Laura The Explorer

I am 23 and I studied Physical Education in Sport at uni. I also studied for my PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education) and I am now a secondary school PE teacher.

Instagram: @L.aura08

What is your most random fact?

It’s not the most interesting to everyone but I have a gluten allergy and when I travel it can be a nightmare.

If you could travel with anyone famous in the world, who would it be?

Miranda Hart! I love her and I think she would be so much fun. If her personality is the same in real life as it is in the comedy series, we would have such a good time, as she is silly and fun, so we would never get bored.

What is your best travel experience so far?

Aged 20, at uni, I got onto this programme for challenger sports, where I got to coach at soccer camps in America and they placed me in Denver, Colorado. So, I told my family in America, which I had never met before, that I was coming over to the States. Since the age of 10, I had communicated with them via email and Facebook but I had never met them.

I didn’t even know where they lived in the States to be honest but when I told them they were quite shocked about it as they only lived about an hour away. So, we were hopeful we would actually be able to meet. We spoke about it but didn’t actually arrange anything though.

Then I flew out to the States and I knew we got the week off for July 4th, Independence Day. Two weeks before, I was like I have the week off and I haven’t actually got any plans, did you want to do something that week? They were like we are free and you can come and stay with us the whole week. So, I finished my coaching on the Saturday and my family came to pick me up that afternoon.

Spending the week with my American family was my favourite experience, as I wouldn’t have had the chance to do so otherwise. We got on really well and now they have said I can go back whenever I want, which is quite nice.

Other than that, I stayed with host families every week and I have stayed in contact with quite a few of them. By going to America I have made relationships with people and now I have a place to go if I am ever out there again.

How was the journey?

The route was actually crazy! Because the company paid for the flights, they obviously tried to find the cheapest route, so I had to fly from Manchester to Philadelphia and then from Philadelphia to Los Angeles and then come back on myself to get to Denver. If I had flown direct, it probably would have taken about 8 hours but it actually took me 25 hours. So I could have actually flown to New Zealand in that time.

The first flight was around 8 hours, then the next one was 6 hours and then the last one was 3 hours. That was stressful because my layover time in LA was short, only about an hour and I was worried about getting to my gate in time.

How did you find this opportunity?

My friend at uni was in the year above (third year) studying the same course as me and she did this challenger sports coaching programme the year before me and told me about it. So, I went online, found the application form and just applied for it. Then all you had to do to get on was go for an interview and you had to coach a mini session for other applicants.

That was quite hard because you were coaching the other people who were in competition with you for a place. It was a bit awkward because we all knew we wanted the same thing. But you found out on the day if you were successful or not which was quite nice because you didn’t have to wait for ages or anything.

Was it expensive?

I think we had to pay a deposit, which was £200 but the whole thing cost £800 for 3 months accommodation, flights, food and all the equipment we needed. So, when you break it down it was quite good because if you went on a trip to all of those places which we got to go to and pay for everything yourself, it would have cost way more that than. We also got paid when we were out there for coaching, so I made a slight profit but it wasn’t about the money.

We had to pay for travel visa ourselves, so we had to go to the US embassy and go through that whole process which I was actually quite nervous about. In the embassy, they made you sip your water to test that it wasn’t alcohol or anything. There were proper full on security guards and I was like OMG, this is like some military operation.

I would say the whole process was stressful at times, like I felt stressed about the interview and applying for the visa and if I would get one or not but overall, it was fine. It was worth it because I had some great experiences.

What did you learn?

In terms of myself I learned that it's okay not to have a plan. I was very regimented before with the fact that I need to have a plan and I need to know what's what, whereas with this experience I couldn't really.

As I was staying with a different family every week, I wouldn’t know which family it was or know anything about them until I was there with them. So, you just have to meet them and go with it, even though they are basically strangers.

I wouldn’t know where the next destination was until 48 hours before. You drive there, you meet the family and you live with them for a week and repeat over a 3 month period. But you don’t just change families every week, you change coaches as well. I made good friends with a few of the boys there and we were together for 3 weeks but then we weren’t together for the rest of the 3 months. I guess the whole experience has made me learn to go with the flow more.

Did you drive in America?

I learnt to drive out there, on the other side of the road but I didn’t like it. But at least I can say I have driven in the US now. On the freeways, where there are 4 lanes with cars changing lanes erratically, driving like maniacs, I was like that’s not for me. So, I stuck to driving in rural areas with little traffic.

What advice would you give someone at uni?

Take any opportunity that arises and don’t overthink because when you overthink, you talk yourself out of things. So, if you get an opportunity take it! Because what is the worst thing that can happen? If you don’t like it then you know not to do it again.

Like my American coaching experience, I was proper nervous about it because I was going away by myself for 3 months which is quite a big deal but if you push yourself, you are going to enjoy it. I would just take any opportunity that you can as these are the years you can do it because you have fewer responsibilities, especially if you haven’t got kids or full time work. So basically, just do it!

What is on your bucket list?

It’s just a personal thing I really want to do in the future and that’s to go and see the northern lights.

Also, I would like to go back to America and visit some of the families that I have met just because I haven’t seen them since and I would have like to have gone back before now, if it wasn’t for the Covid situation.

Otherwise, just travel anywhere as much as I can in life.

What would your ideal hen do look like?

I feel like I would want to go somewhere with glamping pods but not glamping and have the drinks in there and then go out and do adventurous things. I am not sure about bungee jumping, as I don’t think that’s for me but something fun in the middle of nowhere. I don’t know exactly which activity but may even something like hiking as long as it’s pretty. I wouldn’t want to just go out clubbing in a city because you can do that anywhere.

What do you want to be remembered for?

I would like to think in my career I want to be remembered as a good role model. I want to make a difference to kids and I want to be remembered positively, as everyone remembers their favourite teacher from school.  

Instagram: @L.aura08