practicing gratitude is good for your physical and mental health and fosters a more optimistic outlook on life.
One other reminder for when you travel: Remember, as soon as you leave home you become an ambassador for your region and your country. Locals will assume that everyone from your town is like you. Leave a good impression.
From your experience, does travel have a negative impact on personal growth too? Is there a downside to travel?
The main negative impact I’ve come across is when travelers are exposed to extreme poverty. I heard about one person who returned from Africa so distraught by the starvation she encountered that she was overcome with guilt and stopped eating herself. It’s understandable, but we also have to fully honor the life we have been given. This really struck home with me one afternoon during my time volunteering on a turtle conservation project on the small island of Moso in Vanuatu. I was adopted by a local family who lived in a collection of huts. One afternoon, as my “Mama” Sesilia was kneading bread on an outdoor wooden table, while also mindlessly shooing chickens away, I was reminded about my own mother and all the times I would sit on the kitchen counter while she made Irish soda bread. These two women were the same, both the heart of the family. However…
“I couldn’t help but ponder the disparity between the privileges I and my mother enjoyed in the western world compared to the complexities Sesilia had to deal with. Real anxieties: crop failure and hungry bellies, a distant earthquake and ensuing tsunami — not slow Wi-Fi or whether there would be traffic on the commute home. There, but for an accident of birth went I. But I had to accept that neither of us had a choice in how and where we came into this world. Our jobs were to embrace the next breath, live the best life we could with what we were given, and offer love and support to those around us. I only hoped that had we swapped lives, I would have been just as jovial.”
The other downside, certainly to long-term or meaningful travel, is re-integration when you return. Re-connecting with friends and family can be challenging because, through no fault of theirs, they have no real understanding of what you experienced. It’s incumbent on the traveler to honor the changes within but to respect those who may not have had similar opportunities.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we both tag them :-)
Kelly Clarkson. I have followed her rising star for many years. She had my vote every week in the inaugural American Idol talent show and I was delighted for her when she won. Her reprise of A Moment Like This was so thrilling to watch because her genuine excitement shone through. And since then, whether it be as a performer or TV host she has remained authentic. Like many of us she has had her share of life’s heartaches, not to mention struggles with weight issues, but unlike most people, she has had to navigate them within the public eye. I believe she has done so with grace and integrity. It would be an absolute honor to meet her in person.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
First stop is to visit my website www.thewriteronthewater.com There you will find a wonderful gallery of photographs from my life on the water and my upcoming events. If you wish to book me as a keynote speaker reach out via the Contact form. You can also sign up for my newsletter which will share insights from my travels and upcoming releases.
Readers can also follow me on social media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/niamh_mcanally/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TheWriterOnTheWater/
X: https://x.com/niamhmcanally
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/niamh-mcanally
YouTube: @keenore
I love hearing from readers and regularly offer “behind the scenes” audiovisual presentations for book clubs who choose one of my books for their group. These are in person or via Zoom depending on location.
Thank you for these really excellent insights, and we greatly appreciate the time you spent on this. We wish you continued success.
