Interview With Nicky and Rhys of 2 Nomads 1 Narrative
•Nicky and Rhys, please give my readers a background about yourselves. What made you want to start 2nomads1narrative.com?
2nomads1narrative all started from emails sent home. When Rhys & I first took off for Asia we wrote home about all of the ridiculous situations we kept finding ourselves in and our friends and families begged us to start a blog. We kept putting it off and putting it off, until we finally caved and the rest is history. We both have very different writing styles I like to keep stories light-hearted and funny, while Rhys has an uncanny ability to write so passionately it draws an image in the reader’s mind. It's a nice mix to have.
•What impact has 2nomads1narrative.com had on your life?
At first I thought it would be a pain to keep up with, and I didn’t want to be the traveler who only looks at a country through a camera lens or from behind a keyboard, but surprisingly it is so much fun . I think we do it more for ourselves than anyone! Looking back at entries and thinking, ‘Holy Shit, I forgot that ever happened to us!” It's definitely better than a file labeled "Travel Pictures" on our laptop.
•If you had to choose one favorite destination, which one would each of you chose?
Hands down, Mt. Everest Base Camp. Arriving at Base Camp was an unbelievable achievement for us both. After a relentless 9 day hike deep into the heart of the Himalayas, 7 mountain villages, ascending 3,000m, altitude headaches, nights shivering huddled around a yak dung fire stove, one very cold wash up, and a nail-biting mountain flight, we stood at 17,600 feet and looked up at the mightiest mountain in the world. I remember feeling so small standing amongst the world’s biggest white giants and feeling so accomplished. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience.
I felt so accomplished and ecstatic over our small achievement, I can’t even imagine the feelings people have when they are actually climbing the damn thing!
It’s all here: Mt. Everest Base Camp
•What has been the least exciting destination you've traveled to?
I hate to admit it, but there were lots of bad experiences in India. India can be a wonderful place, but as a traveler you've got to be prepared and have the thickest of skin and at times a heart of coal to keep from going crazy! I went there expecting it to be chaotic, but I expected a certain kind of chaos that would open my mind to a different country and way of life. I was shocked to find how hard India was for us to travel. We had been living and traveling around Asia for 2 years, and I still couldn't wrap my brain around India and the cows, and the trash, and the filthiness of the cities. Let's just say if you travel to India, anything you do in life after will be very easy!
•If you had to decide which destination has been the most influential in your lives, which destination would you chose?
I'd be lying if I said anything other than South Korea. We lived there a year and taught English in their public schools. We were invited into Koreans homes for traditional meals, shared special moments with our Korean co-teachers, laughed with the kids, and left Korea with tearful eyes looking back on a year that made a huge impact on my life. Koreans are wonderful people, they have so much pride in their country and culture. Not to mention SOJU!
•Nicky, if you could travel with any celebrity for one week, who would you chose and why?
Karl Pilkington. If you haven't watched "An Idiot Abroad" somehow get your hands on it and watch it until your face is so red from laughing you can't breathe. Karl Pilington is probably the most miserable traveler on Earth and traveling with him would be hilarious. Just watch the show, than you will totally understand why I want him as my celeb travel buddy.
•Rhys, if you could travel with any celebrity for one week, who would you chose and why?
Can I have two people? The two guys from The Departure series. The Departure is a great travel show following two Canadians backpacking through the world in style. They go to all the places I've either been or want to go to, but when they get there they do it all big. They rent jet skis, and jeeps, and take helicoptor rides into volcanoes.. everything I'd love to at these places but settle for the second best thing. The money only goes so far & helicoptor rides are usually the first thing to go!
•What advice would you give to a newbie traveler?
Never expect anything, just let it happen and say YES as much as you can! It's amazing what new experiences can come from saying yes to one person, whether it be a tuk-tuk driver or allowing a kid walk you around town for the day. Also... always pack a sarong! It is something less essential & so simple that it is easily overlooked. However, it does it all. It's a sheet on cold airplanes, a towel on the beach, a dress or skirt, a pillow on long bus journeys, or a blanket when you find yourself sleeping on the floor of a dirty Indian train station.
•In 10 years, do you see yourself still traveling or slowing down?
The big question, what next? That's something our families and friends are dying to know (me included!) A question we know very little about. I can barely plan where I'll be living in a month, 6 months.. let alone 10 years! I must admit how exhilirating it is to talk about where next year will take us and tossing places like Australia, Middle East, and South America out on to the table. My dream in 10 years would be setting up schools and implementing development programs throughout Southeast Asia. I've been given so much from the people of these countries (especially Vietnam), and would love to give something back. Pay it forward.
Thank you Nicky and Rhys for the interview. Please visit their blog @ 2 Nomands 1 Narrative !