TRAVELLERS: Laurence and Jessica a British-American couple
This interview was conducted via email in early April 2018
Globerovers Magazine is in conversation with Laurence and Jessica Norah, the British-American travel blogging couple behind photography & adventure travel blog Finding the Universe and luxury / couples travel blog Independent Travel Cats. Their goal is to inform and inspire through well-written content accompanied by beautiful imagery. They are currently based in beautiful Scotland.
Globerovers (GR) talked with Laurence about his travels with Jessica and started by asking how many countries they have visited.
Laurence Norah (LN): To be honest, I’m not totally sure. Probably around 50? We prefer to travel slowly and explore a country fully rather than rack up countries. We also revisit countries a lot!
GR: What are your top 5 most preferred countries for leisure travel?
LN: The USA, New Zealand, the UK, France and Thailand.
GR: Which is your most preferred country for travel and why?
LN: If we had to pick one, it would be the USA. It’s got so much variety in terms of sights, with everything from big cities to fantastic national parks. It’s easy and relatively affordable to travel there, and perfect for a road trip.
GR: Where do you wish you were right now?
LN: We always like to be happy with where we are right now, which happens to be in Scotland! If we were always wishing we were somewhere else, we’d probably figure out how to make that happen.
GR: Among those countries you have not yet visited, which ones are at the top of your “must do” list?
LN: I really want to visit Antarctica, and Jess really wants to visit Peru. I want to visit Antarctica for the landscapes, wildlife and nature, Jess is keen on Peru for the cultural and natural attractions.
GR: If you could spend the rest of your life somewhere other than your current home country, which country would that be?
LN: Again, this would likely be the USA for me and maybe France for Jess (who is from the USA)!
GR: Please tell us about the most incredible and memorable experience you have ever had while travelling?
LN: We got married whilst travelling, so that was definitely a memorable experience! We got married on the Cunard Queen Mary 2 halfway between my home country of the UK, and Jess’s home country of the USA, and it was a really special occasion as we were married by the Captain and had a wonderful day!
GR: Based on your travel experiences, if you were to recommend the one most amazing destination for intrepid travellers, which place would that be, and why?
LN: I would say probably Australia, because the country is so vast and there is so much wilderness to explore. I adventured around Australia for a year in an off-road four-wheel drive, visiting some of the most remote spots, and there are some incredible off-the-beaten-path locations you can visit.
GR: Which people by nationality or subgroup would you say have been the most hospitable during your travels and why do you say so?
LN: I think it’s hard to narrow this down to a single group. We often find the locals to be friendly and hospitable nearly everywhere we go! But, for example, is that Jessica found the people in South Korea to be very kind and hospitable and they often went out of their way to help her when she visited several years ago. Every time she pulled out a map, people were stopping and asking if they could help (even if they didn’t speak English)!
GR: How do you think travelling around the world for independent travellers has changed over the past 20 years?
LN: I think it has definitely become easier. I travelled around China for three months in 2001, almost twenty years ago, just at the dawn of the internet. So, whilst I could e-mail my parents back home, finding travel information online was pretty much impossible back then. It was all physical books and word-of-mouth from other travellers. These days I think technology has made travelling a lot easier and more accessible.
GR: Let’s get a bit more personal. Do you have any “must take” items when you travel that you think most travellers don’t think of?
LN: We usually try to travel with a Leatherman (a multitool), and some duct tape. You just never know when you might need to fix something.
GR: What is your favourite travel resource on the Internet?
LN: We usually use Booking.com or Airbnb for accommodation, and Kiwi or Priceline for flights. Beyond that, we normally just start with a Google search to find what we want!
GR: Let’s talk about food. Which one country that you visited has the best food in the world?
LN: I love the food in the Seychelles. Fresh fish, curry spices and coconut make for an incredible cuisine, but I am biased since I spent several years there as a child.
GR: Where was the best meal you have ever had during your travels?
LN: There was a Massaman Curry I had in a small guest house in Khao Sok that I’ll always remember. It was so good I had it every night for three days!
GR: And where was the worst food during your travels?
LN: I’m usually pretty accepting of food, but I have to admit I’ve had some pretty terrible food travelling in the UK! It’s improved a lot over the years thankfully.
GR: What is the strangest or weirdest place you have ever spent a night?
LN: When I was travelling around Australia, we camped out in the middle of nowhere very often, usually hundreds of miles from anyone else.
GR: Do you have any strange, weird, or even bizarre travel rituals which you can share with us?
LN: I can’t think of anything too weird.
GR: Based on all your travel experiences, what is the best tip you can offer to new travellers?
LN: Don’t be afraid to be a tourist. I think a lot of us think there’s some stigma attached to being a tourist, but by definition, if you’re travelling in another country, you’re a tourist. Unless you’re going to settle down and get a job, your experience in a foreign country will never be the same as it is for locals, so just embrace it.
GR: What is the single best lesson you have learned about the world during your travels around the world?
LN: People are pretty similar the world over, with similar dreams and goals for their lives.
GR: What is the main focus of your travels?
LN: I would say photography for me, and Jess loves to learn about the history and culture of a place.
GR: And finally, where are you off to next?
LN: Tomorrow we are heading down to the Seychelles for two weeks.
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