Meet the Nomads – Emma Spires of Backpacking Spirit

Backpacking Spirit is a travel blog and a travel resource website rolled into one. This website is created by Emma Spires who intend to help would be travelers plan, organize and make their dream trip come true. Backpacking Spirit definitely needs to be bookmarked as it contains so many helpful articles about travel gears, inspirational stories, insightful interviews and much more.

Emma is a long term backpacker who has traveled extensively around the world. Her first trip overseas happened when she was only 17 years old when she signed up to volunteer in Ghana. Learn more about Emma and visit her at .

But before you leave this page, check out my short interview with Emma.

How did you discover your passion for travelling?

“I discovered my passion for travelling from wanting to volunteer. I remember a volunteering company came in to do a presentation in my high school and discussed the various projects on offer; before I knew it, I was signing myself up to a project in Ghana and was at the airport, by myself, with my parents waving me off and thinking – oh shit, what am I doing….

As it turned out, it was some of the best few months of my life; a new culture, new people and new experiences. I was sold on a life of travel at 17 years old.”

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

“Life on the road is full of unexpected bumps. One such bump occurred when a group of friends and I were doing a road trip in Western Australia and we had a car crash; it was one of the scariest experiences of my life feeling the camper van veer uncontrollably off the road, knowing you can’t do anything about it, waiting for the impact. Miraculously, we only came out with cuts and bruises but walking out of that camper van I have never felt so thankful to be alive. We carried on our road trip despite what had happened and it made the experiences so much sweeter.

Ironically, the place the accident happened was called… Lucky Bay.”

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

“You know what? It would be impossible for me to list one, so I’m going to cheat and name a few:

• Walking with lions in South Africa (yes literally, and boy it was pretty scary!)
• Finding my perfect piece of paradise in Zanzibar
• Watching a glowing red sun set over emerald green grass in the Serengeti
• Making friends with Massai tribesmen on the side of the road & teaching them a card game, in Tanzania, when our car broke down…
• Seeing San Pedro prison in La Paz, Bolivia with my own eyes after being infatuated with reading about Thomas McFadden’s time spent there in Marching Powder (a highly recommended book, by the way!)
• Getting up at 6:00am on a clear, crisp morning in Moshi to see Mount Kilimanjaro
• Bare back horse-riding along the beach in Bali
• Climbing to the top of Wine Picchu, and overlooking the Machu Picchu”

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

“How not travelling really is like only reading one page of a book – the world is so vast that by not seeing it you will have such a narrow depiction of life.”

What keeps you going? What keeps you motivated?

“What keeps me going is my aim to see as many countries as I can in my lifetime, and knowing that I have to achieve this, at whatever cost. Failure is not an option!”

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 would choose the Dalai Lama – imagine all that philosophical advice and inspiration you would get!”

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

“As before, I am not sure that I could pick just one place…! Among my favorite places to travel is definitely Africa; of course there are some very popular African destinations but on the whole I have found it be much less “touristy” that other backpacking haunts such as how SE Asia has become. Therefore, it has this essence of authenticity, of wholeness and earthiness. They say Africa gets into your blood… well, it definitely got into mine!”

What’s your best tip for the newbie traveler?

“To keep your plans as open as possible. I’ve traveled in many different ways – from one way tickets to the other side of the road, to structured flight itineraries, and from my experience, it’s much more enjoyable to travel from place to place as and when it pleases you. You never know how long or how short a time you will want in each place.”

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

“A funny memory is the time I worked on a farm in Australia, and we were spraying weed killer over a field. Four girls and I had to wear these huge, oversize costumes to protect our skin, they looked like space outfits; every time we caught a glimpse of each other we had to laugh!”

What do you think about yourself?

“I am a person who is chasing a life less ordinary; I whole heatedly reject routine and a “9-5” lifestyle. I am also a person who cannot seem to stay in one place for too long!”

:My website Backpacking-Spirit provides travelers with first-rate travel tips, advice and inspiration; it is also a place where you can find reviews and recommendations for backpacking supplies, packing check lists, and backpacking stories from travelers around the world. My site Backpacking Spirit Blog is a site that follows my journey as I backpack every continent in the world; the highs, the lows, and everything in between!” – Emma Spires

Photo Credits: All pictures are provided by Emma.

Next: Ian Yacobucci of Borderless Travels Previously: Justin Carmack of True Nomads For more interviews with travel bloggers, check out the archives of Meet the Nomads.