Following her own words, Stefania van Lieshout is an award-winning Dutch Travel Blogger, traveling the world when time and money allows her to do so.
I shared a 2 weeks journey through the Indian state of Kerala with this woman, and then I met her in a couple of other places around Europe. It was about time to interview her about her travels to more than a half of hundred countries as well as how her passion for blogging and photography started on our On the Road series.
Enjoy!
#1: Hello Stefania! And thanks so much for joining our On the Road interview series. It is a pleasure to have you!
Let’s get this started. Could you tell us a bit about yourself and how you started to travel? Do you remember your 1st travel experience? Why are you (if that’s so…) passionate about traveling?

#2. Now that we know where do you come from… could you tell us where are you heading to? Which are your plans for the future in terms of traveling?

#3. What do you think of traveling with a purpose or meaning in mind? What do you look for when traveling long term?
#4. How do you fund your travels? Have you found a job or income source that allows you to be on the road fulltime? Could you tell us what exactly you do for a living?

#5. Did your job, studies, volunteering experiences, or other projects help you to travel the world? Where have you been thanks to those? If so, tell us a bit about those experiences.
I lived in Syria, Oman, England, Russia, and Malaysia because of my work for Shell. It was great because by working in a place you get a different viewpoint than merely being in a country as a tourist.
#6. What would you recommend to someone who wants to follow your steps? Which kind of training or studies is necessary? Would an investment be needed in the first place? Please, give 3 pieces of advice (you wish to have known before starting) of what to do and what to avoid in order to succeed.
When I started my blog I did not even know what travel blogging was. For me, it was just a means to document my journeys. Only years later I got to learn about SEO, the value of good pictures, storytelling, etc. In hindsight, it would all have been a lot easier if I had had that knowledge before I started writing.
#7. What does a perfect day in your life look like? Do you follow any particular routine?
#8. Where do you come from originally and where you call home now? Can you give us some local tips we cannot find in a guidebook but you highly recommend about your hometown?
#9. Do you read, write, draw, listen to music, sing, watch movies, or do something else while traveling? How do you interact with technology these days and which gadgets you definitely take with you everywhere? What is your favorite book? And the movie?
#10. Do you keep a bucket list? Which are your craziest travel dreams? Where are your favorite destinations on earth?
I would love to visit the Galapagos, the Arctic, and the gorillas in Uganda.
INSPIRED?