Thursday Traveler: Laurence Norah

Every Thursday, A Dangerous Business will be shining the spotlight on a world nomad, travel blogger, armchair adventurer, or just someone really cool in the travel world. This week, the traveler is Laurence Norah of Finding the Universe. Laurence has had a passion for travel for as long as he can remember, nurtured by adventurous family trips as a kid. After realising corporate life wasn’t for him, he quit his job to slowly travel the world. He shares his passion for travel, photography and writing on his website, and is currently on the road with no fixed abode.

On the beach at Surfer's Paradise

1. How do you define the word “traveler,” and why would you consider yourself one?

From my perspective, a traveller is someone who visits a place to understand it better and perhaps understand themselves a little bit better as a result. It’s different to being a holiday maker for example, where the idea is often to relax and get some much needed time away. I think there is often unnecessary tension between different groups, and labels are handed out as to what kind of “trip” you are on, be it backpacking, travelling, tourist.. whatever. Everyone has their own needs and goals, the important thing is to be happy with yourself and your reasons, and let others get on with their thing.

2. What has been your favorite travel experience thus far?

I remember very fondly sleeping outside under the stars in the Namibian desert on the New Years Eve of the millennium roll over thinking there was nowhere else in the world I’d rather be at that moment. There are moments in your life that you can’t help but remember where you were at the point due to the significance given to it by your culture, and that was a good one.

Cape Raoul, Tasmania

3. How about your proudest travel moment?

Successfully navigating some of Australia’s more remote wilderness in a four wheel drive vehicle with minimal previous experience was a really great experience for me and my travelling companion at the time. We crossed rivers, tackled mud.. sand.. rocky slopes.. it was a real challenge and we really surprised ourselves I think with how well we did.

4. Have you had any travel mishaps or bad experiences? If so, have these influenced how you view the place where they happened? Would you go back?

I try to learn from experiences, or think that everything has a positive side if you think about it hard enough, even if the only positive is learning not to do it again. One of my scariest moments was entirely my fault with no-else involved! I was trying to learn how to windsurf and I had just got to the point where I was using the harness. I was harnessed to the sail and I mistimed the wind, so I fell into the water, with the sail on top of me. I was clipped into it, underwater. There was supposed to be a quick release mechanism that let me out, but the shock of being trapped underwater under a sail really threw me for a moment. Luckily I recovered and got myself out. Still love windsurfing though!

On the beach at Byron

5. Name one thing you can’t travel without.

My camera. I love to take pictures of the things I see, there’s just so much out there to capture. My netbook probably comes a close second, it’s so invaluable for so many things, top of which is being able to keep in touch with folk back home, second for keeping a record of my travels.

6. Name one thing you wish you COULD travel without.

Wires! Seriously, there needs to be some kind of wireless charging ability implemented worldwide so I don’t need to carry so many wires and adaptors with me! I guess you could argue I could carry less gadgets.. but then.. see the previous question…

7. What do you think has been the biggest thing you’ve learned while traveling (about yourself, a destination, a culture, travel itself)?

I’ve learnt how much I really don’t need “stuff”. For nearly 18 months now I’ve essentially lived out of a backpack. I’ve learnt that my money is far better spent on experiences, (and shelter and food!) and not the other stuff that I was constantly bombarded with supposedly needing via advertising etc. Before I left I sold a lot of my stuff, and the rest went into boxes in an attic. But if I’ve not touched it for nearly two years.. it’s clearly nothing I really need!

8. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

Hmm. I like to move around a lot, so I’d like to live in my own personal moving flying house thing that lets me live wherever I like. That doesn’t really answer the question so well, so maybe I’d like to try New York City for a while. I’ve visited it, and it seems like a great city. Although I’d need money and a job presumably to actually experience the whole thing, so that is a bit of a stretch at the moment.

9. Name one place you’d like to see or one experience you’d like to have before you die.

The last thing I intend to see is the Grand Canyon. People I’ve spoken to tell me that it’s the most spectacular canyon you can see, and I like canyons and gorges and so on, so I worry that it will make everything else pale into insignificance. So I’ll go there last, and think, wow, that’s amazing, then die happy.

10. If there was one thing you wish somebody would have told you before you started traveling, what would it be?

Travelling is a fairly selfish experience. We essentially abandon friends and family and go off on a self-focused mission. You need to realise this early on — don’t travel to make others happy, it needs to be about you ultimately, although obviously don’t go the other way and travel to the detriment of others!

Visit Laurence’s site: Finding the Universe
Follow Laurence on Twitter: @Lozula
Like Laurence on Facebook: Finding the Universe

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Are you a travel blogger who has something to say on these topics? Do you know of somebody really interesting in the travel universe that you’d like to see interviewed? Speak up! The Thursday Traveler needs some interview subjects.

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