The Traveler: Victoria Hannan
Hello world! A new Guest Post series is born: The Traveler. I'm asking some of my favourite travelers to answer the same ten Qs about travel and give us their thoughts on smart packing, blending in and where they are off to next.
Victoria Hannan is a native Australian who lives and works in London, England. She runs a beautiful blog, is the founder of the 1010 photo project and I hear she's a mean baker! Here are her answers, enjoy!
1. What is your dearest/funniest/strangest childhood travel memory? I first went overseas when I was four. Our flight from Adelaide to Bangkok was delayed and we missed our connecting flight to London. We were stranded in Bangkok for 24 hours and I have the most intense and vivid memories from that day: the hotel staff in the lift giving me sweets, big chandeliers in the foyer, the heaviness of the air, the shanty town we could see from our hotel window, a dead cat in the market, my sister throwing up in the bath. I think it was the first time I realised just how big the world is.
2. What was your most comfortable home away from home? I call London home now so when I go back to Australia, it always feels comfortable although a little disconcerting. Last Christmas I spent two weeks in Melbourne with some good friends and I felt more at home than on all my trips back there in the last six years.
3. Who makes the best travel companion? I love to travel alone but when Liesl Pfeffer and I went to Morocco, I had the BEST time. I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard so often and she made situations that could've been tough, super easy. I want to see the world with her.
4. What do you always pack? Too much. And I always forget my sunglasses.
5. Is there anything particular that you collect/photograph/save on your trips? I've developed a habit of taking photos of shop windows. And I like taking photos from moving vehicles. I always end up using train tickets as bookmarks.
6. What would you change about the way we travel today? I'd like it if flights weren't so bad for the environment. But otherwise, travel is such a personal experience that you can choose to do it however you like.
7. What lesson can you share that arose from a mistake or misconception? I learnt a lot in Morocco. There was no one incident that springs to mind, but I'd heard some bad things before I went. People were unbelievably kind to us. I've never experienced such warmth or gratitude.
8. What's your trick for blending in, avoiding looking like a tourist? I've never understood people who buy special travel wardrobes unless they're going to an extreme climate or a country where religious/cultural sensitivities are necessary. Why would you wear linen trousers and a money belt in New York or London? Dress how you'd dress normally, learn a few language basics.
9. If you could teleport to another location right now, where would it be? Every time I've been, I've left a little bit of my heart in New York. I ache for the place.
10. And realistically, where are you off to next? I have nothing booked right now but that never lasts long. I want to go back to New York in the spring, and Turkey and Lithuania are pretty high on the list too.
If you're itching to contribute just leave a comment bellow.
