Travel Interview with The Unconventional Grasshopper

This week we are featuring Sarah from Unconventional Grasshopper.

Here’s our travel interview with Sarah from Unconventional Grasshopper. Sarah is passionate about travelling the world and blogs on her amazing solo travel experiences from around the world. During her travels she does involve herself in volunteering with animals and enjoys music festivities at the place as well. Do check out her blog . Her travel tales definitely inspires all!!

Questions for the Interview

1) Introduce yourself and your blog to our readers.

Hi everyone! I’m Sarah and just about 1 year ago, I came back from my first solo travel. It was the scariest and the most amazing thing I had ever done in my life and I learnt so much that I wanted to share some of this excitement and knowledge with anyone who wants to listen (read).

The name of my blog is what I get questioned on the most. It all started with a conversation with a guest of the hostel I was volunteering at in Japan. I told him about Aesop’s fable The Ant and The Grasshopper (where the Ant symbolises the people who work hard for future material security and the Grasshopper, the people who choose to live in the moment) and how I had recently discovered I am in fact a Grasshopper.

And I guess “Unconventional” is because I do things in my own way…So, I guess my blog is more directed at travellers who want to find things to do outside of the tourist areas.
https://theunconventionalgrasshopper.com/

2) What’s your style of travel?

I mostly travel solo – I love the freedom and the challenge of solo travel. I also travel on a budget – not through choice most of the time but I love how resourceful you become when you have little money. You find new ways to travel, new ways to feed yourself and new places to explore. I’m also getting to know the best places for budget travelling!

3)Which place are you from? What are the top 3 must visit places in your city?

I currently live in the UK but I am from Paris. I tend to prefer off the beaten path travel so my recommendation in Paris is to walk around and sit at a café terrace (in summer). My favourite areas are St Germain/Jardins du Luxembourg and Pere Lachaise. In terms of places to eat, I recommend Le P’tit Fernand in St Germain and Apéronome in Pere Lachaise. But if you’re after the best brunch of your life, head to Hardware Société near the Sacré Coeur – you can enjoy amazing views of Paris afterwards.

4)Do you like travelling Solo or with a Travel Partner. Why do you choose so?

I always prefer travelling solo – partly because I need my own space and like to travel on my terms and partly because as I am the most experienced, I always end up organising everything when I’m in a group, which I hate!

5) Your top 3 blogs on your website.

These are currently the most popular:
• HOW TO TRAVEL… WHEN YOU CAN’T TRAVEL!
https://theunconventionalgrasshopper.com/2018/09/09/how-to-travel/
A collection of ideas of things to do when you have wanderlust but you physically can’t go anywhere.

• HIPSTER TRAVEL IN TOKYO – 5 REASONS TO VISIT SHIMOKITAZAWA
https://theunconventionalgrasshopper.com/2018/09/03/shimokitazawa-hipster-tokyo/
Shimokitazawa is such a cool area of Tokyo… It has everything I love!

But my favourite piece is this one… I was in a really crowded café in Berlin when I wrote it, so it was quite symbolic of being alone “against” the world. But also, it brought back all the exciting feelings and fears of when I set off for the first time.

15 TIPS FOR THE FIRST-TIME SOLO TRAVELLER
https://theunconventionalgrasshopper.com/2018/05/08/first-time-solo-traveller-15-travelling-tips/

6) What is the message that you have for all aspiring Travel Blogger.

There is a lot of advice out there giving templates for how your pictures need to look, what your titles should be, what to do on what social media. What I would say is this: a lot of bloggers are trying to do the same thing so to stand out, be yourself. People will follow you for you!

You also need to be patient… blogging takes time… a lot of time. But you will learn so much (I am still learning everyday) and if you still enjoy it when it goes wrong – and it will! – you know you’re in the right field!

7) The best piece of advice that you can give an amateur travel blogger aspiring to earn a passive
income through blogging.

I don’t monetise my blog… yet! (things may change in the future but at this point in time, I don’t want marketing and dollar signs to cloud my purpose).
I have got some writing assignments from it, though.

8)Do you have any funny/strange travel story?

I have a few but this one is the most intense!
https://theunconventionalgrasshopper.com/2018/01/21/fear-and-loathing-in-espana-a-lesson-in-humanity/

As a summary, being left in the middle of Andalusia with no means of getting anywhere and 3 ½ hours walk from the nearest village… I wasn’t laughing at the time, but people are so awesome that I was helped out every step of the way…

9) If you could go back in time. Which ancient ruin from around the world would you choose to visit and explore. Why?

The ones I want to see are still there – the pyramids! Ancient Egypt was my favourite topic in history lessons!

10)How does “Travel” make you feel? Can you share with us 3 top insights that you gained from your travels.

1. People are awesome! We are taught not to trust people and talk to stranger from a young age and I think this somehow stays with us in adulthood a bit. When you travel solo, you have to talk to strangers or you will be alone the whole time. It’s the best thing I have learnt and I have made so many awesome friends.
2. Cultures are different, but people are people. We all want to be loved, respected, safe… We are all happy, sad, angry, tired, exited… we just express these emotions in a slightly different way depending on where we come from.
3. Budget travelling is not only possible, it can be fun! And it made me realise how resourceful I can be!

11)Name your top 5 bucket list travel destination and why do choose it?

1. Next on my travel list is a European tour, starting in Estonia. Tallinn is really cool, has a strong music scene and is very forward thinking. Also Baltic languages are so far away from any language I know, I’m looking forward to feeling a bit lost!
2. I also have a friend to see in Turkey – she promised me that Istanbul is the best city in the world so I look forward to discovering it.
3. I have been reading books by Andrey Kurkov lately, so the Caspian countries and Ukraine are now also on my list.
4. Svalbard – I adopted polar bears with WWF a few years ago and I get updates on how they’re doing. I would love to see them in real life… but that’s for when I have more funds!
5. Chile – It has such amazing sceneries but also such an intense history. And of course, the food looks amazing!

12)Do you have any tips on travelling with a pet?

I don’t take my cat travelling… he is definitely a settled cat and would hate it, but I know a lot of people take their pets with them. Make sure the airlines look after them well – a lot of people I met found their dogs scared and dehydrated after airlines didn’t fulfil their obligations. Also, check the vaccination requirements and the rabies situation in the destination country.

My personal stance on it is that travellers should ask whether it is imperative to take their pet. Travelling is a stressful experience for animals so if there is a way of leaving them at home (and maybe get a house sitter), maybe consider it.

13) Where do you prefer to stay- Hotel, Hostel or AirBnB etc? Why?

Of course, hotels would always be my preference… Financially, however, it is not always possible so, as I travel mostly solo, hostels tend to be my first port of call. I tend to favour female only dorms as men tend to snore louder, but often end up in mixed dorms. Hostels are also a great way to meet people.

14)As travellers we all love collecting Souvenirs .What do you love collecting?

When you travel on a long-term basis, it’s really hard to collect souvenirs – there is never enough space in my bag/suitcase. I guess I collect pictures instead – I take a lot of pictures.

15)When do you find time to blog on your travels? How long do you usually take to finish a blog.

It varies. Some blog entries I wrote in less than one hour – you know when you have that “flow” thing and words just come out? – and some of them take me a few attempts to get right.

I always have to be disciplined when I travel and make sure I spend each morning writing or planning. I usually try to find a nice coffee shop to write in, then use the rest of the day to explore. Bus or train journeys are also a great time to write, especially the long ones.

16)Do you send postcards to your friends when you travel? If not postcards what souvenirs do you prefer to gift your friends?

I never send friends postcards or bring anything back – usually because I am moving on to another country and have no space to carry anything else. But when something reminds me of them for a reason or another, I will take a picture and send it to them!

17)What’s your favourite cuisine? Do you like trying out local food when you travel to places. If yes, what’s your favourite dish that you loved the most?

LOCAL FOOD ALL THE WAY!!!

It’s really hard to choose between all the amazing dishes I have tried. In Vietnam, I loved Bun Cha the most (grilled pork and rice noodles). In Japan, I always try to find some Manju (a type of rice cake) but when I was in California, I think I ate Tacos almost everyday – tip for anyone travelling to San Diego: The Taco Stand makes the best!

18) When do you prefer to travel to a new place – peak season or off season? Why?

I must admit I never pay attention to the peak season. Because I mostly travel on a budget, I go for cheaper destinations, so I’m guessing it’s mostly off season. After experiencing -14C in Poland this winter, however, I have started paying attention to the weather!

19)How do you manage your travel expense? Do you have any particular suggestions for budget travellers?

My advice is simple: Stick to your budget! It’s so easy to tell yourself that you will spend a bit more today but be “better tomorrow” and before you know it, you’ve blown your budget and have no money for the rest of the trip – I speak of experience here!

Some destinations are better than others for budget travelling so do a bit of research and check the exchange rate with your local currency… it’s really boring but if you want to travel for longer, it has to be done. South East Asia is great for cheap travelling.

If you’re travelling in Europe, Flixbus is the best! You can get bus tickets really cheap and they are good for cleanliness and WiFi on board. I have also started booking overnight buses to save on accommodation for one night here and there…

Many cities also have a lot of free things to do or cheaper alternatives to the tourist sites… I find that heading for the free alternatives make you see a country more through the eyes of a local, too.

20)If you had to draw a pie chart of your travel expenses. What would your top 5 priorities be?

Flights are usually the highest expense. Where I can, I will choose ground travel, which is much cheaper and also more environment friendly.

Accommodation is the second largest expense. I have a rule of never going for anything under an 8/10 rating – especially since I travel alone – and near the city centre or at least a transport hub, where it’s likely to be busier, so I am limited in how low I can go in price per night.

As I discovered when I was on a really strict budget, I spend most of my disposable daily money on coffee! I can’t compromise on the quality of my coffee and spend probably about 3-4 hours per day writing in a coffee shop.

Food is the next one. In a lot of European countries, we have this app Too Good To Go. You essentially buy a dinner from a place you have selected online, and you collect at the end of the day a meal they may otherwise have thrown away. It’s great for a cheap dinner but also to contribute to reducing food waste!

Then finally, what ever is left over is for visits and socialising with new friends. I try to find the free things to do in a city and walk rather than take public transport (something which proved impossible in the US where cities are so big!)

21) What are the apps or resources that’s been an absolute life saver during travels or planning your trip?

HostelWorld for cheap accommodation, GoogleMaps for finding my way, Too Good To Go for cheap food, Spotted by Locals for things to do and WhatsApp/Messenger to keep in touch with my loved ones!
In terms of blogging, I use all my social media apps on my phone but everything else is done on my laptop…

Now some quick questions

Name your dream destination for each word mentioned below:

1. Historical Place- Germany has such great recent history!
2. Culture Travel- Anywhere in Europe…we have such rich culture here, whether it’s musical, artistic or lifestyle. Maybe I am a bit biased! 😊
3. Couple Travel- Anywhere with the right person!
4. Solo Travel- For the first time, I would say South East Asia – I have made the most friends there and it’s a culture shock but still feels safe.
5. Adventure( Water sports, for all adrenaline junkies)- not really one I have much experience in, I’m afraid.
6. Nature and wildlife( Trekking, Camping etc)- Japan has such varied scenery in such a small place. I hiked up Asahidake mountain on Hokkaido and the views were out of this world. September and October, the leaves are red and gold on trees so it’s the best time to go!
7. Favourite city- Tokyo or Berlin – I still can’t choose!

Travel Interview conducted by COUPLE TRAVEL TALES (Achu & Unni)!

Those who wish  to participate in our travel interview series ,please feel free to contact us via email at coupletraveltale@gmail.com .