Gen Y Wanderers – An Interview with MissAdventures

Today’s interview is with Ellie Geronikolos, 26-year-old flight attendant.  Based in Toronto, Ellie is always on the go, but somehow managed to also find the time to create MissAdventures , an all-girls travel show.  While many travel shows are run by people traveling long-term, MissAdventures tries to show other 20-something women, with full-time jobs and limited budgets, how they can still make a travel a part of their life.

How often do you travel just on your own and not for work? Any opportunity I get. I live for travel, and as soon as I step off the plane in uniform I get back on without it.

How old were you when you made your first big trip or visited another country? I was 9 years old and I went all the way across the ocean to Greece. I was in awe of everything. From the food being served on the airplane, to the kids my own age living such a different life than mine. That trip definitely ignited my travel obsession.

Where has been your favorite place to travel? This is such a hard question because I love so many places for different reasons, and everyday my answer changes. My answer today though would be Bali. I have never seen such a beautiful landscape with one of the richest cultures. I fell in love with the people and the place the moment I got there.

Least favorite? I would have to say Barcelona. Only because within a couple hours my friends and my belongings all got stolen. It’s an amazing city, but my time there was a little tainted.

Hostel or hotel? I am a hostel kind of girl. I don’t necessarily love the sharing of washrooms and low lighting, but it’s the best for meeting new people. I love getting advice from other travellers, and just being in a more social environment. Plus, who needs all those hotel amenities when you came to explore!

Good book recommendation to read while traveling: I am a sucker for guidebooks.  I don’t want to miss out on anything, so I cram my head with all the tips I can get.

Best music for long bus rides:  I usually fall asleep on buses, so anything mellow. Perhaps some Frou Frou.

Why do you think it’s important for our generation to travel? There are a zillions clichés or quotes that I can use here, but for me it’s just about seeing the world. Opening up your mindset. I know, personally, I figured out what I wanted and who I was by seeing what else was out there.  I became independent, spirited, positive and gained knowledge. I don’t think a person can lose from travelling.

One travel tip: Pack less, you are always going to buy more than you thought.

What’s something you wish you had known before:  When I was younger I wish I knew how much fun travelling solo could be. It always seemed so scary, and then you do it once and you realize how much fun and relaxed it is. Not to mention, it really opens you up and forces you to be social and involved.

What is the most important thing travel has taught you? I would have to say that the biggest lesson I have learned is to never take anything for granted. I have had the opportunity to visit places all over and meet people and really take into account how much I have, and how lucky I am.

To learn more about Ellie and MissAdventure,s check them out on Facebook and Twitter.  You can also follow Ellie’s personal Twitter handle.

Do you know someone who would be a good fit for the Gen Y Wanderers interview series?  Let me know in the comments or on Twitter!

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Chiang Mai is definitely on the tourist trail – and for good reason.  The city is a good jumping off point to explore the hills and jungles of northern Thailand, discover delicious, cheap food, enjoy milder weather and even pop on over to Laos.  It also is a major expat center, being home to many NGOs, foreign English teachers (the city has three major universities along with several international schools), missionaries and retirees.  In fact, U.S. News and World Report consistently mentions Chiang Mai as a desirable place to retire, even naming it one of ‘The World’s Top Retirement Havens‘.

At Chiang Mai’s famous temple, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep

While the guide books give you the lowdown on what to do here, there are several resources that will give you a more local perspective on the place with hangouts, directions, news and profiles.

Pure Chiang Mai

This newly-launched site is producing an impressive list of places to go eat, drink and play in the city along with several insider guides, tips and suggestions like this and this.  The site is run by expats who want to create a resource for others who are living in and constantly exploring Chiang Mai.

Chiang Mai City Life

The go-to English magazine for expats, City Life is published monthly featuring in-depth stories on Northern Thailand, personality profiles and expat news and events.  You can read the articles online and also check out the events calendar for updates.

Chiang Mai Mail

With the language differences, it’s often difficult to know what the heck is going on around here. Chiang Mai Mail is the first English language newspaper serving the north of Thailand.

One Stop Chiang Mai

This site is geared toward travelers, but written by local writers who really know the area.  There are also sections about living here with a service directory and notes on Thai culture.

Open Chiang Mai

Similar to One Stop Chiang Mai, Open Chiang Mai is a travel site produced by people who live in the area and includes sites, activities and news.  The site focuses on posting videos to better show you the places and things its talking about.

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It’s been a while, but we’re back with another Gen Y Wanderer interview, this time with blogger/author of the recent The Food Traveler’s Handbook/long-term world traveler, Jodi Ettenberg, 33, of the Legal Nomads blog.

How long have you been traveling? For many many years (first solo trip was in 2001). Currently, 5 years without a fixed home.

Do you miss home?  I miss people from Montreal – my friends and my family. But I feel at home in many places around the world, and each of those places has its own wonderful things to love.

Do you plan to go back?  No current plan other than to visit my family.

Why did you choose spending so much time currently in Vietnam?  I am no longer in Vietnam but I am not choosing to spend more time there than elsewhere. Prior it was in Thailand (6 months in Bangkok, then the year after 6 months in Chiang Mai). I stay in places generally for a long time because writing about foods means I want to get under the skin of the places I visit and really learn what I can. It is also great to rent a place and then have somewhere as a base, so that I can take shorter trips throughout the region with a small bag and a smile.

What gave you the idea and courage to move forward with The Food Traveler’s Handbook? Not sure any courage was needed! The book was a natural progression – my readers were asking about food more and more, and asking how they could eat the way I did (on the street, without getting sick), so it was an organic extension of the brand I was building with Legal Nomads. At the same time, I was approached to join the series and write the food book and it was a great fit. I had been writing a bit about food but primarily narrative about travel generally; this was a great opportunity to shift my brand in the eyes of my community toward something a bit more food-related… especially since my days were all about food, but I was just not writing about it as much!

Any plans for a second? One day, definitely. I want to write a book about the history of the world told through table condiments. Learning about a place is that much more interesting when examined through your taste-buds

What’s something you wish you had known before writing your book? That editing is as exhausting as writing. You think when you submit a book it’s a big milestone but the editing process is quite a long one, and it is draining.

Can you pick a favorite type of cuisine? Not really! So many great cuisines. As a celiac, Vietnam was a perfect place to stay for a few months time. But so many other wonderful ecosystems of food – Peru, Italy, China (all of the provinces with different food traditions and styles), etc. It’s not a country’s foods either, it’s each region with the traditions and techniques that make it so compelling to learn.

Where has it been most difficult to eat cheaply and deliciously? Russia was quite difficult, especially as I am stuck avoiding wheat and gluten.

Where has been your favorite place to travel? I loved my time in Mongolia and Myanmar, as well as the Philippines and Vietnam. Bolivia was also a fabulous place to explore, with a really complicated history and a fascinating culture.

Least favorite? None. Every place has its good and bad.

Good book recommendation to read while traveling: A Fortune Teller Told Me, by Tiziano Terzani

Why do you think it’s important for our generation to travel? I think it’s important for every generation to travel. It’s an education in and of itself, an unforgettable experience but one that is impossible to ignore. It’s one thing to read about something but it is another to see it firsthand, especially the countries that are currently in development. Travel offers a perspective that one has a hard time gleaning from text alone, and we are mostly visual people—seeing things firsthand are important. It also helps keep our own lives back at home (wherever that might be) in perspective.

One travel tip: Bring a doorstop with you. Great for peace of mind and also keeping people out of your room at night if you’re in a private room. Has come in handy! For more practical tips from years of travel, see here and here.

What is the most important thing travel has taught you? It has taught me many things. It has not fundamentally changed me as a person—if you are travelling to become someone new, I think it’s important to examine why you seek those changes. But it has taught me more about patience and community, about what my limits are with respect to safety (and how to push them), about how I can learn something from everyone I meet, even if in my prior life I had my head down and working and not really focusing on that learning process. And it taught me how to stop focusing on sweating the small stuff—I was a lawyer for 6 years, and I was paid to do just that. It’s been really rewarding to learn from the world but also learn more about myself.

What do you think you’d be doing right now if you weren’t continuing to travel and eat your way around the world? It’s really hard to say. The way the world works is not linear enough to answer that question with any certainty. I could be a lawyer still, I could be doing something totally different. All we can each do is, instead of looking back to what we might be doing, focus on what we can build going forward. Much more rewarding

Want to see what Jodi is up to next? Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

Do you know someone who would be a good fit for the Gen Y Wanderers interview series?  Let me know in the comments or on Twitter!

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