TRAVELLER: Therese O’Brien, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

[Editor]: Therese is one of the happiest travellers I have ever come across. She smiles every day from early till late and absolutely takes the perils of solo travelling as it comes. I first met Therese at the Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport upon arrival for my first visit to Iran. I think we both pretended to be brave while we both were a bit worried about what to expect in Iran. Together we exchanged rials for dollars at the exchange window and then decided to share a taxi to town. We ended up travelling together over several days during the following two weeks. While she loves spending a lot of time mingling with the locals, even joining them on picnics and home visits, I’m more into running up the hills to take photos of the stunning landscapes. She’s a great travel buddy and in her heart and mind she is travelling the world every single day! She is one of my travel idols!

This interview was conducted in early 2014 by email: 

Therese O’Brien, Brisbane Queensland, Australia.

Globerovers:  How many countries have you been to?

Therese O’Brien:  Fifty-odd.

GR:  What are your 5 most preferred countries for leisure traveling?

TO’B:  Australia, India, Ireland, Iran, and Turkey.

GR: Among those countries you have not yet visited, which ones are at the top of your “must do” list?

TO’B:  The Northern Lights in the Nordic countries, Antarctica, South America, and I dream about travelling slowly through sub-Saharan Africa.

GR:  Based on your experience, if you were to recommend the one most amazing destination for intrepid ?

TO’B:  Tibet was a totally amazing experience for me, with the highlight being the activity at the temples and monasteries. Travelling by jeep across the vast landscape and waking at dawn at Everest Base Camp to watching the slow illumination of the majestic peak from my bed are unforgettable experiences.

GR:  Please tell us about the one most incredible experience you have had during your recent travels.

TO’B:  I walked the Camino de Santiago twice and discovered that walking is an excellent way to travel. It was truly incredible for me to sit on the cliff at Finisterre and gaze at the sea at the end of a walk of over 1600 km. I amazed myself that I could have done that!

GR:  Which people by nationality or subgroup would you say have been the most hospitable during your travels and why do you say so?

TO’B:  One thing travel has taught me is how good-hearted and kind people are all over the world. I couldn’t single out a single group at the expense of others, but memories of Scotland, Japan, Germany, Siberia, Iran, India, Turkey and Vietnam come immediately to mind. I will be eternally grateful to friends and compatriots who have given me a home-away-from-home along the way and strangers who’ve helped me in unexpected ways.

GR:  How do you think travelling around the world for independent travellers has changed over the past 20 years?

TO’B:  Online booking, electronic banking and information at our fingertips all liberate travellers to control whatever they do. It can be time-consuming authenticating information and searching for detail, but you can follow your interests like never before.