Syifa Adriana

A throwback to my Mongolia videos: https://youtu.be/zk8xpX0x_6U

The desire to create a series that captures both the motorbike journey and nomadic lifestyle was so strong, I was really hoping something would come together. With the help of @murraybenn (who actually sparked the idea of filming the moving process), it did.

It’s kind of poetic that the last episodes I filmed in Mongolia were all about the idea of home, something I’ve also been searching for myself, while travelling around the UK these past few months.

Filming the nomadic move was hectic, fascinating, hard, and freeing all at once. I started by simply observing and warming up to the family, hoping to become more than just a visitor for a day.

When we arrived, the ger/yurt was already almost fully dismantled. With no translator, I stepped back and quietly watched, not wanting to get in the way as they prepared to move everything in just one day.

Nomadic families move up to four times a year, and it’s a chance to clean each part of the ger, every beautifully painted, functional piece designed for ease of travel. Traditionally, they’d move using yaks; now it’s more often trucks, but that communal spirit still remains.

At one point during filming, I broke down. I felt completely isolated, surrounded by people I couldn’t communicate with and unsure how to bridge the gap. The social walls created by the language barrier were heavy that day, and it hit me hard. That’s the reality of travelling off the beaten path. It’s not always romantic, it’s raw, it’s humbling, and sometimes it’s lonely. But I wouldn’t do it any other way.

This is still one of my favourite episodes to have made. It was emotionally tough, but so worth it, sometimes just finishing something feels like its own kind of reward. So grateful to have witnessed and shared this.

Have you found yourself feeling completely out of your comfort zone while travelling? How did you get through it?

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1 week ago | [YT] | 511

Syifa Adriana

WHEN IT ALL GOT A BIT TOO MUCH…

Watch it here: https://youtu.be/uzcxIVr57fY?si=Ue-ZZ...

The last UK house-hunting video Dave and I created took us to Derbyshire and Cambridgeshire. Initially, we planned two separate episodes. We wanted to revisit Derbyshire, exploring smaller, quieter towns this time. Cambridgeshire interested us for its flatter landscape and drier climate, something quite different from the Northwest we’re used to.
We also thought about filming in West Sussex, close to my best friend and right by the sea, which seemed like a nice, refreshing change.

Honestly, it quickly got overwhelming. Trying to film, travel, and edit every week while Dave managed his full-time job became pretty exhausting. We realised it wasn’t practical to go back to Derbyshire again just to finish filming the episode, so we combined the partial Derbyshire footage with our upcoming trip to Cambridgeshire instead.

As everything was a bit last minute, we only managed to book a single house viewing in Godmanchester, whose name we were intrigued by, and visited another market town called St Ives. Both places felt charming and picturesque, with easy access to Cambridge and London, but somehow we didn’t feel that instant warmth or connection we’d hoped for.

It made us wonder if our impressions were truly our own or if they were clouded by the pressure to film. Were we really experiencing these towns as potential homes, or just through the lens of our cameras?

So, we’ve decided to pause the filming for now. We think it might be better to visit quietly, without cameras, and genuinely see if a place feels like home. Balancing filming our experiences and just living in the moment turned out to be harder than we thought. We’re looking forward to stepping back, reflecting, and hopefully discovering our new home more naturally.

I am excited to be back on the road visiting a completely new continent in a couple of weeks, rekindling my joy for solo travel and trying to find a sense of purpose while documenting it.

Have you ever struggled with documenting life versus just experiencing it fully? I’d genuinely love to hear your thoughts!

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2 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 524

Syifa Adriana

TELL ME, WHERE SHOULD I TRAVEL?

I’ve been reflecting a lot and have a bit more clarity about the kind of travels I want to focus on this year. After trying out the UK house-hunting video series, I realised that while it was definitely insightful, I wasn’t feeling the same joy and sense of play that I usually get from filming travel stories. Don’t get me wrong, travel filming can be stressful and I’m definitely a sensitive soul when I’m on the road by myself 😂, but there’s also something so grounding and familiar in it for me. It feels like home.

So, long story short, after a few heart-to-hearts with Dave, I’ve decided to really lean into that part of myself again, solo travel and all the imperfect moments that come with it. I want to bring more consistency to my travel videos on YouTube this year, and I’ll be using all of my income to fully work with Jordan, my part-time editor, to help bring these stories to life.

I’ve booked flights to North Africa( Morocco and Tunisia) for May and June. I’m still in the midst of brainstorming video ideas for that trip. I’ve also been in talks with a few contacts about a potential journey to Syria, and a return to Iran later this autumn, possibly including Jordan (the country!) as well which highlights the Middle East.

And quite unexpectedly, I received an invitation to visit a town in Poland, which I’d love to do once I can apply for the Polish Schengen visa in person here in London. If all goes to plan, that trip would likely happen in July.
And for August, I’d love to explore another Eastern European country and I’d love your suggestions.Where in Eastern Europe would you like me to go and make videos from?

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 77

Syifa Adriana

The first video of my brand new series is now on YouTube: https://youtu.be/fNLp3W0mDUY

It is going to be an interesting experience for @davewfilms and I to explore different counties in England. Having lived in a rented home together in the North West for the past 3 years, we hope to buy our very first home.

I’d say it’s been somewhat similar to my usual travel videos where exploration is the main driving factor, with some key differences. I see myself sometimes struggling with forming thoughts, as usually, with travels you learn to appreciate and observe different places and people without ever considering living there permanently.

When merging it with my personal life, I have to start seeing things differently, whether I see myself building a life there rather than just visiting. What aspects of these places resonate with us more than others. The bigger question often lies with how much money is required to buy the ideal home in these future locations.

@davewfilms portrays these experiments as if we are dating a town/place, where we’re approaching it with an open-mind, simply eager to learn and get to know these places. Yet we don’t have to rush to any final decision soon as to whether it’s the right place for us.

Some places we feel more connected to, and some less so. It’s just the start of this exciting journey and I look forward to seeing where it takes us!

Have you ever made a big decision to relocate to somewhere new?

2 months ago | [YT] | 599

Syifa Adriana

ABUNDANCE IN THE MUNDANE

Taking a break from my Mongolia posts to share a January photo dump, a month many dread. Mainly because it sits right after Christmas and New Year, deep in winter, with no major celebrations to look forward to. You’re left with a long, overcast 31 days, hoping to accomplish the first bit of your “new year resolutions”.

Yet, this January felt both familiar and different. There’s been a foggy, a sense of things being up in the air, creatively hazy feeling throughout, like things are stagnant, uncertain, and without clear direction. Yet, I’ve really enjoyed moving through the mundane this time around. The cold wind and snow have been a quiet reminder to slow down.

I came across something recently that stuck with me: *there’s abundance in the mundane.* And it resonates so much with how I’ve been feeling lately.

There’s something comforting about the small, everyday moments, seeing familiar faces over and over again, attending classes with teachers I respect, and simply showing up for myself. I’ve been learning how to hold space for myself and practice expanding that sense of clarity in my head.

January feels like the underdog of months, one most people just want to pass quickly, waiting for spring to bloom. But I think there’s something to be said about its stillness.

It made me think about how often I get frustrated and impatient in these stagnant moments, feeling uninspired, stuck. But I want to remind myself that even in the quiet, in the mundane, there is something quietly rich. There is abundance.

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2 months ago | [YT] | 568

Syifa Adriana

To have a dream and turn travel into a job has been a long journey. Coming from a family that worked hard but had limited opportunities in a country with a weak passport, I’ve had to jump through endless hoops just to access them. Growing up, I thought my path was already decided by my environment. That only made me hungrier. Curiosity pushed me to seek beyond what I knew, beyond what seemed possible.

This photo was taken in Mongolia, on my second day of riding, feeling deeply content and grateful to finally be here. Mongolia only recently introduced an e-visa, which made this trip possible. Before that, I had to go through the ordeal of securing a 30-day Schengen visa, another expensive, frustrating process that drained me before I even got on a plane.

When you have a shitty passport, you don’t take travel for granted. You grab every opportunity like gold, because when travel becomes your job, you work harder not to let it go. You work with what you have, even when it feels unfair.

I know how much my passport limits me. My work revolves around travel, yet I can’t just move on a whim. Every trip demands financial and personal background checks, proving my intentions over and over again. What comes effortlessly to others, who hold powerful passports with freedom of movement, feels like an impossible puzzle for me. I see others hopping between countries effortlessly with no visa struggles, no questioning, no financial background checks.

I won’t lie if there’s resentment, even jealousy, when I see others in the same industry expanding their opportunities without barriers. Meanwhile, I fight for every visa, every entry stamp to tell new stories.

Dave and I recently applied for my UK residency extension, £4000 without a solicitor, just so I can stay for another 2.5 years. People assume that because I’m married to a Brit, I automatically gain citizenship. But no. In three more years, I can apply, pass the required tests, and finally gain the freedom of movement that so many take for granted.

Maybe I sound bitter. Maybe I’m just exhausted from constantly hitting these walls. But I dream of a day when this isn’t part of my story anymore.

Until then, I keep going.

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2 months ago | [YT] | 469

Syifa Adriana

Two videos from my MONGOLIA MOTORCYCLE DIARIES are out now on the channel! 🌍
Have you had a chance to watch them yet? If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts, what did you think of the journey so far? 😊

Watch them here:
Episode 1: https://youtu.be/DN4etN5Br6Q?si=VUVil...
Episode 2: https://youtu.be/mFuY7JIG9H0?si=LHFT5...

These were some of the craziest adventures I’ve experienced so far, pushing me to face and overcome some of my biggest fears! I can’t wait to share more with you.

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5 months ago | [YT] | 690

Syifa Adriana

Throwback to the day when I was giving a brief 5 minute speech in front of over 700 people to talk about travelling the world on a passport that doesn’t offer much liberty to do so.

What a real challenge overcoming this fear of public but also trying not to get in my head believing that I dont deserve to be heard.

It was fun to attend Nomad Capitalist Live event and got to meet several cool content creators! Thanks so much for inviting me @nomadcapitalist to be part of the experience!

Have you ever had an experience of public speaking? Or had to overcome similar fears?

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5 months ago | [YT] | 646

Syifa Adriana

Ignore this very formal photo, it was taken this summer for a conference photo shoot. 😂

It’s my third winter since moving England permanently, and I feel ever so slightly more settled than I did last year. This feeling reminds me of when I moved to China in early 2017, it took me eight months to feel truly at home. Yet, that sense of belonging never arrived during my six months living in Istanbul.

Traveling has always felt like my sense of normality and where I feel most at home, but it can also disrupt my emotional stability. I try to maintain certain routines to stay grounded on the road, but my brain also thrives on the structure of being at home. At first, staying put was really tough, I often experienced withdrawal, emotional crashes, and frustration with the abrupt changes.

Over the years, full-time traveling and creating travel videos have helped me shape and discover my voice. Creative work, I’ve learned, requires giving parts of yourself, sometimes even the whole of yourself, to bring ideas to life. Your voice becomes embedded in the final outcome. This process has helped me shed old layers of my identity, breaking free from my past.

Creating travel videos has also taught me not to listen to the fears that hold us back, those small yet significant doubts that can stop us from becoming who we’re meant to be. When I started on YouTube over eight years ago, I was rusty, with no knowledge of storytelling, filming, or vlogging. I was juggling this passion alongside my full-time job in China, while still following my deep curiosity for international politics and relations, which I’d studied at university. But when you keep creating, you start to experience momentum. Something within you feels liberated, freer to express yourself, and better able to uncover the real you, free from the negative thoughts and doubts that may have held you back.

I’m not quite where I want to be yet, but this morning, as I walked in the frosty winter sunlight, I felt so grateful, content, and hopeful. I hope you feel that way too.

5 months ago | [YT] | 1,342

Syifa Adriana

WATCH IT HERE: https://youtu.be/yUziwSlWMSI?si=3cRQO...

Inside the world's most sparsely populated country! - My journey in Mongolia continues as I set out for Arkhangai province, about 500 kilometers from the capital. Today, I'm traveling with Taivanaa, my driver, and Ray, a fellow traveler, for what will be a long drive, over eight hours, that reveals the vast, open grasslands of the Mongolian Steppe.
Have you watched the video? Let me know what you think in the comment section below!

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5 months ago | [YT] | 605