Travel Adventures: Discovering New Places

Where have you just come back from?

“Japan. For a self-proclaimed nerd, that’s the sacred place to visit – the home of Pokemon, Nintendo, manga, and anime. It was the sort of gap year my inner nerd needed.”

Where in the world have you felt happiest?

“To be honest, my soul is happiest whenever I travel. I never went on any school trips to France or Spain, so travelling was this huge, ominous beast for me. How do you do it? What happens when you get there? However, now I’m totally enamoured with the world and the thought of all these realities happening alongside our daily routines.”

Name a place that lived up to the hype.

“When I told people I was going to Colombia last year, they joked, ‘Oh, there’s going to be salsa bands playing from every rooftop.’ I was skeptical, but upon arrival, I found myself pulling my suitcase through a street packed with people salsa dancing. Moreover, on New Year’s Eve in Cartagena, everyone shifted their tables and chairs onto the street with huge bands playing from rooftops. It made Notting Hill Carnival feel like a village hall gathering.”

Which is your favourite city?

“London, because it feels like the closest thing we have to those GTA Strangers and Freaks missions. Recently, I was cycling to the gym when I heard someone shouting at me. I stopped and witnessed a guy in a full suit, his face covered in scars, holding a bag of wet pineapples. He asked if I wanted to see a trick, then cycled into oncoming traffic with both hands outstretched like Jesus before disappearing. That kind of surprise can only happen in London.”