Interview With Stephanie Yoder of Twenty Something Travel
Stephanie, please tell my readers about yourself. What made you want to start twenty-somethingtravel.com?
Hi, my name is Stephanie Yoder, and since I graduated from college in 2007 I've either been traveling or planning to travel. In 2009 I decided to start my website as a way to encourage other twenty-somethings to get out and see the world.
Please tell my readers about your first long term RV travel experience when you were 10. Where did you go, what did you do, What did you see ....
When I was in 4th grade my parents bought a Tioga Arrow and spent our summer break touring my brother and I around the United States. We were gone for three months and covered a lot of the country: from our home in Washington DC down to Arizona and New Mexico, up through Wyoming, South Dakota, Michigan, pretty much everywhere. It was my first longtime travel experience and just an amazing way to see the beauty of the United States.
In all of your travels, in your opinion what country has the best food? and the worst food?
Asia is definitely the place to be for really, really great food. My top pick would be Vietnam. there is an unbelievable variety of tasty dishes from street food on up. Cheap too.
The most disappointing food so far has been the country I'm currently in: Colombia. It's an amazing place but the food is incredibly bland: chicken and rice almost every day. I need spice!
When you first started traveling, did your family support your decision?
I've been very fortunate in that my parents have been exceptionally supportive of my crazy nomadic lifestyle. My mother worries about my safety but she knows that I have to follow my happiness.
If you had to choose one favorite destination, which one would you chose?
It varies by the day, but one of my most favorite countries is Iceland. It's such a weird and beautiful place way out in the middle of nowhere. In one afternoon of driving you can pass through moonscapes, black sand deserts, green fields and snow.
What has been the least exciting destination you've traveled to?
I know it's kind of an oddball answer, but Australia really didn't do much for me. This is mostly because it rained for the entire two months (!) I was there. Australia is pretty but culturally it's about the same as the US, and there isn't much to do in the rain.
Did you always have a love of travel or did you develop your passion for traveling as you got older?
I never really thoughy too much about travel at all until I studied abroad in London my senior year of college. Not only did I fall in love with London, I fell in love with the freedom and exhilation of travel. I've been going ever since.
What impact has twenty-somethingtravel.com had on your life?
Twenty-Something Travel has completely changed my life- I've gone from a career breaker to actually having a career in the travel industry. My two biggest passions are writing and travel, and to be able to make a living doing both is just a dream.
What has been the most surprising destination you've been to? Meaning, you had a specific mindset about a certain destination but it was totally a differnet experience than you had imagined.
Maybe China. Culturally it's like visiting another planet. It's loud and smoky and intimidating and full of humanity, but when you get to visit with people one on one they are so welcoming and interesting. I was there for three months and I still wasn't able to totally wrap my head around the place.
If you had to decide which destination has been the most influential in your life, which destination would you chose?
Probably London, it was my first travel love and it's still my favorite city in the world. Over the years I've studied there, worked there and visited as a tourist and I just keep coming back to it.
What advice would you give to a newbie traveler?
The hardest part of traveling is making the decision to actually do it. Once you commit yourself to making a change, getting out and exploring, everything else falls into place.
Thanks Stephanie for the interview. Please visit her blog @ Twenty Something Travel !
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