Since the beginning of last October Kati Ollula is on the road. ‘Just’ in Asia. She took a year off work and decided to fulfil her dreams. When she is not taking a year off, she is living in Helsinki and working for Hostelling International Finland. Probably you can guess that her passion is travelling and, in relation to that, learning about other cultures. At the time we were talking, she was in Thailand. As she doesn’t really have a much of a plan, it is hard to say, where the road will take her. All she could say is that she will return to India. However, she had tips in stock about traveling, why travelling is so important, how solo travels can be amazing experience, and why hostels are not just for young people.
So, what led you to make a one year travel? How does a person decide and just go round the world?
“Well, I love travelling and I’ve always thought that time runs out to fast, when you’re travelling. When I found out, I have a chance to take a year off work I decided to take this opportunity. Travelling is my passion, it is what makes me most happy. My big wish was to spend more time in India, not just month or two. Now it is happening, it is a dream come true. I am living my dreams.”
Is it difficult to plan a trip for one year? What is the most important?
“It is actually very easy, when you know you have one year, because you have so much freedom. I think it’s more difficult if your time is limited and you have to make the most of it. Of course there are this everyday life questions you need to think of, when you’re away for a year. For example, I had to rent my apartment, make sure that bills will be paid, that I can use internet banking, etc. But planning the road is easy, as I have so much time.”
What about financial point of view? Did you save money for a long time to be able to make this trip or how did you make it happen?
“I have to admit, I am a bad example in this case, because I get money paid each month. I didn’t have any savings. However, we (Finland) have this fantastic system: once I have worked for minimum of 10 years I can take maximum of one year off of work. My company has to keep my place, but give it, for the time of my absence, to someone who is unemployed at that moment. Thanks to that, I get a little bit of money from a Finnish government. And that is what makes my travelling possible.”
Are you traveling alone?
“My very much younger brother joined me for the first three weeks of my trip. He actually didn’t travel at all, so I suggested him to join me for a few weeks. Since he went home, I’ve been travelling alone. Basically, I always travel alone. I like the freedom. However, I’ll be meeting some friends of mine in India. Whit this group I made trips in Europe, but this year we’ve decided to meet in India.”
What would you advice to all woman who would like to travel alone but they are scared? We can read all over how, for example India, is dangerous because of all the violence.
“I think, it can happen anywhere in the world. Of course, when you get aware of this danger you get more scared. If you do not know… How do I see it? It can happen anywhere. I am not going to let that people stop me from travelling. I keep my thumbs up for me that only good things happen to me. I know many people are unsure going to India and I understand it completely.”
What impresses you the most when you are traveling? What are the things you would point out that are the most important for you while traveling?
“For me is seeing the everyday life of the local people. I do go to museums, but more important for me is to see how local people live, how they operate, how does their normal lives look like. I can spend hours seating in a café and watching people. That’s the most rewarding in some ways. I love nature, seaside, and mountain areas as well.”
Did you have a chance to visit homes of the locals?
“Yes, I’ve gotten to know some people in Thailand and visited their homes. They showed me what the locals eat, do… I wasn’t planning to stay so long in Thailand, but since I’ve met so many locals I’ve stayed and I really enjoy it.”
Where do you sleep? How do you decide where will you sleep? Is that brief decision or do you book in advance?
“I’ve been using HI hostels here in Thailand and in Cambodia. Wherever I am, I want to go to HI places. I have the membership card, obviously. The ones, I’ve been so far, were all fantastic hostels. Also in Bangkok there are many fabulous hostels. One that I’ve become very fond of and I’ve been sleeping there twice is an HI hostel. And I keep going back there as I like it that much.
I do usually book in advance. I am travelling alone, so I want to make sure I have a place to go. I prefer it that way. If I arrive at evening, at least I do not have to search for a place to sleep. However, that is not always possible. If you go to small villages, where the tourism is not that organized, there you have to look for a place and ask for an accommodation.
What affects my decision mostly, when choosing a place to stay, is the location, the price, and I pay a lot of attention to what other customers are saying about the place. I read other people’s experiences or customer’s feedback very carefully to get a general picture of a place. However, I read it with knowledge that people usually give a feedback when they are not happy with something.”
What would you say about standards of the HI hostels in Asia?
“I’ve been very surprised. I’ve stayed in HI hostel in Thailand and in Cambodia and both places was really good with really high standards. At the beginning I was in a hostel with my brother and that was his first time in a hostel. He really liked it and I said: ‘Well, brother, welcome to my world, ha, ha!’ People working in these hostels are really nice and helpful. I’ve been happy noticing they have kind of a hosteling spirit. The HI hostel in Bangkok… the fact that I returned to a place, says it all. Atmosphere is amazing, nice neighbourhood, great people.”
Hi Hostels are not just for youngsters, right? That prejudice or stereotype is not true, I would say.
“I am going to be forty and I am still going to hostels. And I am going to sleep in hostels for a long time. There are lot of mature adults staying at hostels those years, because it is more of a way of life than age, I would say.”
You’ve been travelling since October. Was there any special or extraordinary adventure you would point out?
“Every day has been some kind of an adventure, because every day something unexpected happens. However, this time I didn’t experience cultural shock as I travelled quite a lot and I was prepared. But the biggest cultural shock I’ve ever had was when I first went to India. I remember me thinking: ‘What are you doing here?! Just go back home.’ But I got over it and now, I think, I am prepared and I know what to expect.”
What would be your advice to all the young people that see the world only through the TV and have no courage to go traveling?
“I would say that just go! I was also scared and still, although I’ve travelled quite a bit, I have doubts before leaving. But the moment you start, you realise that everything is working just fine. And you become so proud of yourself when you see you managed everywhere. When you’re at home, it is so easy to think of worst case scenarios and those usually do not happen. But new experiences give you so much! New ideas about what you want to do in your life, what you really want to make of your life. Everyone should find the courage to travel. I would be more afraid if I knew, I’ll never have the chance to travel again. Life without travelling would be scary and sad. I’ve noticed that many people are scared of travelling alone. I know people that would love to go if they could find someone to go with them. But they can’t, so they do not travel at all. I find that very unfortunate, because on travels you are never alone. You meet so many people, especially if you’re alone. That feeling, when you realise that you do manage by yourself, is very rewarding.”
What are the benefits of traveling? What did you learn, what did travels give you?
“You learn about other cultures. Of course, you can read about it in books. But when you live through them yourself is really rewarding. I think that travelling broadens your horizons, you become much more inventive or, in other words, ‘street wise’. You have more understanding towards other people, you learn that not everyone else lives the way you do, and that the way they live is just as good as your lifestyle. And all the people you meet! You can make friends for the rest of your life. Especially these days it is easy to keep in touch with people because of social media. Not to forget that travelling gives you more creative way of thinking, you solve your problems easier as you see all sorts of things. Yes, travelling makes it easier to think out of the box.”
