"Dream big, explore and see over the horizons. Travelling is about that".

TRAVELLER ID

Name:  Zoe

Instagram:  the.rolling.potato 

Blog: https://www.therollingpotato.com/

Age: 31

Nationality: Italian

City you're currently in: Genova, Italy

Peculiarities: Clumsy and impulsive

Type of traveller: Backpacker

Most beautiful place you've been  to: Mtentu, South Africa

Motto: Zampe in spalla!

What initially motivated you to travel?

I started very early, since my parents were always bringing me around with them. When I was 11 months, we were in Cuba. I have these pictures of me being carried by beautiful Cuban women. When I was 6, we went to Tibet, because my dad was working over there as a doctor. Travelling has always been running in my veins. It’s part of myself. I couldn’t imagine my life without being on a trip, or without being comfortable travelling. Later, I’ve done trips with my friends. Short trips, very low cost budget and very fun. They were in campsites, somewhere in Italy or nearby. When I started travelling on my own, I started feeling I was actually travelling. I started with a few days in London, where I went back to work few years later. For me travelling became something necessary. I was dreaming about going very far away, as soon as I could. I started planning my trips like I plan them today in 2013, when I went to Peru, where I volunteered for 4 months and then travelled for 10 days. That experience made me realize that was the way I wanted to travel. Going somewhere else, trying to be helpful doing something for people and for me because in the end volunteering is something that enriches you more than anything. A few years later I did it again in South Africa, where I worked for 3 months and then travelled for a month. It was just the best because you got to know the culture, the people and you got tips and advice about where to go and the most interesting places. This is how I started, going to volunteer camps, and then travelling on my own. When I started working my travelling shifted more towards "when I have time off, I take my backpack and go". Before Covid, I was meant to travel all around the world. When Covid spread, I came back and I changed my life. I changed my priorities. I started working in a school, I took a dog. My travel horizons changed.

How do you balance travelling and working?

I’ve been a high school English teacher for two and a half years, and that’s the best. I’ve always liked teaching and having realized I have some issues with staying in the same place and keeping the same job for a long time, I think with teaching I found a good balance. I have these two full months off during the summer, two weeks at Christmas time, one week at Easter time plus some days off. All the trips are also material that I can use in my classrooms.

Do you share your passion about travelling to your students?

The foundation of teaching is to broaden the mind. It’s not just to tell the students to study by heart, or just to fill them with notions. It’s more about trying to make them feel able to dream big, to explore and see over the horizon. Travelling is about that. It’s to leave your city, home. To get out of your comfort zone and what you’re used to, to be open to whatever you might come across. Even just ten minutes on a train can be a trip. Sometimes I use maps and I tell my students they can choose wherever they want to go. In this game, I give them fake passports and they discover that maybe they are from Palestine or Brasil, or Morocco, to help them realize maybe a certain country is closed for them. We play this game because I think travelling is also a privilege not available for everybody. I’m Italian, I have a privileged family in my background and my passport is very strong. It’s good to keep a balance between dreaming and realizing travelling is actually a privilege and that for some people it’s hard to travel. I try to give them some awareness about travelling, migrating, being an expat. For example, in class I can use pictures I took in South Africa to talk about that country, but not only to show them the beautiful landscapes there. I want to talk about the culture, the history, the Apartheid and the injustices behind it. It’s important to feel that Italy and your small town are not the center of the world. Especially when you go somewhere else, you’re not the center. This is what I want them to understand. 

I can see you travel with your furry friend

I got Nena, my dog, about two years ago. She changed my way of travelling, but not in a negative way. Having Nena made me travel more close to home, exploring the places that are more reachable by walking and driving. On the last trip, Nena and I took a car and we drove all the way up to Scotland. We did a road trip and then we took a ferry to get to Ireland. 

What do you like the most about travelling with a pet? What is the most difficult thing about it?

I really enjoy travelling on my own so I get to choose what to do and not compromise. The best part of travelling with my dog is that I can do all that but not alone. I’m in good company. You wake up with “somebody” and you literally don’t walk alone. Another positive aspect is that I felt way more safe, especially as a woman, and especially when we slept in some remote places on our own. If I had been on my own, I would have felt scared. Since she is a guardian dog, she is barking and keeping an eye on what’s going on around us. She is my bodyguard. I feel I can go anywhere with her. It’s not easy to travel with a dog, though, not at all. You never have two free hands (smile). Of course I would attach her to a tree or a bench, but you can never chill down. She is, as I said, a guardian so I have to keep an eye on her not to be dangerous to someone else. Not all the pubs accept dogs, so if it rains sometimes you are outside with your dog without shelter. It’s not easy being on your own managing a dog. It’s a lot of effort. It’s like with a baby, but it’s also dangerous. You can’t just leave her “there”. 

What do you think could be improved when it comes to travelling with a pet?

I think governments have to normalize pets. I found myself in some crazy situations. Last year I was on a motorway alone under the sun. It was 35° and I was with my dog. No taxi or bus would take us back to the city. In Ireland there are parks in which dogs are not allowed in. Denying an animal to walk in a park or in a wood can’t be normal. We have humanized nature. We have decided nature is our place, but it’s not. If you look on the internet, you can find a list of countries that are more “pet-friendly”. A country is “pet-friendly” when there is a lot to do with your dogs, a lot of trails and activities. But access to public facilities is not assured. This is not enough. Nowadays, since pets are in our life, there should be more guarantees. They are a part of families, more and more and not everybody is able to leave the dog home, with someone else. 

What advice would you give to someone who wants to travel but doesn't know how to get started?

If I had to give some advice to someone who is not used to travelling, I would say “Take your time” and start looking around on the internet, on the map or just in a magazine. See what rings a bell, what captures your interest. Let’s say it’s the ocean. What are the places close to the ocean where I would like to go and where I can go. Budget is important, but you can always find a way to travel far away not spending a lot. If you have a lot of time, I would recommend a Workaway experience or volunteering experience in general. If you are afraid of travelling on your own, just go with a group, with other people. See what your needs are. What I learned is to think. You need to take your time to think because thinking and planning is the best part sometimes. The energy, the adrenaline that gives you the planning is a lot already. There are a lot of opportunities, just don’t be scared. Ask, dream, search. Even 2 days can be exciting. Just make up your mind. 

Is there anything that I haven't asked but is important for you to share?

It’s not always easy but I think it’s important - I tell myself this as well - to be aware. Aware of your impact where you are, aware of what you support. You have the chance to go somewhere and support locals. Talk to normal people, don’t follow the path that every tourist takes. Go off track. There are a lot of blogs that give you more ideas. Don’t go mainstream because there’s so much to see, buy and consume that is not mainstream. You can actually make a difference. Try to go to more ethical businesses. Travelling can be great and can be so empowering and powerful, but it can also hurt people and cause problems. Tourists can cause a lot of troubles. Just be aware. You’re important, so dream, because it’s your trip, but don't damage the places where you go. Be respectful of that.