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, well most of my best friends are people I have met while living overseas & the number one thing we have in common is that we get it. Get what? This whole travel life. The coming & going frequently, the moving towns often & regularly. The fact that we will rarely live in the same place for long. And the feeling of saying goodbye/reuniting with each other. 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.
Cat & I connect on Instagram a while back because I was obsessed with her feed basically. She kept posting about Australia and I couldn’t even contain myself, and probably annoyed her to no end with all the liking I was doing. But hell, once you see her fed you’ll agree with me I’m sure! She’s living the dream in the land down under, and when I saw she had started her own blog, I knew I wanted to pick her brain & share some of her stories here. So here it is, this month’s WanderWoman is Cat!
You’re currently based in Oz, but originally from The UK, what prompted the move?
Just before Uni I did a working holiday visa in New Zealand and meant to go to Australia too. In the end I fell in love with NZ and said I'd come back for Aus another time. It got to the point where I was reaching the age where a WHV in Australia would no longer be possible, so I bit the bullet and made the move. I originally intended to stay a year or two max but here I am over four years later!
What is something people might be surprised to learn about you?
Hmm that's an interesting question. I'm part Danish but sadly don't speak the language and have actually never been. It's on the list though!
Did you always want to travel / what made you start?
I didn't always want to travel really. One night when I was 18, a friend at the time sent me a text saying let’s defer Uni for a year and go travelling together. That was it: seed planted. She didn't actually go in the end but I did and I'm always grateful for that random text!
What is your travel style & how do you decide where to go?
I used to always pick the cheapest countries possible so I could afford to stay for longer. Now I've been working a long time I tend to choose where I fancy at that moment. Lately that's been Australia and the South Pacific islands that are so exotic to me as a Londoner. I travelled solo first and later with friends and my sister. Lately I travel with my boyfriend. I'd say travel style is a mix of budget and luxury nowadays. I like to stay in really cheap places and then do a few luxury splurges each trip.
You’ve recently created your own blog, what was the motivation / idea behind it?
I'd been thinking about it for a while. I get lots of messages asking for tips for travel in Australia through my instagram account, and decided why not collate it all in a blog. it's mainly about Australian travel at the moment but it will expand with new trips next year.
What is something you wish you could share with your pre-travel life self?
Life won't be how you thought it would. You won't be married with kids and a house at 30 but you'll be cool with that. Embrace it and don't compare yourself to others.
Best & worst travel moment?
Best is really difficult as there are so many to choose but I'm going to choose when I went sky diving in NZ. It was the moment I realised that travelling solo had really changed me and I could do things I would have never thought possible a few months earlier. I knew then I was hooked on the way travel made me feel and my life would be different to the one I'd always imagined.
Worst is very easy. I went hiking (with guides) in the jungle in Nepal and we were attacked by three bears. I thought that we would die and that would be that. Despite surviving it's made me extremely wary of wild animals and hiking in remote places, two things I really love. I hope one day I can overcome that.
Top 3 bucket list places to visit?
Hiking in Patagonia
Seeing the gorillas in Uganda/Rwanda (if I can work up the courage!)
Seeing the northern lights anywhere but top would probably be Iceland.
What’s next for you / the blog?
I actually quit my job in Australia recently to travel full time again this year. Starting with walking all nine of the Great Walks of New Zealand (a promise I made myself when I left NZ all those years ago!). After that there is no set route yet which is pretty exciting!
Famous Last words for all the wanderers out there...
Don't go hiking in Chitwan National Park! Just kidding, don't compare your travels to anyone else's and definitely not to instagram. Your journey is unique. Hope I get to meet some of you on the road next year!
Cat has a serious eye for photography and a passion for exploring the World as much as she can! Her recent drone purchase will definitely get your wanderlust vibes going on to of her already awesome feed on her social channels. So be sure to follow along on her great big adventures on her channels below!
Instagram - @kittycatuk
Blog - www.walkmyworld.com.au
Facebook - @walkmw
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