Who Inspired Me To Start Traveling
I started exploring my
own country as a kid and therefore it feels like traveling has always been a
part of who I am. However, it is the stories of my grandfather that inspired me
to travel beyond the scope of a normal holiday. He traveled all of Europe on a bike
when he was younger, and I loved hearing his stories. Hearing his tales always
inspired me to do something similar. Therefore, I did not even have to think
about it when I got the chance to travel while studying. Ultimately it felt
like I was doing what I was always meant to do, so I kept going.
Most of my first trips
abroad were for conferences that I attended on my own, so I was used to solo
traveling when I started going on multi-month trips. I think it allows me to
form deeper connections with the locals and that it makes it easier to immerse
myself in a new culture. Looking back at how everything happened is actually
kind of amazing because inadvertently every single twist of faith led
down a path that is similar to my grandfather’s. I guess the desire to learn while exploring new
places and to travel might be in my blood.
My
Travel Frequency And Activities I Enjoy
Usually,
I travel at least four months per year, but I plan to travel full time. Due to
my two businesses that depend on traveling, it is unusual for me to go a month
without at least a short trip to another country.
It is
hard for me to describe what I usually do, as I tend to travel with a rather
unplanned itinerary. I love asking locals for recommendations or just strolling
through the streets until I find a hidden gem.
If I
am in a city, I love eating local food and interacting with locals to learn
more about them and their lives. I also tend to explore places with a rich
history and amazing architecture. However, I am just as happy in the middle of
the Outback where I can climb and hike or on a diving trip in the middle of the
ocean.
Ultimately,
I strive to do and see it all, so I can learn as much as possible about every
single place I visit and about all the precious places on our planet. I am the
kind of person that would rather scrap the rest of my plans for a trip than miss out on something amazing.
How I
Pick My Travel Destinations And How I Prepare For That
I love planning trips even if I am not going somewhere, so I tend to have a list of things I want to do for my top 10 countries. I spend hours looking
through travel guides and reading travel blogs. Therefore, I tend to be
spontaneous when deciding where to go next and basically just board a flight
whenever an opportunity arises to visit a place I really want to see. Hereby,
some of my trips are 3 or more months long, while others are mere weekend trips.
The
Packing Manual I Follow
These
days I rarely travel with more than a backpack and a daypack, so I tend to pack
lightweight clothes that can be worn in layers. There is no use in having a big
suitcase when you can have so many different outfits by mixing and matching
your clothes. My must-have while traveling is my camera gear as my photos allow
me to share all the amazing places I got to see with others.
Safety
Precautions That I Take
I
think the most
important part of solo traveling is to be aware of your surroundings and to do
your research in advance. Every city in the world comes with its own
unofficial safety recommendations on what to do and what to avoid, and it is
especially important for solo female travelers like myself to follow them.
Safety is a subjective thing and if you do not follow the rules, even a country
that is considered safe can be dangerous.
Countries
I Visited
So
far, I’ve been to 30
on 5 continents, whereby most of them are in Europe and Asia. I tend to look
for off-the-beaten-track destinations like the hidden gems in
Australia,
but I do tend to visit famous tourist attractions as well. If possible, I visit
them early in the morning to avoid the crowds.
Favorite Memory Of Meeting New People
I have so many
memories of talking to locals that I will always cherish like talking about the
meaning of life and happiness with a monk at Wat Pho in Bangkok, but the most
fundamental one was in Sri Lanka. I was at a café and started talking to the
owner that was watching a rather popular American late nights show. We started
talking about world politics and at one point he started talking about the Sri
Lanka civil war and how it still impacts the people living there. It was only
one conversation, but I learned a lot about the country, its people, and also
about life itself.
What
Inspired Me To Start “A Nomad’s Passport” And The Travel Apps I Use On My Trips
I
started out as a traveling photographer and at one point I was asked to write
about a trip. I really enjoyed doing it. It made me realize that travel writing
was something I would like to pursue, so I started my blog. It allows me to
reach more people than social media would.
Through my website, I can give people
all the information they need to plan the trip they have always dreamed of while
also talking about traveling in a sustainable and ethical way. I hope that ‘A
Nomad’s Passport’ helps people find amazing places they did not know about
while simultaneously conveying the message that it is our duty to protect all
the incredible wonders of our world. Because what is the use of having an audience if you do not use them to
make the place better for everyone.
I
actually spend a lot of time on Google Maps to check out which attractions are
marked. Doing so is a good way to find hidden gems. Aside from that, I tend to
go with the flow and take detours whenever I feel like it as I work my way
through my list of places I want to see.
Traveling
On A Budget
Most of the time I
travel on a budget. I love seeing how little I can spend while still having an
amazing trip and doing everything I want to do. These days, I actually write travel budget guides
wherein I disclose my own expenses and daily budget, so other travelers can
learn more about the costs of exploring the places I have been to.
While traveling, I
have a small notebook in which I write down every single expense. Doing so allows
me to see how much money I have spent per day and how far below or above my
intended budget I am. If I am in danger of exceeding my budget goal I tend to
shop and cook myself to save costs instead of eating out and walking instead of
taking any form of transport.
Cool
Stories To Share
I am a solo traveler
at heart, but every now and then I tend to plan trips with groups of strangers.
One of these trips was a 3 weeks-long road trip in Australia. There were 10 of
us in a minibus with a trailer and it was amazing. So many things happened
during that trip and thinking about them still makes me laugh all the time, but
the one thing that stands out is how amazing it can be to travel with strangers
that end up becoming good friends. Planning a trip that long with so many
strangers was a crazy idea, but it was an amazing experience.
I actually traveled
through Vietnam with one of the women I met during the road trip and while on
Cat Ba Island a local told us, that we were there during the perfect time to seebioluminescence.
I always dreamed of seeing it, so that evening we and some people we had met
that day left town and walked 2 km to the beach that was supposedly the best
one. We did not see anything as got closer to the beach, so we thought it
wasn’t going to happen. But we decided to keep going. And the minute we stepped
into the water we were more than rewarded. Just like that all of us were
swimming in a sea of stars and to this day it is one of my favorite travel
memories.
Challenges
I Faced To Traveling Solo
The
main factor that stopped me from traveling more was studying. There was a time
in my life when I planned to go into politics and merely take photos as a
hobby, so I invested a lot of time into getting my degree.
Life had other plans
for me, so I am going to spend more time traveling in the future with the goal
of eventually traveling full time. Due to the current situation in the world, I
do not know when, but somehow, I am going to make it happen.
I actually never faced
a lot of the fears that a lot of people traveling alone are confronted with. It
never crossed my mind that it would be terrifying to explore places on my own because I always had an example of a solo traveler in my family. If my German
grandpa could travel on his own through Europe right after the war – albeit
with a fake Swiss flag on his backpack – I could do it too.
Therefore, my biggest
challenge was the financial aspect of solo traveling, learning how to take
photos of myself and how to stay within the limits of carrying on only traveling
with 5 kg of camera gear and electronics.
It is so easy to meet new
people as a solo traveler, so you never have to be alone if you do not want to
be. And as you talk to new friends your itinerary sometimes manages to fill
itself because you join people on day trips.
Advice
For Solo Female Travelers
My
main advice would be to do what feels comfortable. Trust your gut instinct when
choosing the destination of your first solo trip and then again while
traveling. Some countries are better than others for the first trip, so pick
the first-time
solo female travel destination that appeals to you the most. Do
your research and go into it with an open mind. Stay at hostels if you want to
meet fellow travelers and don’t hesitate to introduce yourself. Solo travelers
tend to be a social bunch so you are bound to find people to hang out with.
Other cool travel stories you might enjoy!
