Highly Sensitive Nomad: a Journey to Hope in a World Gone Mad

by Rachel Horne

How can Sensitive People make peace with a broken world? The ocean is riddled with plastic, the rainforests are disappearing, and the economy is screwed. Add a splash of climate change plus a sprinkle of global pandemics, and it's no wonder so many of us feel completely overwhelmed. In the midst of all the reasons to panic, Highly Sensitive Nomad is a book of resilience and hope. Brutally honest and deeply compassionate in equal measure, a sensitive young woman shares her unconventional journey to healing from burnout. A journey that started with a tent in the wilds of Scotland, and ended in the back of a Peugeot Boxer. Highly Sensitive Nomad offers a unique perspective on the crises faced by the people and the Earth. Because by understanding how these crises interact, we make it possible to heal them both.

187 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 2, 2020

Reviews

[Peter Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, every word was written with love and a great deal of attention. The author, Rachel Horne, described her adolescent experiences with raw emotion, transcribing them with vivid imagery and a wave of empathy so that the reader could truly feel her every emotion. As a HSP (Highly Sensitive Person) it was lovely to read Rachel's journey, and see some similarities and struggles that a child must endure when they are forced to grow up in a world where they can feel, see, and hear everything at a much deeper level. I particularly enjoyed the sections where Rachel wrote about her nomadic travels throughout Scotland and other European countries. I have been thinking about the nomadic lifestyle as of late, and feel that will be my journey in a couple of years, so it was nice to get an insider's tip onto the whole experience of travelling across Europe in a van. It was also nice to read about healing, particularly the steps that HSP's need to take to become more centred and focused on our inner voice that comes from our heart or gut (aka gut feelings). It is a good reminder to not listen to the endless voices of the world, but to simply focus on the pathway that is best for you. When I wrote "The Tragic Tale of Teddy Woven," it was with the purposeful intent to have the main character in my book exhibit common traits of a HSP, such as attention to detail, love of nature, deep feelings, extremely emphatic and sensitive to sounds/lighting. I wanted the world to know that there are people out there, and that HSP can feel everything around us at a deeper level. It is a trait that is only found in 10-15% of the population, so there are only a few of us out there that knows the benefits and struggles of growing up as a Highly Sensitive Person. I would recommend this book to all, especially as an educational resource. If you are interested in the nomadic life, or simply want to learn more about yourself and your inner callings than I would recommend Rachel's book to you as well. As a parting gift, I will leave a few quotes down below that really struck a chord in me. Perhaps, it will make you ponder deeply about our existence and people that identify themselves as HSP as well.

"We feel things deeply. Be it the emotions of people around us or the suffering in the world. Be it joy or despair, we suck it up like a sponge. Lights are brighter, sounds are louder, and every emotion is fiercer. We live our lives in high definition."

- Rachel Horne

"Anxiety and depression aren't diseases. They are the sometimes inevitable outcomes of the way we have been told to live."

- Rachel Horne

"...your eyes will always adjust to the darkness. You will notice the moonlight falling on the trees. One by one, the stars will start to shine in the midnight sky. All this astounding beauty starts to light up all around you, and you find that you didn't need the streetlights to find your way after all. Everything that you needed was already there, and what you had assumed was a vital tool serving you on your journey, was actually separating you from what you wanted to connect with the most."

- Rachel Horne

On a final note, if the author ever publishes another book, I will be the first one in line to purchase it :)

[Céline · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I have paused my career to explore other options and travel slowly with my partner and our backpacks, Rachel's journey and words resonated a lot with me. Her path to healing, her beautiful messages full of love and compassion, even though she's not afraid to point out issues in our world and make us understand it's normal we feel bad... But healing is a life journey that can be started :)
Whatever your situation, this book will resonate with you too.
Thank you Rachel.