A mum has explained how a trip to Bali completely changed her outlook on life and prompted her to become a full-time travel co-ordinator. Victoria Reynolds made the life-changing decision after turning 40 and realising she wanted to start making memories.
The mum-of-one told the Mirror how she used to work all the time and was always focused on material objects and making enough money to afford them. But a profound trip to the Indonesian province changed everything.
The 42-year-old now works for WeRoad, a rapidly expanding firm which takes groups of strangers on big trips together. Speaking to the Mirror from Nepal, where she'd just spent the night in a guest house in the incredibly mountainous region of Annapurna, Victoria explained how one big holiday had been the trigger for her to quit the grind.
She said: "The biggest trip I did before joining WeRoad was when I went to Bali, it’s what more or less pushed me into the path of travelling full-time. I had an incredible time and I just spent a month relaxing and re-evaluating my life. Before Bali, it was so fast-paced and I was just working all the time, my focus was on making money and being able to have all the latest things, a nice car and all the gadgets."
Inspired by the film Eat Pray Love, she put in an application after spotting a job vacancy as a WeRoad co-ordinator. Speaking of the application process, she said: "The boot camp was so fun and really gave me a sense of how being a WeRoader was going to be. You can do just one or two trips with them a year as a coordinator or you can do it full-time and I thought, that’s perfect for me."
While occasionally worrying that she's too old for such big adventures, Victoria has pushed through the fear on her trips so far, meeting a "community of like-minded people" who have inspired her on to adventures in Peru, the US and India. "
"I’m in Nepal at the movement and last night, we stopped in a guest house in Tomerong and before that Annapurna, It was incredible," Victoria continued. "There was nothing like luxury about it at all but that’s backpacking, not just going to a fancy resort and sitting on a beach but really travelling, seeing the culture and fully experiencing it."
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As supportive as her family have been of Victoria and her big adventures, Victoria misses them. She said: "I really miss my daughter and my mum but I appreciate the quality time we now have together.
"My daughter understands that I’m busy living my life and she’s studying so is busy too. It’s great that technology allows us to stay in contact with our family and friends on the other side of the world."
When it comes to those looking to follow in her footsteps, or who are simply planning a big trip, Victoria says preparation is key. She said: "Because you’re literally carrying your whole life on your back, you can’t afford to bring every single one of your favourite shoes, tops or toiletries.
"Take a few pairs of trousers, a few t-shirts, a towel, swimwear, basic toiletries hairbrush, don't bother with the hair dryer, straight, any of those things. Bring a daypack as well. Go for something small, light, and versatile for you to pop essentials in when you’re on day trips."
In terms of Victoria's core four pieces of advice for people looking to head off on a big trip, she has the following words of wisdom:
- Put your feet in carrier bags for long hikes! It helps keep your feet dry because most of the time, “waterproof” boots aren’t actually waterproof.
- Keep your passport in a ziplock bag - you experience so many different climates and weather conditions, you don’t want your passport to get soaked.
- ALWAYS have snacks - whether that be protein bars or fruit, it’s so important to make sure you have some nibbles.
Buy probiotics! I swear by them. I’ve just spent a week in Nepal and didn’t once get a dodgy stomach at all.
Find out more at weroad.co.uk.
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