The Adventures of an Introvert: Ten Countries, Four Continents; Minimal Eye Contact

The love of travel and the fear of social interaction collide in The Adventures of an Introvert.

In 2009, a young man who could not decide whether he was a recluse or an introvert, took the brave step of venturing outside of the United Kingdom for the first time in a decade. This is the true story of how an individual with very few social skills faced the almost insurmountable challenges of surviving fierce interrogation by airport security staff, speaking to hotel employees, and worst of all, ordering food in foreign restaurants.

Every hero needs a reliable sidekick; David Chapman was fortunate to have a couple of them who bravely followed him on his expeditions across the globe. Going by the name of Mum and Dad, they joined him on his misadventures, which include his participation in a half-naked photo shoot in the Arabian Desert, his confrontation with a Koala and a Kangaroo, and multiple assassination attempts by maniacal drivers.

The first installment of his mission to visit as many countries as his anxiety and shyness will allow, sees him tackle his fears whilst exploring ten countries in four continents. This is certainly not the definitive guide to travelling. Rather, it is a detailed account of the agonising dilemmas that a socially awkward individual is faced with after he has, for some unimaginable reason, decided to immerse himself in a variety of cultures throughout the world.