Thursday Traveler: Gillian Duffy

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 is Gillian Duffy of One Giant Step. She and her partner, Jason, visited 14 countries during their 2009/2010 RTW trip. She is still actively writing though, trying to inspire others to step out and showing that your dreams really are just One Giant Step away.

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

I try not to get caught up in the tourist vs. traveller debate. There are as many different ‘travellers’ out there as there are countries to travel to. I like that anyone would step out of their comfort zone to experience something different in the world. If that means heading to an all-inclusive resort in Mexico or road-tripping through the states, then I’m all for it. It doesn’t have to be some bare bones backpacker existence in order for it to be ‘travel’. I, therefore, am a traveler just by the act of traveling… even if it’s just across the water to Vancouver… or across the world to Bangkok.

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

Truly, just the whole experience of being able to travel for a whole year. To not have to think about work… to be completely free and in control of everything all the time… That’s pretty special.

As for specific experiences, my favourites are quite disparate. I love cities… and I love being away from it all. So, trekking in the Andes or the Himalayas are as magical to me as taking in the wonder of a big city like Buenos Aires or Berlin.

3. How about your proudest travel moment?

I think my proudest travel moment was when we decided to leave India early — it just wasn’t working for us. India was the one place that I was most looking forward to and it was devastating to find it so difficult. I’m proud, though, that we were able to see that we needed to leave, that ploughing through was not going to work, and that our relationship needed it. I’m still, a year later, trying to process my time there — it definitely leaves a mark!

Peek-a-Boo, Petra

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?

You know what, we were really lucky. No real mishaps, accidents or bad experiences. I had expected that something would happen but was pleasantly surprised when we came home scot-free. I’d like to think that, even if something had happened, that it wouldn’t affect how we felt about a place. I think things, good and bad, can happen everywhere and are not necessarily an indication of a place or its people.

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

Ativan. I’m actually a terrible flier. I know, a whole year, around the world… and I took ativan for almost every flight (truth be told I actually also drank gin… Hey, a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do!). I got better as the year wore on but I always knew those little pills were in my bag if I needed them.

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

I wish I could travel without my preconceived notions about what a place is going to be like. I want to appreciate a place for what it has to offer rather than trying to find what I thought it was supposed to offer. I’m getting better as I travel more (and get older), but I still have some work to do.

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 come back from travelling feeling lighter and freer, stronger and more powerful, confident and sure. I’ve learned that there is nothing I can’t do if I look at it the right way, plan carefully and step it out a little at a time. It excites me and keeps me from having that downer feeling that other travellers say they experience after coming home. I just feel that there is more to do and can’t wait to get to it!

Cold But Still Happy Near San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

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

I’d love to live in Europe. I like that the culture is somewhat familiar to me and yet just different enough to keep it interesting. There is so much to explore within the region and it’s all so close — not like trying to get there from Canada! It is our goal to live there in the next 5 years — wish us luck!

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

I love deserts and am forming a plan to visit all the worlds big deserts before I die… How many can there be? Okay, a quick Google check tells me there are about 25… I’ll let you know how I do!

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

I wish somebody had told me how easy it all is. It’s not that hard to be out there. Finding a room, or a meal, or a bus — even when no one spoke English — just wasn’t that hard. People around the world genuinely want to help and they make it easy to be in their space.

Visit Gillian’s site: One Giant Step
Follow Gillian on Twitter: @OneGiantStep

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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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