Meet the Nomads: Lily Leung

Another blog that I’m following is Explore for a Year written by Lily Leung. like most of the bloggers that I’m following, Lily left her job to pursue something more fulfilling for her… travelling and establishing sources of passive income.

Lily does not just blog about places that she goes to but as well as motivational pieces that will surely inspire readers like us.

Get to know more about Lily and follow her adventures at Explore for a Year.

Here’s my short interview with Lily.

How did you discover your passion for travelling?

“I used to associate travel with resorts, cruises and visiting museums in big cities but after one week at a resort for my university graduation trip, I was bored to tears and started wondering if there was more to travel.

A year later, I discovered Gap Adventures, a small group adventure tour company. They had itineraries through every continent with activities from jungle home-stays in the Amazon, trekking mountains in Peru, safaris in Africa and biking through rice fields in Asia. Before seeing these trips, I always thought these types remote places were only accessible to photographers, writers or researchers.

I ended up taking a trip with Gap Adventures to Ecuador which included a home stay in the Amazon jungle, staying in a 500 year old hacienda, visiting non-profit projects and more. That travel experience changed the way explored the world.”

What’s the most horrible experience that you’ve had on the road?

“My scariest experience was being in a lost cab in the middle of the night in Delhi, India.

On the first night of my current round-the-world trip, which was also the first time I’ve travelled alone, I arrived at 3am in New Delhi, India. My hotel was supposed to pick me up but they didn’t show and I had to take a taxi. The drive was supposed to be 45 minutes but it turned into 1.5 hours as we drove through pitch black alleys and passed people sleeping on the street on their vendor carts. I had no idea where I was and I held-on to my cell phone for dear life and hoped the driver was genuinely lost and that I wouldn’t have to resort to making an emergency call on my very first night of my travels.

It turned out the cab driver really was lost and eventually he did find the hotel and he wasn’t trying to kidnap me after all. I was so relieved.”

What’s the best travel experience that you’ve ever had?

“My most memorable travel experience was at one of the Angkor Wat temples in Cambodia.

There were no tourists and I was walking across a huge stone bridge to one of the smaller temples of the Angkor Wat complex called Banteay Srei. I was suddenly surrounded by a group of butterflies and I just stood still. I felt the warmth of the sun on my face and heard birds singing in the background. It was like time stood still and I was in a different world.”

What’s the biggest realization that you’ve got out of travelling?

“When I started my trip, I was afraid I’d be lonely and sad from travelling solo and spending holidays like Christmas, New Years, Valentine’s Day away from home.

However, on the actual days, I didn’t feel lonely at all. I’ve realized that I feel quite whole just by myself, which is a very empowering feeling.”

What keeps you going? What keeps you motivated?

“I love read travel blogs, best-of travel lists and looking at travel photography blogs. Seeing the journeys of other travellers always inspire me to be curious about what they’ve experienced and where they’ve been.

When I feel like I need to recharge, I take “untravel” days as a vacation from travel. I stay in one spot and spend my time giving myself experiences that I find comforting like drinking Starbucks, watching movies and eating popcorn, window-shopping or hanging out indoors with my MacBook and catching up on TV shows or TED Talks.”

This is a silly and hypothetical one. If you would be given a chance to travel with a popular person or a celebrity, who would it be and why?

“I’d love to travel with a photographer to watch the process they go through to capture their beautiful photographs, like where they’re standing, how they frame the shot, their out-takes and how they do the post-processing. I actually had the privilege of travelling with a professional photographer recently and my photos underwent noticeable improvement after travelling him for two months.”

Where’s your favourite place in this planet and why?

“A quiet room with a comfortable bed with a fluffy blanket would be the perfect place to end a day of travel. I love finding calmness before I fall asleep. It makes for a great night of sleep and helps me wake up feeling refreshed again the next day.”

What’s your best tip for newbie traveller?

“Treat travel as just living life instead of being on vacation. Sometimes we expect everything will suddenly become perfect because we’re on vacation and throw tantrums when things don’t go as expected. Travelling is living life but in a new environment. Smile, be grateful and appreciate every moment.”

What’s the funniest and silliest thing you’ve ever done while travelling?

“I’ve locked myself out of my room and/or security locker multiple times. I think this is a relatively common occurrence among travellers though. The most recent incident was in Perugia, Italy. The 60 year old man who was working in the guesthouse just shook his head and said “it’s not the first and it won’t be the last.” What a wise man.”

What do you think about yourself?

“I think I’m lucky and feel grateful to have the opportunity to explore the world. My friends, family, colleagues and even kind strangers that I don’t know have all played a part in making this journey a reality.”

“Explore for a Year is a blog about leaving my corporate job and travelling around the world, along with practical tips and resources to help others take extended time off.” – Lily Leung

Editor’s Note: All pics are provided by Lily.

Next: Kristina Wegscheider of DIWYY. Previously: Grace Cecilio of Pinay On the Move. For more interviews with travel bloggers, check out the archives of Meet the Nomads.