Traveller of the Month: Jamie from Bristolian Abroad

Welcome to Traveller of the Month! Each month I’m featuring a fellow world traveller to learn more about their adventures, make connections across the blogging world and share their stories with you!

Without further ado, meet April’s Traveller of the Month: Jamie!

And if you missed last month’s, check it out here!

Who are you, where are you from and where are you now?

I’m Jamie, a traveller from Bristol, United Kingdom. I’ve been on the road for four years, starting my travels in March 2017. I’ve lived in both Australia & New Zealand for two years after six weeks in Thailand & Bali. This year I will hopefully be embarking on a solo journey across South East Asia, Coronavirus restrictions pending, of course.

What’s your travel story? How did you get into travel and what kind of travel are you doing now (or were you doing pre-pandemic)?

I’ve been in love with the idea of travel since I was a child, fantasizing about warmer climates, beautiful beaches & adventure. When I finished university, my wanderlust got the better of me & I booked a flight to Thailand, with the intention to move on to Australia for two years.

My travels started with a love story, where I met a beautiful girl in a hostel in Thailand. We travelled on to Bali, Australia & New Zealand together. We have some incredible memories together across three and a half years, but not all love stories have a happy ending. We split recently & I’m now officially a solo backpacker, which is what I initially set out to be! Every cloud has a silver lining & I find this so exciting! Solo travel is an amazing opportunity for me to grow as a person over the next year.

Being in New Zealand, I’ve had a relatively normal 2020. I started out working in Kaikoura for the Dolphin Encounter, where I got free tours to swim with the dolphins. I spent lockdown doing yoga in my back garden with my housemates, opposite Kaikoura’s beach. I’ve been incredibly fortunate during my time in New Zealand, hiking 2,200 steps up the stairway to heaven, taking a scenic flight over Mount Cook National Park, paragliding over the Diamond Lakes for my birthday & cruising through Milford Sound, New Zealand’s unofficial Eighth Wonder of the World. As the summer of 2020 in Kaikoura came to an end, I moved south to the beautiful town of Wanaka, where I’ve recently finished working my second ski season at Treble Cone.

I want to inspire other people to follow their dreams to travel. I just can’t imagine leading a happier life.

When did you start your blog and what sort of stories do you share there?

I started a blog the moment I got off the plane, documenting my first six weeks in Asia & well into my time in New Zealand. It was awful. I just wrote rubbish about what I did, but it was a start.

During lockdown, I started a new blog. I focused on building an aesthetic, professional-looking website & creating quality content that people actually want to read. It’s been a short journey so far, but it’s been really exciting. I’ve taken my passion for writing & travel and turned it into something more. I’m learning about SEO, social media, content creation, domain rating, Google Analytics and so much more.

I write about travel in Australia & New Zealand, providing handy guides for major destinations in each country, road trip itineraries and the best spots for budding photographers. I’m also hugely into sport & adventure. I have a sports series where I’m hoping to do as many sports around the world as possible & encourage others to get active themselves. I never want to have regrets about the opportunities I’ve missed.

What do you do when you’re not travelling or writing about travel?

Ummm…. planning my next adventure?

As I said, I’m quite an active person & I love to get involved in new sports. In 2020 alone I tried snowboarding, paragliding & disc golf. I also enjoy hiking the local kiwi mountains, admiring the amazing wildlife this country has to offer & relaxing at the lake. I’m also English, so you’ll generally catch me with a cup of tea/coffee in my hand. That sweet caffeine release!

What is your most unique travel moment?

I’m not sure how I managed to get so lucky, but being locked down in New Zealand has been the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Jacinda Ardern & the New Zealand government have done such an amazing job of containing the virus that New Zealand has been able to operate almost normally since April 2020.

It was April 2020 where my story takes place, less than a week after our lockdown ended. I had hired a paddleboard to stem the boredom of lockdown, not realising I wouldn’t be allowed to use it. God forbid I should be hundreds of metres away from anyone on the ocean, but I digress. Kaikoura is home to resident Dusky Dolphins, who spend a significant amount of time near the shore between April & May. I got the opportunity to paddleboard with these incredible animals & I have to say, it’s the best experience I’ve had in my four years of travelling.

The feeling was actually overwhelming as they surrounded me, putting on an acrobatic display of backflips. I think it’s the closest I’ve come to crying since leaving the UK. They would have been tears of pure joy.

What advice do you have for newbie travellers? Advice for aspiring travel bloggers?

The hardest thing you’ll ever have to do is book the flight. I booked my flight to Thailand knowing I was meeting a friend for two weeks to show me the ropes. Without that safety net, I might be stuck in Bristol sat at an office working a 9-5. The thought alone gives me nightmares. Just take the plunge & make the first move, even if it’s as small as paying for a visa to a new country. Once I had my visa for Australia paid for, everything became more real & as scary as it is, it’s the best decision I’ve ever made.

As for aspiring travel bloggers, take the time to educate yourself before you start! You can get a free trial of Skillshare for 30 days, which is honestly the best blogging resource I’ve come across. There are two series in particular that you should watch if you’re serious about starting a blog. Brad Merrill takes you on an extensive, all-inclusive blogging journey about his own trials & tribulations in the blogging world & you’ll learn all the most important tips on how to make yourself successful in the blogging world. Once you’re ready to set up your travel blog, Phil Ebiner has a WordPress for beginners series that is a must-watch if you want to create a professional blog! I couldn’t have created a website I’m so proud of without it.

Best food you’ve eaten on the road?

I’ve travelled predominantly vegan since watching a documentary called ‘What The Health?’ in November 2017 (ironically whilst working on a cattle farm). I’m not a strict or preachy vegan, I just like to think I’m doing something small to help the planet.

My favourite dish, however, has to be a beef massaman curry. If it’s cooked right, by an authentic Thai restaurant (no westernised crap) then it’s the best thing you could possibly eat. It’s slow-cooked to perfection & the beef just melts in your mouth, whilst the flavours are like nothing I’ve ever had.

I am hugely into food & if I make it to Mexico, I won’t be able to stop myself eating meat. I absolutely love Mexican food & I want to experience the flavours to the fullest. Same goes for Japan; I see you chicken katsu curry.

What’s one thing people don’t understand about travel blogging?

It’s a full-time job.

I don’t currently make money from my blog so it’s crazy that I put so many hours into it. I write two posts per week, promote them on social media, optimise the images & SEO for each post. I am trying to improve my domain authority, which means producing content regularly for other bloggers. I’m also a photographer & editor so I have the best quality images to entice people to read my story. There is so much work that goes into a travel blog. Not to mention working a real full-time job to support myself & then having to find time to travel, so I have something to create content about.

My social media engagement is nowhere near where I want it to be & it took me way too long to sort out a mailing list & strategy to entice subscribers. It’s a lot of fun producing content though & ultimately, that’s what it’s all about!

What destination are you nervous about visiting?

It’s not that I’m nervous about visiting South East Asia this year, but I’m nervous about visiting alone. I’ve always had someone with me when things have gone wrong. Always had someone to help me, book flights with me, make sure we have our tickets, passports & visas sorted. I’m going to have to be an adult & look after myself and that’s a really terrifying feeling, but I want to show my readers that it’s okay to feel vulnerable. I’m also going to have to go back to square one meeting people. When I left England I was full of life and excitement at 22. I’ve been so comfortable in a couple for almost four years & I’m going to have to get used to being alone again, which is also scary.

At the same time as being scared, I’m also incredibly excited. First-time solo travel is a journey I can go on with my readers. I’ll meet way more incredible people as a result of being alone & I’ll only grow in confidence as my trip continues. I’d love for you to be there with me as my journey unfolds & I’d love to help you with yours!

Which celebrity would you want to travel with and where would you go?

This one is easy for me. I’d choose David Attenborough all day long. I’m torn between destinations because there is so much I want to see & so much he could teach me. I know his favourite animals are gorillas & I’ve seen his passion for gorilla trekking. I think it would be incredible to be in this man’s presence at his most passionate. That being said, at his age it might just be fun to sit in a jeep together on an African safari whilst I just admire everything this iconic man has to say.

What experiences would you recommend people have in your home country?

Bristol Balloon Fiesta.

As a Bristolian, I’ve been going to the iconic Balloon Fiesta since I was a child, watching the balloons take off, the night glow as the balloons light up, the live music, fireworks & atmosphere. Not only is it an awesome experience, it’s amazing to have thousands of Bristolians together all at once. I miss that awful West Country accent.

It’s a dream of mine to work with the Balloon Fiesta to promote it & help put it on the map on an even bigger scale in future. If my blog becomes the platform I’m hoping it will, I’d love to be able to work on this project in my hometown. I’d probably even do it for free! I might regret writing that in future, but if I do, it means I’ve done something right.

Which other travellers, bloggers or writers inspire you?

Lots of people inspire me, but one person in particular that has stuck in my head for a long time is Travel Vlogger, Sawyer Hartman. The quality of his videos & photography are incredible, but he’s just such a genuinely nice guy.

I watched a video of his that really stuck with me. He was on holiday when his dog sadly passed away. This was a dog that was his only friend growing up. A dog that was bought for him as a present because he was being bullied.

For him to grow up & be successful is so well deserved for his hard work & amazing personality. That’s how you respond to bullying & get through a difficult period in your life.

Travelling has made me…

Travelling has made me extremely grateful for everything I have in my life. I’m a white, middle-class male with amazingly supportive parents. Whilst I’m not necessarily wealthy, I’ve had every advantage in life & I’m fully aware of it. 2020, in particular, made me realise how lucky travellers are to live the lives we do & I won’t take a single second of it for granted while it lasts.

There is so much injustice, prejudice & discrimination in the world; I’m not sure what I can possibly do to deserve the life I’ve had. If I could do anything to give back to the planet, my number one thing would be to help protect all the endangered animals in the world. I’d love to own a safari & just try to give the animals the best possible life in the wild away from humans and our greed, our constant strain on resources, landmass & ridiculous ‘luxuries’ like ivory.

I’m so grateful for everything I have. I know I’m incredibly lucky.

If you had to sum up your travel ethos in one word or phrase, what would it be?

My tag line is “Embrace Different.”

I think you grow so much as a person when you embrace other cultures, new foods, new people in your life. My number one ethos in life is to just never miss an opportunity. It might be scary at first, but I won’t look back on my life regretting doing a skydive or backpacking solo across the world. I’d regret it if I didn’t, though.

I just lived in Kaikoura for the summer, a place I’d never heard of until then. I took a chance on moving there & had one of the best summers of my life.

Thank you so much for reading my story. I hope to see you again soon!

Thank you for joining my Traveller of the Month series, Jamie! Head on over to Jamie’s blog to follow along on his latest adventures embracing different around the world and stay tuned for May’s Traveller of the Month!