After running Polkadot Passport for almost a year now (has time really gone that fast?!), I thought it was about time to get a little personal.Yep, I put the call out to send in all the questions you’ve been wanting to ask. A big thank you to everyone who sent one in! FINALLY, you can peer in to what life is like as part-time travel blogger, part-time university student (first myth busted- I don’t actually travel all the time! If only…).

How do you afford to travel?

This is by far the question I get asked the most by people! I really do wish there was more of a secret to it, some sort of magic formula where I could click my heels three times and end up in Scotland. Truth being, affording to travel really just requires a whole lot of sacrifices and a whole lot of devotion. Saving up for my past two major overseas trips both required half a year of savings, working two jobs and running my photography business on top of that. It also meant sacrificing spending money during this time on cute dresses, concerts, eating out… Yep, even buying that delicious soy cappuccino every morning. It is so possible to save up to travel if you put your mind to it, but you do need to budget and allow yourself enough time to save. Making moolah doesn’t happen overnight.

Now, having said all this, I am SO blessed to be going on my first paid trip to the USA to take photos for a tour company in June. It just goes to show you never know where travel could take you- I can honestly say I never thought my dreams of being paid to travel and taking photos would become a reality, and now they have! If you are willing to do the hard yards and make the initial sacrifices, before you know it you’ll be drinking Mojitos in Barcelona and you’ll realize it was ALL worth it.

If you could move anywhere in the world where would it be?

Budapest. Hands down. In all my travels, I had never been to a city in another country where I could really, like REALLY imagine myself living. And then I arrived in Budapest, and the moment I got there I could just see it happening. I fell in love with the place. It’s just such a hip, friendly and livable city. Having said that… I only moved to Sydney a few weeks ago, and I’m pretty stoked to be living here! It’s been a dream of mine since I first visited when I was young. So I think I’ll have to settle here for a few years at least. Well, that’s what I say anyway… Itchy feet is a serious and incurable disease.

How often do you travel?

Probably not quite as much as it looks like! Basically, over the past two years, I’ve gone on two major overseas trips (not including the many times I’ve gone between Australia and New Zealand).The first trip was to Europe for four months and the second an Around the World mission trip lasting five months, visiting seven different countries in this time. Some people see my travel posts and think I’m constantly on the road… As much as I wish that was true, when I’m not traveling, I’m procrasti… I mean, I’m posting content from my previous travels. At the moment I’m studying graphic design at university which means cramming all my travels in to my uni breaks, which is about all that keeps me sane during term time!

If you could volunteer anywhere, what type of organization would you volunteer with?

I would most like to volunteer with an organization that targets sex trafficking. I think it goes without saying that this is such a massive injustice that is overtaking our world, and something I personally feel so strongly about seeing an end to. I think it is easy to shy away from problems like this that seem too big to make any impact. But there are so many great organizations out there that are REALLY making breakthrough, some of which I’ve got to work with firsthand in a short term context. One day I would really like to work more closely with one of these organizations and be an active part of the impact they are making.

Who takes the photos you are in?

I’ve actually hired a magical unicorn full-time now to take my photos. No, all my photos are just taken by the people around me! A lot of the time I’m traveling or exploring a place with a friend or in a group situation, so I will generally set up the framing and settings on the camera and then just hand it over for someone else to snap the shot. Occasionally, I’ll use a tripod or find something makeshift to act as one and then use the self-timer feature. Watch this space… I’m going to be doing a post about taking photos as a solo traveler very soon!

Who is your biggest travel inspiration?

I think the first blogger who REALLY inspired me to travel was Jessica Stein from Tuula Vintage. Here is a girl who started as a little blog to share with her family and friends on a trip around Europe, and is now a massive name in the travel/ fashion world! Her photos are all so perfectly crafted and they tell such beautiful stories about her travels.  From reading her blog, I fell in love with the idea of sharing my travel stories with the world through photographs. It’s bloggers like her who have prompted me to try and make something more of my little travel blog!

How did you come up with the name Polkadot Passport?

Last year I had a really boring job which involved a lot of sitting around. I remember spending 10 hours one day at work brainstorming ideas for my travel blog, I was totally stumped! As soon as I had written down the name Polkadot Passport, I couldn’t get away from it. I’ve always had a bit of a polka dot obsession and my mum had just bought me a polka dot passport holder, so it really did seem to be the perfect fit.  Oh, and the OCD in me loved the fact the word polkadot and passport start and finish with the same letters…

And the final question, just for the LOL’s:

Are you afraid you’ll get killed if you stay in a hostel?

I tend to avoid watching horror movies that include these type of scenarios so the thought has never crossed my mind… But now you’ve brought it up, I shall never stay in a hostel again…

If you have any other questions you’re dying to hear the answer to, comment below or email me at [email protected]! I love hearing from you all.

Till next time!

N x

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