Travel Shaper Joanna Kalafatis, Los Angeles – LoseTheMap
Joanna and I were together on a FAM trip to Lulea in Sweden. This poised young lady enjoyed the new experiences the hosts curated for us, and during those three days, I discovered what a gifted photographer she was. She truly believes in ‘Losing the map’ and immerses herself in the moment. Discover her in this edition of ‘Travel Shapers’.
Joanna Kalafatis and Travel
Honestly, I never thought I’d be involved in travel as a professional. I always loved to travel and really fell in love with the kind of travel that connects you with locals in college, when I did a special study abroad in two countries with four different homestay families. But I started my travel blog out of a desire to write about something I loved in a way that I wanted (at the time I was freelance writing for other sites and usually didn’t like the style/tone in which I had to write). For the first 2-3 years, I don’t think more than 100 people were consistently reading my blog. Then one day more views came in and everything started changing.
Travel as Immersion into New Cultures
Culture, people, and adventure. I love visiting cities and towns, immersing myself in the culture as much as possible (learning a bit of the language, trying local favorite foods, hearing locals’ opinions on their country/lifestyle/society). I think connecting with people in local bars and cafes, hearing their perspectives, is one of my favourite things. It provides a glimpse into a country that I can never truly know as deeply or as well as the people who were born and raised there.
On the other extreme, I also like to go on great adventures, like climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, or (hopefully) sailing to Antarctica next year in February! There’s something alluring about going somewhere not as many people have ventured before. But also, for example with something like summiting Kilimanjaro, there is an element of personal growth, as well as physically and mentally challenging myself, that really drives me to undertake these adventures.
Joanna’s Favourite Destinations
Though I now live in LA, I am continuously fascinated by every new niche of my home country – Greece – that I get to explore. The deep connection you feel to the country your parents and ancestors came from, as well as, in my case, the first country I remember as a child, is irreplaceable.
Besides Greece, my top three favorites are Norway, Colombia, and Japan. Norway, because it is one of the most physically stunning places I have ever seen, with incredible landscapes. Japan, because it is culturally the most different from any place I am familiar with, and I find learning even a little about the myriad of traditions, rules, cultural factors, and societal issues there fascinating. Colombia, because I have seldom felt so fully embraced by a place when visiting – from the people and food to nature, the weather, the ease with which people dance in the bars and the streets, there is something incredibly joyous, welcoming, and wonderful about the country.
A Travel Experience That Keeps Her Going
I arrived in Kyoto at midnight on a bullet train with little money on me, little knowledge of Japanese, 2% phone battery, and not exactly clear on where my hotel was. Turns out, it was much further than I thought from the train station. I wandered around lost, certain I would end up sleeping on a bench, when a waitress closing down the patio of the restaurant she worked at came outside, saw the lost look on my face, and immediately offered to help me. She thankfully spoke great English and was able to find where my hotel was, get my phone charged, give me a beer on the house and ask some regulars to keep me company while I figured out a solution for the night.
That was six years ago, and we STILL talk from time to time. She had no reason to help me, she was at the end of what I’m sure was a long, tiring shift, and yet she went out of her way to assist someone she saw sad, lost, and in need of help. That’s the lesson I continuously learn from travel. Yes, we are taught to be aware of scams and personal dangers, but more often than not, it is surprising how many good people there are who will help, or share a laugh or a beer with, a complete stranger.
Places Joanna Kalafatis Wants to Visit
I am arranging a month-long road trip through the Balkans, because it is a region I don’t know well (besides Greece), and am curious to find out the differences between each country, especially when in the West we usually group them together in our heads. Oman, because I hear it is underrated, stunning, and retains a lot of authenticity. India, because I have missed out on going there twice, and have always been fascinated by its history and culture. And Vietnam – because people who have traveled the world repeatedly tell me it’s the most life-changingly incredible place they’ve seen.
Her Pre-COVID Trip
My last trip before COVID was thankfully a pretty epic one. I visited my childhood friend who now lives in Salta, Argentina, explored Salta and Jujuy in the north – incredibly beautiful and very underrated regions of Argentina – then Buenos Aires, and then spent 10 days in Patagonia. The natural beauty of Patagonia is indescribable – truly something that can only be conveyed in pictures.
COVID-19 and heer Travel Heartbreaks
Oh man…I had to give up my month-long Balkan trip I mentioned, which I had planned for summer of 2020. And I cancelled a planned and booked road trip through the American Southwest, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. As well as a trip to Mexico City and then Cancun to attend a friend’s wedding.
Her Travel Plans
Yes! I am going to Antarctica in February of 2022. Because after all this time cooped up, I want to start travelling up again with a bang. In fact, I’m collaborating with Chimu Adventures so my followers and readers can come with me on this trip at a discount, so I hope to meet some people who have been reading my blog as well!
A Few Words of Advice
1) If you have a specific niche that fires you up (the more specific the better), write about that and 2) Don’t do it if you don’t love it. The first months and years, it’s likely you will be putting more effort into your content creation than you will be getting paid for. If you don’t love it, it will be really disheartening. So make sure you’re OK working on this content with little to no financial reward for a while!
