All Things Gwen

From research scientist to full-time traveler, Sarah’s life is one of adventure, optimism, challenge and change. Read about my cousin …

ATG: Describe yourself – using five adjectives only.
Sarah: Petite, adventurous, minimal, healthy, inquisitive

ATG: How would others describe you?
Sarah: Tenacious, brave, open-minded, determined, persistent

ATG: What do you do “for a living?”
Sarah: I was a research scientist working in a neuroscience lab at McGill University in Montreal. We were researching protein-protein interactions in the hippocampus relating to memory and learning.

More recently, I’ve been a full time traveler for the last two years! I started off travelling alone for six months in South East Asia, then I met my partner/boyfriend Inigo Arza (he’s Spanish) in Vietnam and we have been together since. There are many soils that we have walked on: Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, India, Australia, China, Myanmar, Nepal and now back to India. Our goal is to travel west to Europe by land from India. Pakistan and Iran will be our next countries.

ATG: Describe your idea of a “perfect” day.
Sarah: A perfect day would be what we experienced in Dharamshala (home of the Dalai Lama). I woke up at 7 am and immediately did yoga asanas on the terrace. Then I made a trekker’s breakfast of oatmeal, honey, dates, bananas and flaxseeds. We started our climb at 9 am. It was a glorious sunny day, around 17 degrees Celsius under the sun. It took 2.5 hours to hike from 1750m to 2842m up a steep mountain. It was well worth the breathtaking view of the mountain range (4600m). We had a light snack of cashews, raisins and peanuts on our yak-wool blanket facing the white peaks. After lunch, we had a siesta! Then we hiked down using a different path. We were famished when we arrived to the town at 5 pm and we treated ourselves to a dinner at a local Tibetan restaurant. I had Masala tofu with spinach on rice. The night ended with a hot shower and I fell asleep reading Lord of the Rings. That was my “perfect” day.

ATG: What “small” things make you happy?
Sarah: The small things that make me happy are sunrises and sunsets, mountain views, waterfalls, fresh local fruits, olive oil, books, receiving personal emails and talking to my family on skype.

ATG: What’s your biggest challenge right now? What are you doing to make change?
Sarah: Being a traveller, away from the daily work routine, I have come face to face with many inner challenges. I realize that my biggest challenge is to conquer my selfishness. I am constantly trying to improve on that by being aware of my surroundings, particularly with being with people. I try to read their expressions in the faces so that I don’t make people upset. I am trying to be generous, understanding and gracious to others on a regular basis, whether it’s as simple as being on time, keeping my word, staying in touch with friends and family or being considerate to the people around me.

ATG: What was your biggest challenge in the past? How did you overcome it?
Sarah: In the past, it was always very important for me to travel the world independently. It requires one to resign from an important job and leave behind a comfortable lifestyle. It was a big challenge financial and mentally. It took me 3 years working in a job (that I enjoyed) to save enough money for my future travels as well as security funds for when I get back. I successfully worked up enough funds and I left my country debt-free and commitment-free.

ATG: What thing(s) about yourself are you most proud of?
Sarah: I am proud of the things that I have done in the last years. I finished my M.Sc degree in Biochemistry which helped me land a job in a neuroscience lab. I helped published a paper in The Journal of Neuroscience (second author). Then all my travel experiences: I climbed a rock face of 100m (mutli-pitch) at night under the full moon in Thailand; rock climbed in several countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, India, Australia and China; swam with whale sharks in the Philippines the same day of a typhoon storm; trekked 24 km in two days in the Tiger Leaping Gorge in China; trekked for two days on the Great Wall of China and slept in the watch tower (with just our blanket); successfully complete a 10-day meditation course called Vipassana in India, learned traditional Thai massage in Bangkok and worked abroad in an outdoor shop in Sydney, Australia.

ATG: What makes you “unique?”
Sarah: I like doing things differently and the hard way, like taking the road less travelled. I am not afraid to try new things, breaking up a routine and suffering a little bit. I live for the moment and go by feeling. I take pride in doing things that are difficult because I feel that I get more out of it, like walking with my heavy pack back several km instead of paying for a taxi. I can live daily on such low budget by compromising comfort and luxury. I enjoy travelling and figuring out my where I’m going by asking questions and using a map. Also, one has to be a little crazy to love rock climbing. That’s my favourite sport.

ATG: What’s the best piece of advice that you’ve learned?
“Leave no stone unturned” – Edward Bulwer Lytton

ATG: What advice would you give someone who needs inspiration? Confidence?
Sarah: I would suggest going on a big adventure and travel to an exotic destination so one can learn about a new culture. Of course, it would require a lot of planning financially but it will definitely be worth it.

If travelling is out of the question, then I would suggest that one either takes up a new sport, learn a new language, go back to school, or volunteer for a non-profit organization. Basically, it’s important to break up the routine and try something new to have a different view on life.

To learn more about Sarah and her adventures, email her at sarahjanem22@hotmail.com.