A huge part of travel for me is the people I meet and the friends I make in the places I get to experience. Some of my best friends are the people I have met while living overseas and the number one thing we have in coming is that we get it. Get what? This whole travel life. The coming & going frequently, the moving towns often & somewhat regularly. The fact that we rarely live in the same place for long and in turn the feeling of saying goodbye/reuniting once a year (if we're lucky). So when I meet people who share this same passion I immediately want to know more about them and where their adventures have taken them.
Once upon a time while scrolling the depths of Instagram I came across an account faced by a girl with the biggest smile on her face and as I kept scrolling I noticed that was a common theme, well that and some seriously crazy glitter outfits on occasion. Cue my obsession for @CaseIsPacked. The lovely lady behind this month's #WanderWomanWednesday is Casey, who's IG bio reads ''I packed up my case for London || Rockin’ this booty round 52 countries '' and nothing could be more true. As a leader for a tour company Casey has been to some insane places and gotten to experience some of the most beautiful places in the world. When she's not doing that she's living her best life making mad cash in Australia waiting to get back to Europe to do it all over again. Guiding people around Europe like a boss is one of the many reasons shes got this months WWW title!
Alright girl, tell all these wanderers about yourself…
Hiyaaaaa!
I’m Casey Edmonds, I am 24 yrs old from Perth Western Australia.
What is something people might be surprised to learn about you?
This one is hard because I think I am super transparent and so open that not much surprises people about me haha! I really wish I had something cool to say but I’m really not mysterious at all. A lot of people are surprised by my age, Not sure if I’m
Just aging poorly or if people are surprised by my accomplishments at my age?
Did you always want to travel/what made you start?
I’ll be real with you! I was sooo naive to the world when I was younger. I’m not sure if it’s because geography and history weren’t a mandatory subject at my school or what but my interest in travel came when I was about 17 and my older sister went on her first big Europe trip. I just wanted to be like her and copy everything she did Haha. When I was 19 I was at the shops with my sister talking about maybe one day doing a trip like hers and she convinced me to go into a travel agent….. 2 hours later it was booked and well it escalated quickly.
How do you decide where to travel to?
I am super passionate about history especially European so that has fueled a lot of my travel and also I have a bucket list. At the moment I am obsessed with country counting so I’m always up for a new country to add.
What is your travel style?
I'm not sure I have one … I’ll try anything. I like to travel with friends but have no problem going on my own. I guess I’m not a camper really but hey I did it in Africa so I feel like I can do anything now.
Top 3 bucket list places you’d love to visit?
At the moment...
Glass igloo in Finland ( booked for my 25th Birthday!!)
Machu Picchu!
Antartica
You're from Australia, but spend your summers gallivanting around Europe - how do you do that?
I am a European Trip Leader, So my job is to guide groups of young adults around Europe and share my knowledge! Pretty amazing really. Which means my summers are fully booked with peak season summer travelers from all over the world. During Europe winter I sometimes go home… sometimes travel, it depends how I feel and what want in the moment!
Best advice for anyone considering going on a tour for the first time?
Be ready to make life long friends and don’t underestimate how close you’ll get! Also be realistic with the itinerary and accept that driving between cities does take time. Always try and book during a travel expo to get discounts ( more money for spending ). Oh! And always take vitamins so you don’t wear yourself out.
Since you work for a an award winning tour company, what do you prefer solo or group travel & why? It really depends where I’m going and if I’m confident with the country or not. I am super confident with travelling alone I usually do however sometimes it’s nice to do a tour and just have everything done for you ! Especially considering usually it’s me organizing everyone else haha.
Best & worst travel moment?
BEST?! Woah haha I have so many. A stand out would have to be hiking Petra to get the best view of The treasury, I made a point of stopping at the top putting my phone away taking a deep breathe and say to myself ‘ I want to remember this moment forever’ while I looked out onto the amazing view.
Worst… haha well…
Travel does not come without its hiccups that’s for sure. One of the scariest was going into anaphylactic shock after eating nuts in the Medina in Marrakech. I had no epipen or tablets and I started coughing up blood…. At this point I had no choice but to trust a local that offered me a lift to the doctors on his moped! I was scared on sooo many levels but lucky for me the human race showed it’s good side that day and he got me back safe.
Famous Last words for all the wanderers out there...
Take the leap! Take a chance!
We live in an age if you try something and you don’t like it you can always go home. Don’t live in fear of your dreams and stop being jealous of other travellers when you’re more than capable of turning that envy into inspiration.
Don't miss out on anything Casey is up to, whether it's fishing out in Oz with her hilarious Dad or traveling through Europe with a kick ass group. You can see everything she's up to on Instagram by following her on @caseispacked <3
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