Interview with one of Ireland's Best Travel Bloggers: Travelorlabout

Hello lovelies!

Today I'm changing things up a bit on the blog. I had the chance to interview the gorgeous Orla from Travelorlabout. Her blog is all about her travel experiences and my god is it travel goals! So today I'm sharing all the tips she has for travel whilst also touching on the crazy situations she has been in, I couldn't believe just how crazy they were! hahaha

Q1. Tell us how you got into blogging and how you got the idea of writing your travel experiences?

I have always been quite a sentimental person and kept travel journals throughout my five years of
travels. When blogging came on the scene I said I would love to start a blog but only built up the
confidence to start a site on Blogger last July. Last month I revamped my website and the content over on WordPress. You can check out my site here www.travelorlabout.com I guess the idea of writing about my travel experiences came about when people started to ask me regularly for travel tips and to plan itineraries for them.

Q2. How many Countries have you visited and out of those how many have you lived in?

I have only been to 24 countries out of 197 so I have a long way to go but I am determined to see as
many as I possibly can(is it too ambitious to say I want to see them all?). Instead of just hopping from
one country to another I have spent lots of time travelling extensively around the same country. I
have seen nearly all of Australia and Thailand and between both countries I lived in them for three
years. Out of the 24 countries I have lived in five countries- Greece, UK, Austria, Australia and
Thailand.

Q3. Which culture and society do you love the most out of all the countries you have lived in?

I think the country that gave me the biggest culture shock and the culture I enjoyed learning about the
most was Thailand. Every morning at school I would have to greet fellow colleagues with “Sawadee
Ka” and Wai them (put your palms together and do a slight bow). Even getting into the routine of
removing my shoes before entering the classroom or anyone’s home took a little adjusting to. There is
a celebration day In Thailand called Wai Khru day where students pay respects to their teachers. The
students crawl on their knees up to the teachers and present them with flower arrangements. This
was such an eye opening experience for me. I feel the culture I adjusted to most easily was Australia’s culture as it is somewhat like home from home (just with better weather and wages haha).

Q4. Would you prefer that culture and society more to Irelands’? (Pros/cons for both?)

Strangely I probably did prefer Thailand’s culture to Ireland’s. You just have this sense of freedom
living in Thailand driving round on a motorbike with no license and not a care in the world. I could
never have lived in Thailand long term but it’s definitely an experience to try once in your life. People in Thailand are so carefree. It’s so refreshing.

Q5. What is your favourite thing about Ireland?

It is definitely the people and how we truly are the friendliest bunch. No country knows hospitality
like Ireland does and even when travelling Irish people are each other’s back bone. I also love the
incredible Irish scenery and of course the food. My least favourite thing would be our drinking culture.
I never have quite understood the 9-5, living for the weekend to drink from Friday to Sunday
lifestyle(now don’t get me wrong I love a good session especially where is an event or occasion but
not every single weekend) Oh and the weather(I like a hot climate and Ireland certainly doesn’t cut it
on that front).

Q6. Have you any Travel plans up your sleeve?

Always. I am off to Morocco with some friends in a few days. I am super excited as it’s a country I
always wanted to see. In November I am taking my mom to Lisbon and Amsterdam (be funny to see
her face as we stroll down the red light district haha)

Q7. If you could travel in either Europe or Asia for a year which would you choose and why?

Having travelled extensively in both places, I would choose Europe. While Asia is amazing and a
cheaper travelling option, it’s been so overdone by backpackers at this stage. Each country in Europe
is so versatile and different from the next with climate, history, and culture. There are so many unique
places to see in Europe.

Q8. I read in a recent article about how you funded your travels by getting the most amazing jobs, how did you find these jobs and have you any tips for aspiring travellers on funding trips?

Yes INSIDER travel recently featured my travel story on how I have found jobs around the world. You can read it here. A lot of the jobs I worked around the world were a trial and error to see if I liked
them as potential careers because I find it baffling that we have to choose a course at 18 and know
what to do with the rest of our lives. The best way I feel is to go out, gain the experience and try
different jobs and that is exactly what I did. I applied for jobs I had little to no experience in and just
demonstrated a willingness to learn and great attitude during interviews. For anybody wanting to
travel long term to different countries the best thing you can do is get a TEFL qualification. I got mine online and with that certificate I can teach English in almost any country in the world.

Q9. Did you ever get into crazy situations whilst travelling?

I have found myself in quite a few being the divil that I am. In Koh Phangnan we were staying in what I can only describe as a shack on top of a mountain. Massive geckos would be crawling all over our skin at night as there was massive cracks in the walls so we decided to flea one night (without paying) with massive 40kg bags down an unlit mountain. We got chased by a bunch of street dogs and I landed myself the classic “Thailand scar” from attempting to jump a rusted gate to avoid them.
In Abu Dhabi I had quite a weird and scary experience where my taxi driver told me a bunch of guys
had been offering him money in order to “buy me off him”. I could see them outside of the car in a
massive heated confrontation. This was also my first solo trip but Luckily the taxi man had kids of his
own and knew better to let that happen. There are some bad people in the world but there are so many good people too.

Q10. Who is your favourite travel companion? Or do you prefer travelling solo?

That is such a toughie because I can’t just pick one person. I love travelling with my brother and his
fiancé, I have been on nearly all of their travels with them ..They are mad. I do prefer to travel with
someone if the opportunity arises but I have no problem in heading off to do a solo trip either.

Q11. If you could chose 5 beauty products for travelling what would they be?

-Cocoa Brown tan is my god send. I don’t tan unfortunately so that keeps me from standing out like a
pasty milk bottle when I am abroad.

- My curling wand. I am all about beachy wavy hair and my wand lets me achieve that straight from
the beach look daily.

-Primer is my go to in a hot country to help keep my makeup from slipping off my face in the humidity

-Lipstick, I never leave the house without it travelling or not.

-Benefit They’re Real mascara. It gives you lashes for days. I have had three of these mascaras taken
out of my makeup bag in hostels. It’s that good!

Q12. Any tips on packing for long trips?

Long trips mean you need to pack versatile and lightweight items. I have become a very nifty packer
over the years so I will choose outfits that are ideal for the beach but can also work for nighttime.
Pack items that mix and match well in a number of varieties. I always pack a few staple pieces and use accessories to change up the looks of different outfits. Packing cubes are also great to fit in more and create extra space. I now tend to pack less and buy clothes in the country I’m visiting, that way when you come home no one else will be wearing the same as you.

Q13. Have you learned any languages whilst travelling?

I have about 10 words of Thai vocab. Mia Ped (not spicy) I used that word every day for a whole year.
Currently I am learning Spanish and I hope to spend a month in Argentina speaking the language with locals someday.

Q14. What was the most amazing moment you experienced while travelling?

Too many but some of my highlights are diving the Great Barrier Reef, going on the fastest roller-
coaster in the world in Abu Dhabi, getting to work at the Grand Prix in Melbourne, getting my first
travel article published in an expat lifestyle magazine in Thailand and driving round Monte Carlo in a
Ferrari.

Q15. Have you any advice for people who want to travel but feel like they have too many commitments?(E.g. work, college.)

I am a firm believer in there is no time like the present. There will always be some commitments so I
feel you just need to get up and go. Don’t wait for anyone’s approval or for a friend to say they will
come along. Book your ticket that is the first step in the adventure.

Q16. Where do you see yourself in 5 years time? And what do you hope to have accomplished in those 5 years?

Great Question. I have high hopes and ambitions for myself but definitely in 5 years’ time I will have
lots of more countries ticked off my list. I would also like to do some volunteer work and be fully
fluent in Spanish. Work wise by then I am hoping to be well established in destination marketing/
travel PR. Ideally I would like to be location independent one day so I can travel as much as I want. In five years’ time I will be 31 so hopefully have a partner who has the same travel urge as me.

Follow my travels www.travelorlabout.com

Connect with me via Facebook, Instagram and Twitter or drop me a mail orla@travelorlabout.com