In this blog I answer a few questions that might help you get to know me, Rose, the face behind rosesworldtravels. I answer questions like, which countries are at the top of my bucketlist, why I've started blogging and what's my top memory of travel from 2022.
Which countries are at the top of my bucket list to visit:
I feel like I've still only scratched the surface of travelling (having been to 12 countries so far) and my list of places I’d like to go is only getting longer! However, I’d say my top 5 new countries that I’d like to visit, in no particular order, would be: New Zealand, Indonesia, Mexico, Italy and…I’ll squeeze Thailand onto that list as well (closely followed by India, just to cheekily add a 6th onto that list). Exploring Scandinavia is also a dream of mine….the list could go on and on!
Of course I love exploring new places and there’s nothing like the feeling of arriving in a brand new country and being ready and raring to dive into the culture, cuisine and livelihood. BUT, some countries you can only ever just scratch the surface on and it would be incredible to revisit some places I’ve already been. For example, I’ve been to Canada on 3 separate trips accounting to about 16 months of time spent there, and there is still so much to explore! The same goes for my visits to the US, having touched foot in 5 different states it would be amazing to road trip and tick off some more bucket list adventures across the country!
What countries do I recommend for first time travellers:
My first immediate thought is Canada. Although the country is huge, second largest in the world, try not to see this as an intimidating thing. The country is super well-equipped for travelers, whether you’re a budget backpacker like me, or you’ve got a higher budget, there’s so many options out there. There’s accommodation and transport options everywhere - from the built up cities to the small villages that seem out of reach to travellers. The country also caters to every part of your trip and interests, whether you enjoy climbing up mountains, swimming in lakes, sipping wine in local wineries or exploring city life, this country really has it all. I’ll also add that the stereotype is true - Canadians are lovely people, friendly, helpful and so willing to help! Canada was the first I travelled to as a solo female backpacker and I felt so safe and welcomed that I really recommend it to everyone!
Another option for the first place to go if you’re new to travelling, is your own back garden. Not literally of course, but exploring your home country is probably one of the best ways to start. I know that I have barely touched most of England, let alone the UK, and there’s so much to see and do on our little island that I would love to explore it some more. There’s so many benefits to travelling in your own country that eliminate so many things that a first time traveller could worry about: for example, you won’t have to worry about changing currency or setting up an international bank card, you’ll (most likely) already speak the same language and you won’t need to get a new phone plan or data package. There’s no pressure on a first time traveller to go far and wide or jet set across to the other side of the world; you’ll find so many amazing adventures right outside your home!
How do I fund my travels:
Savings. Is the long and short of it. I’m lucky to have had a job in hospitality, pretty much consistently, since the age of 16 and have always put every spare penny aside into a ‘travel fund’. I always knew that after university travelling was what I wanted to do and always prioritised my future goals when those paychecks hit my bank account each month.
I graduated university in June 2020 (right at the start of the COVID-19 chaos), and there wasn’t a whole lot of travelling that was ‘allowed’ to be done back then. After uni, and in between various UK lockdowns, I worked full-time in hospitality, saving as much as I could, and living at home with my parents to help save money on rent. When things started to loosen a bit I began to take smaller trips around the UK and mainland Europe but could feel myself itching to pack my bags and get going on a longer trip. In December 2021 I handed in my letter of resignation and New Year’s Eve was my last shift at that job. At the time of the covid lockdowns I remember being incredibly frustrated by the government rules that kept me locked down for so long, but I now appreciate it so much because I was able to start my travels with nearly 2 years of savings behind me and I know that I am lucky to have had that time.
Why have I started blogging:
Simply, to document what I get up to and where I go. Blogging is an amazing tool for storytelling, maintaining a visual diary and keeping friends and family up to date on your latest adventure. I aim to use this platform to share my travel stories, as well as to inform and help other travellers out there in whatever way I can.
My top memory from 2022:
I am writing the answer to this as my first full year of travel comes to a close and I have packed so much into that time. Whilst I have travelled slowly and only explored 3 countries in this time - none of these were new to me - I have so many fond memories to look back on that but I have one that stands out in my mind when I answer this question:
My number 1 has to be from the middle of summer, an incredible sunset from my local beach in Kelowna, British Columbia (Canada). It was one of those sunsets that makes everyone get their camera out and start snapping, but one that the pixels in your phone would never really capture the magic of.
I had gone with some friends to the beach that was only a 5 minute walk from our hostel to enjoy an evening of music; the city was putting on live music and events across the summer to encourage the community to enjoy their local outdoor spaces. By the time the sun began to set most of my friends had left the beach and gone back to the hostel to party and it was just myself and my boyfriend left out (the park and beach were still busy as the music event was still in full swing). The sky just lit up - I'd never seen anything like it - the sky went every colour of the rainbow and it just kept on going and going. I'm sure that an incredible and colourful sunset is something that a whole lot of people have experienced at one point or another, but this one will always be printed in my memory.
We enjoyed the moment, watching as the sky conducted one magical mark after another. The sky was cloudy and stormy and a lightning storm soon lit up across the mountains on the other side of the lake. We watched as people eagerly took photos of the colours (we of course took many of our own) and we enjoyed the music and dancing with our feet in the sand as the sky started to go dark and the beach began to empty.
If you have any other questions or anything you’d like to hear about from me, please get in touch!
