I picked up the taste for adventure at nine years old, visiting my relatives in Sicily for the first time. When I qualified as a teacher, I knew I’d be living abroad. I spent years in South Korea and then England, immersed in their different cultures and wandering throughout Asia and Europe at every opportunity. A brimming passport later, I retired my teacher's hat and entered travel professionally. I have never looked back.
Maria C Spitman
Fun Facts
In Korea, you do everything with two hands to show respect. Handing a cashier your money? Topping up your friend's drink? Being handed a towel at the gym? Two hands! The "short form" is physically handing it over with one hand, having your other hand touch your forearm."
Favourite Quote
"Jobs fill your pockets, but Adventures fill your soul." - Jaime Lyn
Favourite Travel Memory
My first visit to Naples we were heading from the museum to the castle. After chatting with our taxi driver while stuck in traffic (during which I used the small amount of Italian I know with him and he found out I'm Sicilian purely from the accent), he offered to take us on HIS tour of Naples, absolutely free. We thought it might be a scam, but what followed was the best four hour tour of the area I could have asked for. Fontanelle Cemetary, the best cafe for espresso and sfogliatelle, and Castel Ovo (to name a few), and we wound up driving down the coast to Sorrento at sunset. He invited us for dinner with his family (regrettably we had the evening train to Rome that night, so had to decline), and refused even gas money from us at the end of the day. The love locals have for their home and their warmth in wanting to share its beauty with visitors has stayed with me years later.
