Do I travel to expand my mind, my heart, my Facebook photo albums or my bragging rights? Do I look to relax, learn about different cultures or get the adrenaline flowing? Reflecting on what type of traveller I am is important, especially as I am going to be entering the tourism industry. Having an understanding of what I look for and what I enjoy when I travel will allow me to better understand the wants and needs of other travellers.
A great way to start to answer these questions is to peel back what makes me me. I was born in London, England in 1998 but I moved to Canada when I was nine. It was this move that first ignited my interest in travel. Up until I graduated high school in 2016, I lived in the Lower Mainland of Vancouver. My family always spent a lot of time exploring, whether it was hiking in our local mountains, going to concerts or visiting food/drink markets. After moving to Canada, I was lucky enough to grow up surrounded by lots of forests, oceans and mountains and I was taught to never take them for granted. It’s these things that make me most happy and so I often seek them out in the destinations I travel to and the places I live. This was true for when I moved to Kamloops in 2017 to attend TRU, as well as when I moved to Calgary and the Rocky Mountains a couple of years ago.
In terms of demographic information, I am a 22-year-old caucasian woman. Despite falling into the Generation Z category I grew up mostly without technology which I am appreciative of. Currently, I am still a student completing my bachelor’s degree at TRU but I also work part-time as a destination marketer. I hope to complete a master’s one day as I love learning but in the meantime, I will be living and working with my partner in Alberta. We like to either travel together as a couple, go on solo adventures or participate in group trips with friends.
On the Canadian Explorer Quotient, I am considered a Cultural Explorer. This means that I look to deeply immerse myself in the entire culture and landscape of a place. For more information about the Canadian Explorer Quotient and it’s profiles follow this link.
I’m very open-minded about the activities I participate in and the places I go to. However, when I’m there I enjoy having the freedom to do whatever I like and at a relaxed pace. I never plan my timelines or schedules very precisely but I usually have a list of the top few things that I would like to do or see. Typically, I move from place to place slowly and seek out the hidden, less well-known treasures. My physical interests involve hiking, snowboarding, biking and surfing, while my cultural interests involve live music and local food, beer and wine. Generally, I gravitate towards opportunities where I can experience at least one of these interests, however, I am also open to doing things out of my ordinary. Anything where I get to interact with locals or learn something, I love. For the most part, I would prefer to be outside though so I am usually only interested in galleries and museums if the weather is terrible or if there is a really interesting exhibit. One of my favourite things to do when I am in a new city is to reserve an entire day to do a solo walking tour or a guided walking tour if they offer one. I always find that I discover so much more when I am on foot. If I’m not in a city, I am always up for a lazy, beach day or mountain top exploration.
An aspect of myself that I am most proud of is that I never take travelling for granted and am always optimistic and enthusiastic even in stressful situations. I think this stems from my deep appreciation of my home country.
Below are some more photos of me being a cultural explorer in Europe, Canada and Southeast Asia:
