“Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain.”

It doesn’t have to be a mountain. It can be a quiet countryside, a mystical forest, or just a camp by the river. You know what? It doesn’t even need to be any of these. The best part about traveling is that you get to make your own rules, write your own travel stories. And those memories you create will be yours to treasure, life-long.

Travel Stories From Around The World: Interview Series

Starting this week, I will be bringing you travel stories of some amazing travelers from all over the world. You’ll get to know some of their personal experiences, and how they started their travel journey. We hope that these stories will inspire the traveler in you.

Our Guest This Week – Traveler & Blogger, Petro Marais

Presenting our first guest, Petro Marais, an amazing lady who’s on a mission to visit every country in the world!  Her goal is to raise mental health awareness worldwide. She has been traveling for the past 11 months. A passionate writer and photographer, Petro also cares deeply about politics and human rights. Here’s what she had to say in our interview.

Q: What got you interested in traveling?

A: I think I have always had the travel bug. I chose a career that would help me see the entire world – the Navy.  After I started, I felt a new sense of freedom that I had felt never before.

That’s when I decided to travel for 3 months. At the time, I was suffering from severe depression. I still am, but traveling is certainly helping me. Those 3 months have now been 11 and I hope that it will continue for a lifetime.

Q: Tell us about your first travel experience.

A: As a child, my parents took us all over South Africa and abroad once. The big shock was moving from South Africa to Australia. Then we lived in a motorhome for 6 months and those times is one of the best memories I have.

As an adult, the first real experience I had, was a few days in Shanghai. I had decided it was time to go back to my native place, South Africa. So, I met a travel agent and asked if I could have a stopover somewhere for a few days in between.

I decided on China without even knowing how much time I would be flying (Check out the route from Brisbane to Johannesburg via Shanghai). Little did I know that you need a lot more than a few days to see China. It was so strange not seeing a single caucasian, except for at the airport! From that moment on, I never wanted to stop exploring.

Q: How did you get into blogging?

A: I went on a trip to Bali with some friends. After returning from there, I was having trouble getting sleep. The first blog post I wrote, was in the middle of the night. I just wanted to start sharing my thoughts. I have never cared if anyone reads it or not. It is amazing to see how much your writing skills improve and passion grows as you continue blogging!

Q: What’s your advice to anyone who wants to travel but think they can’t?

A: If money is stopping you, start cutting down on your expenses. Sell unnecessary items and stop shopping. Join Couchsurfing and Workaway. Start reading blogs, and watch youtube videos. Trust me, if you really want to travel, you will find a way. Some places are quite affordable. I love off-the-beaten-track destinations and going somewhere that no one else goes to. (Hint: those are the places that are the most affordable!)

You can read more of Petro’s travel tales on her blog: www.worldmission196.com

Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/worldmission196/

Follow her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/worldmission196/

Thank you, Petro! It was lovely knowing more about you and your travel stories.

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