Our always cheerful news editor, Nahrain, loves to go on a cultural journey when she travels. Read Nahrain’s #KOGiftGuide for the ‘cultural traveller’ in your life.
Why is travel so important to you?
When you travel you’re not only meeting new people but learning their way of life and seeing things from another perspective. I love that.
I actually think it’s unhealthy to not travel because you’re stunting your emotional and intellectual growth.
You travel to remote destinations to get away from it all, tell me about the most remote place you’ve been to.
It’s not too remote these days, but a truly awe-ing moment for me was kayaking between two caves in Halong Bay. To have mother nature’s work towering over me was just incredible. It’s one of the few times I’ve actually been speechless.
What was your greatest discovery?
I don’t feel like I’ve discovered anything incredible yet. It’s coming though I can feel it.
What travel experience have impacted the way you see the world?
A few years back I travelled to Fiji with TravelManagers. Head office had arranged a volunteer day at a local primary school where helped paint the school and put together seats in the playground [mind you, I tried to help but I was the only person to paint where I was told not to, so I decided to befriend the students instead]. We were only there for a few hours but it was a real eye opener. Knowing poverty exists doesn’t mean you completely understand it, and I didn’t until I was surrounded by these bright, energetic young children that would head home later that day to help their parents fetch water from a nearby water source.
Name three places on your bucket list?
- South America – the entire continent has been on my bucket list since I was born.
- Iran – I think there’s a massive misconception about the destination here in the west and I’d love to see what it’s actually like for myself.
- Iraq – I know it’s crazy but I dream of travelling to the Nineveh Plains in Northern Iraq and seeing the ruins from the Assyrian Empire. Did you know Mesopotamia is what the Greeks called that area, but its real name (what the natives called it) is Beth Nahrain (yep my name), which means the land between two rivers (Tigris and Euphrates).
Nahrain recommends:
- Compression stockings cause they’re expensive and I keep ripping them whoops. They can be purchased from your local chemist or order specific full-length compression stockings from the pharmacist. www.chemistwarehouse.com.au
- I’d love for someone to stop by Greece or Turkey and bring me back a few bracelets with crosses and evil eyes. But for those of us stuck in the office, they can be purchased online from several different retailers including www.evileyestore.com RRP44.50
- I’d also like Christina Aguilera’s new perfume ‘Woman’. I haven’t been able to find it here in Sydney so keep an eye out for me :). But there’s is also her ‘Unforgettable’ scene, which is amazing! www.perfumeshop.com.au RRP81.09
