W e l c o m e , m y n a m e i s E m i l y
I've been travelling ever since I can remember. As a child I was lucky enough to live in different countries due to my parents work. This meant that I got a taste for travelling from a pretty young age. The first flight I boarded was to a country called Lesotho (it's a tiny country surrounded by South Africa). I was only a couple of months old and since then I've had to pleasure of visiting and living in a bunch of different countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, North America and Oceania.
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I am also studying Anthropology in London. I'm passionate about people and culture so this degree fits me perfectly as it literally means 'the study of humanity'. And it allows me to study different cultures and visit different countries. I'm currently writing my dissertation which involves research I conducted in Vanuatu (a pacific island).
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Through this blog I hope I can inspire you to get out of your comfort zone and to go and see the world! I write about my experiences - good and bad, my tips and tricks about how to travel on a budget and advice on where to go and what to do! I also try and write about the culture of different places as I feel it's so important to get a real sense of the country you are visiting so you can experience it like a local, respecting its values and beliefs, instead of entering like a classic tourist!
C u r r e n t l y i n London , E n g l a n d
M y e x p e r i e n c e s s o f a r ...
So my family are originally from the UK but as I mentioned briefly before, I grew up in a few different places. I lived in Lesotho when I was a baby. Then I grew up in Barbados (in the Caribbean), Brussels (in Belgium, Europe) and in Dar es Salam (Tanzania, East Africa). This unique upbringing meant that I had a very different view of the world compared to my fellow class mates at primary school. I'm very thankful to my parents for that! Because of this I very quickly grew a passion to fight against poverty and inequalities in the world and to travel.
After moving to the UK in 2007, I took the first chance I got to go back to Africa. I was 16 when I went on a missions trip to Uganda. Then when I left school I returned to Lesotho to volunteer at an orphanage which used to be run by the neighbours we had in 1998.
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I've been inter-railing round Europe twice which brought my total number of European countries visited up to 21.
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During my university degree I had the opportunity to go and teach English in Cambodia. This is where my love for South East Asia began! And I managed to adventure round 5 other countries whilst I was there.
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Most recently I have just got back from living in New Zealand for 9 months. I was working with an organisation for my university placement and whilst I was there I managed to conduct research in Vanuatu. Unfortunately due to COVID-19 this research had to be done via online interviews and questionnaires. But as soon as borders open I would love to go visit this nation which I have learnt so much about!
W h y I l o v e c u l t u r e ...
'Culture is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behaviour and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups'.
- Edward Tylor (1871)
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One day at school in Tanzania we had an anthropologist come in to talk to us about the Maasai (a tribe who live in East Africa). I absolutely loved this day, we learnt about how they lived, what they wore, what they ate and what it would be like to live in this tribe as a young boy or girl. On the way home my Dad told me that I turned to him and said that one day I want to become an anthropologist.
I think I've always had a passion for people ever since I was young. I just love being relational and finding out what makes us who we are. Humans are so interesting and so different! And I love celebrating these differences and learning about the world from another persons perspective and seeing it through their eyes.
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When I travel to other countries I always read up about the culture as I think it's super important to respect others beliefs and values. It also gives you a more genuine feel for the place you are going to and broadens your worldview so that you're not experiencing things from an outsiders perspective but more like a local! I would strongly encourage anyone who wants to travel to embrace the culture you are experiencing and not to implement your own thoughts and ideas onto others!
