When Love Of Ocean Meets Love Of Travel
Gigi Veve
Water Born Studios
I grew up in a Puerto Rican family who moved to Boston when I was born. We did our best to visit Puerto Rico once a year and for as long as I can remember I wanted to devote my life to the ocean, because it was the one thing in my life that was always consistent in terms of love and passion.
During college I catered all of my courses to aquatic environments and continued pursing a career in ocean conservation. This is when I went through a terrible breakup which was a blessing in disguise. It pushed me to finally gain the pair that I needed to sack up and finally book that flight.
What is the main factor in you choosing your
next travel destination?
When I first started traveling I was very open to going wherever the wind blew me. After four years of traveling my destinations are far more thought out. I think something all of us backpackers take into consideration though are visas. The working holiday visa is one of the greatest opportunities to legally work in a country.
Even though finances can be a determining factor as well, I believe its all about determination and persistence. If there is a country you truly want to be in and work in, you will find a way to make it work. The biggest struggle though is distance. I am never one to get homesick, but as I get older my decisions for the next destination do change. I am currently in search for my next destination and it certainly will be one closer to home.
Any tips that help you incorporate travel into your lifestyle?
Incorporating travel into your career. One of the greatest decision was picking a career that would allow me to travel to the most beautiful destinations across the globe. Yes, doing my Divemaster cut quite a bit into my savings, but now I can get a job anywhere in the world. This would be the one suggestion I would make to any backpacker or person who wants to continue traveling, pick a job that will take you to where you want to go and run with it.
How do you determine the length of your stay?
I have found that I decide on the length of my stay once I arrive to the country and get a good feel for it. If I love it, I'll stay. If not there is always somewhere else that may be more fitting. Everyone has their own needs and ambitions and not every country is going to cater to them. However, determining how long you want to stay in a country can also really dependent on your finances, potential for work, and visas.
Any packing hacks?
Hahah oh packing. Packing has never been my strong suit especially now that I have all my dive and camera equipment. I met the love of my life in Thailand, and I do have to say he has been a saint with helping me with everything that I travel with. The more you travel the more you realize how little you need for yourself. My first trip to New Zealand I was traveling with an 80L backpack which was back breaking. I quickly realized I only needed 1/4 of what I had brought. Since I now travel to destinations for extended periods of time I have changed my luggage around completely. I now travel with a backpack that has wheels since I do have a lot of equipment. Backpacks are the way to go if your moving from location to location, but once I started to settle down in places, I did not find it so necessary.
Any pre-travel or post-travel rituals?
To be honest I don't have many. I am a kind of person who likes to grab life by the balls and run with it.
Best advice you can think of to give to a fellow traveler?
Don't let people get to your head, say yes to every opportunity. Life will pass you by and you don't want to miss any chance of exploring yourself and the planet because of fear. When you say yes to different opportunities you are truly embracing your journey through life. It is something that I think we can all embrace no matter what our lifestyle is. Also, embrace that traveling has its highs and lows and that's okay. Highs and lows are just a part of life, don't let that stop you from seizing your next opportunity.
You can follow Gigi here!
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