We’re excited to have Kate from Kate Abroad tackle our Five Travel Questions! Find out why she loved her time in Israel and where she flew in a helicopter over!
Why do you love travel?
I love new experiences and being pushed out of my comfort zone. I’ve always been that person who is excited by trying the new food or new challenge and travel offers so many opportunities to have those experiences.
Growing up in New Zealand, you can feel a long way away from the rest of the world so travel for me has been the best way to really get out there’d broaden my horizons beyond the South Pacific.
I studied languages and International relations at university and that also motivated met to travel more and build my firsthand knowledge of global relationships and get some use out of my language lessons.
What destination is top of your bucket list?
Definitely India! I had a month-long backpacking trip planned before COVID hit and I’m still hoping to take that trip at some point. It’s such a huge place with so much geographic and cultural diversity that I need a lot of time to really experience India.
Other places on my (very long) list include Italy and France. My boyfriend hasn’t been to Europe yet so I’d like to go back with him and revisit some of my favourite spots from previous trips.
Where is your most favourite place you have travelled to?
My favourite place has to be Israel. I learned so much from visiting, about the history of the region and the different people and cultures. The contrasts in Israeli were incredible, in Tel Aviv I went running along the beach and could have been in Miami, it was like so many other beachside cities around the world but at the end of the beach was the old port of Jaffa which is nearly four thousand years old and then just one block off the beachside promenade is the vibrant Carmel Market where you’re fully immersed in the smells and sounds of the Middle East.
What is your most favourite memory or experience whilst travelling?
When I was 21, I travelled to Iceland on my own in January, the middle of winter. It was dark for nearly 20 hours a day, absolutely freezing and there was almost no tourists around. It was the loneliest I’ve ever felt while travelling and at the same time I was as far as I could possibly get from home, geographically speaking. Overcoming that was a big challenge but I was able to have an incredible experience of Iceland without the crowds and with the snow and low light it was truly magical.
What is your favourite photo from your travels?
This photo is from the bottom of the Grand Canyon in the USA. It was such a special experience flying over the Las Vegas strip and Hoover Dam and into the Canyon. Most of my travel is very budget style but this was an experience I really splashed out on and it was worth every minute. When else do you get to have a picnic breakfast actually in the Grand Canyon.
Follow Kate’s travels on her blog and @kateabroadblog on Instagram!
