Living a life full of fear isn’t easy and we have had the opportunity to experience that recently. The uncertainty associated with the fear of tomorrow doesn’t belong to pleasant feelings, which frequently leads us to uncontrolled panic. So much for coronavirus and compulsory quarantine. But what if this state of mind accompanies us regardless of the situation we are currently experiencing? What if it blocks our actions for years and doesn’t allow us to spread our wings? There is a lot of talk about this problem, although not all tips bring the expected outcomes, as each case is different and each individual suffering from anxiety, neurosis and many other mental problems needs to find one’s own, individual path. Some of you may think that I exaggerate this problem, however, no one knows the day or the hour, when one needs to ask for help. Today’s world is full of various stimuli and it’s getting more and more difficult for us to deal with them. While interviewing lots of wonderful people, I’ve had a chance to realize that there are more of us suffering from anxiety than one could expect and there’s no reason to be ashamed of it.

How to deal with fears and uncertainty? The best way is to find a passion in oneself for something that we will love, despite some little difficulties or failures we may experience. In this way we will not only become stronger thanks to breaking the next barriers, but we will also have a chance to focus on something different than our real or imaginary misfortunes. I’ve recently met a wonderful, young woman – Mikhaela Adarve,who despite some initial difficulties, has started taking some actions and following her dreams. In this conversation you will get to know more about the things she deals with, about her passions and some plans for the nearest future.

Passion Piece: Could you tell my readers a few words about yourself?

Mikhaela: Hi! I’m Mikhaela, a keen traveler, who wants to inspire women to travel the world without fear and to encourage them to dress the way they desire. Photography has also been my hobby for a year now, because I truly love capturing moments.

Passion Piece: You’re a passionate young woman, I’ve noticed you were driven by the same reasons to set up your blog like me. How had your life looked like before setting up your website?

Mikhaela: A year ago, my life could be compared to being on a rollercoaster. Before setting up my own website, I had suffered from anxiety. There was a lot of going on in my head and I didn’t know what to do back then. However, suddenly, I realized I needed a fresh start. I just did it! I have found my daily inspirations and I decided to set up a blog with the name that truly suits my style.

Passion Piece: What issues do you most often touch upon on your blog? What’s the meaning of its name?

Mikhaela: Probably the ones related to advertising the content, as I still need to learn how it works for my blog. Youthsoloartsy is a coined word that derives from my daily life inspirations, especially the ones I had been interested in before launching the blog.

Youth isn’t solely focused on the young people in our society, but more importantly on the differences one can notice while observing different individuals around the world (diverse people we can meet while traveling).

Solo means literally solo. I got it from one song that I love, which stands for doing things your own way. I love being solo. Being different is really a thing.

Artsy comes from my creative mind. It showcases my passion to deliver unique content in various hobbies I have (photography, dance and many more).

Passion Piece: You have a degree in travel management. Does it help you in choosing interesting destinations which you later write about?

Mikhaela: It’s a BIG YES! Choosing interesting destinations is quite a hard work, but when you think fast, you just make one decision and then you simply proceed to reaching your travel goals.

Passion Piece: What questions do people ask you most often about traveling?

Mikhaela: The thing that people ask me most often about is the financial budget. I also value money in a responsible way, thus I always try to make the right decision. Keeping the right budget is one of the biggest problems faced by most travelers I know. If you want to achieve your travel goals, you should do a research and find the best option fitting your budget.

Passion Piece: Do you think that contemporary women suffer from anxiety on a larger scale than in the past? How do you help them to overcome this problem?

Mikhaela: In my observation, I think no. Social media is a great part of this problem. A lot of things are changing for better, worse or they just get stuck somewhere in between – if we consider today’s modern era, especially the virtual violence. All of us can suffer from anxiety, and once the right trigger occurs, this state of mind may last longer to finally lead us to depression. The best way to overcome this problem is to find the confidence to enjoy the positive achievements happening in your life. Celebrate small wins, little things that make you happy in such a way you will be able to enjoy your life without worrying about what other people say about you in social media, even if they address you in person.

Passion Piece: You’re a fashion lover just like me. What would you dress for a casual meeting and what for a date? What are your favorite brands?

Mikhaela: Yes, I am. I’ve been a fashion lover since I was a little girl. I usually love to wear a sheath dress or a mini dress, depending on designs. My favorite brands are H&M, Uniqlo, Penshoppe, KawaiiNation, Lazy Lucy and many more.

Passion Piece: What interesting fashion trends will people follow this year?

Mikhaela: I think there will be more people choosing the trench coat, roomy blazer and boss trousers.

Passion Piece: What do people not know about Mikhaela?

Mikhaela: Mikhaela is a young lady in her 20’s, dealing with social anxiety since the 3rd grade, but luckily she got to know how to control it and now she has become more fearless to achieve her dream of becoming one of the inspirational travel bloggers or solo entrepreneurs.

Passion Piece: Have you got any hobbies? What do you like doing in your free time?

Mikhaela: When I have some free time, I love learning languages, watching dramas and movies, doing calligraphy and also trying to get interested in cooking. Haha

Passion Piece: How would you like your blog to develop in the future? What project are you currently working on?

Mikhaela: I would like to get the right brand for a partnership. I’m currently working on a project which is a collaboration with Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta. I’m trying to help them spread their advocacy for people who love to travel and the ones who are interested in the aviation industry. I’m pretty sure women would love it.

Passion Piece: Which motto would you like to share with my readers?

Mikhaela: Don’t feel too overwhelmed. This is the best thing I’ve learned during my early months in the blogging industry. Being happy is great, but sometimes it makes us too overwhelmed, without our noticing it. Being too overwhelmed can easily lead to disappointment. Try to enjoy even the little pain you may experience during the process of reaching your specific goals, but don’t feel bad for it. We all have our own journey and YOU ARE ALSO WRITING A STORY THAT WILL EVENTUALLY MAKE YOU STRONGER THAN EVER and that’s how life works.

Passion Piece: Thank you very much for this truly inspiring conversation and I wish you luck with your new projects.

Mikhaela is an excellent example of a contemporary woman, who hasn’t been afraid of changing her life to make her dreams come true, but most importantly to be a happy person. I hope that, in these difficult times, she will become a great inspiration for us not to lose our hope for a better tomorrow.

See you around!

Yours,

Passion Piece

Photos by: Mikhaela Adarve