Name: Maria Pisani
Occupation: director, Integra Foundation

My best trip ever…

Easy. Guatemala. Four weeks provided enough time to explore the hugely diverse gems this relatively small country in Central America has to offer: lakes, rivers, the Caribbean, forest, jungle, volcanoes, Mayan temples…

My partner, Shaun, was living there at the time. It meant we also got to explore many hidden places off the map. I can’t really capture the experience with words.

I loved every second of it – and I recounted every second of it ad nauseam upon my return. I remember, and I smile. It was perfect.

I felt most relaxed in…

Central Park, New York. I travelled to New York for work. I had to stay on for a couple of meetings, so I made the most of it and took a big bite of the apple.

I remember running to catch a train, a loaded rucksack on my back – and I felt happy to be alive

It’s a city of contrasts, and while hugely cliché, incredibly cosmopolitan. I was on my own and loved every second of it, in particular the galleries and just lying on the grass in Central Park, reading and watching the world go by.

I lost my cool in…

Nowhere… it’s all part of the journey.

I partied hardest in…

Prague. Not so much partied as drank myself to a stupor – although that’s really not saying much, as everyone who knows me also knows that my tolerance for alcohol is essentially zero.

I was at a party with my friend Mario. I was encouraged to try out a local spirit; it was a pink liquid and tasted like roses. That’s all I remember.

I couldn’t wait to leave…

Nowhere really. Every destination has something unique to offer and I love to experience different realities. I loved Marrakech, but I do recall being stopped one too many times by the police asking to see some form of identification.

I cringe when I think of…

I’m not sure if ‘cringe’ is the right word. Ten years ago I went to Tunisia with my children and one evening I decided to take them to a nearby fishing village. We travelled there by bus, but by the time we were ready to make our way back to the hotel it was dark and the buses had stopped working, so I had to get a taxi.

I was not aware that the law dictated a maximum of four people per taxi. We were one too many and despite my pleas to the taxi drivers, I was forced to send Robyn and Chloe (aged 11 and nine at the time) in a taxi on their own. Ben and Seana (aged seven and four at the time) travelled with me.

The taxi drivers understood my concerns, they were great and they literally drove bumper to bumper back to the hotel.

But I will never forget the image of Robyn and Chloe staring at me from the back of the taxi cab, eyes like rabbits caught in headlights – and the whole time all I could think was: “If my mum knew, she would kill me!”

That is something to keep in mind if you’re a single parent travelling alone with a bunch of kids!

I laughed so hard in…

Two places come to mind. I had taken the kids on a camel ride in Tunisia. It was the middle of August and the heat was unbearable. My kids didn’t stop moaning from the second we climbed the camels.

They were hot, thirsty and hungry – I found the situation so completely ridiculous that I just couldn’t stop laughing. When we were finally allowed off the camels, we ran to the shade of a solitary bush. We looked so pitiful and I was off again – it’s that fine line between laughter and hysterics…

I’m smiling again as I remember a quick escape to London with my friend Andrew. We stayed at the home of one of my closest friends, Barry. We were fortunate as the weather was beautiful, so, armed with a camera, we ‘diva-ed’ our way around every statue, fountain and street performer – and laughed and laughed and laughed some more.

My longest holiday was…

Well, they are actually my holidays in Malta as a child. Before coming to live in Malta at the age of 16, we lived in the UK and Germany. Every year we would travel overland to Malta, and then spend the summer here.

I loved our holidays in Malta, but I think the journey over land is what really triggered my wanderlust – even though I was stuck at the back of a transit van, fighting for space with my brother and sick from living off pot noodles for days on end.

The scenery along the way was amazing – depending on the point of departure and the route my Dad would take – Austria, Switzerland, France, detours through Luxembourg, Belgium and eventually to Italy and down to Sicily – ruggedly beautiful and all captured with my Kodak Instamatic. Happy times and flared jeans.

I wish I could live in…

I recall visiting Utrecht in the Netherlands for a conference – there was something about the place that just felt right. The bars alongside the canals, the bicycles… a very relaxed feel. I loved it. More recently my partner and I spent a few days in Lucca, Italy.

It’s a beautifully quaint walled city, set in beautiful Tuscany. Yes, I could live there, but I’d have to brush up on my Italian – I’m linguistically challenged.

I treasure the memory of…

So many places and spaces – and for so many different reasons. On reflection, I’d say each memory is precious thanks to the people I was with: family holidays as a child with my parents and my brother, my partner, my children, my friends.

I think one of my most treasured memories is with my friend Angie. She probably is not even aware of this.

My kids didn’t stop moaning from the second we climbed the camels – I found the situation so completely ridiculous that I just couldn’t stop laughing

We were visiting Assisi, Italy. The holiday came after a very trying time in my life. I remember running to catch a train, a loaded rucksack on my back – and I felt happy to be alive. As a teenager, all I wanted to do was travel – and for a short while I nearly lost the plot – I think I recaptured a sense of self as I ran for that train. I love experiencing different cultures and lifestyles, but it’s experiencing different scenery and landscapes – the more off the beaten track, the better – that I crave. The world has so much to offer.

The most delicious food I’ve tasted was…

Definitely not in Guatemala; I don’t eat beans but there they are almost everywhere! Best is probably in Florence; as promised, the steak really is divine.

The hardest part of travelling is…

Counting the days till I actually go. And delayed/cancelled flights – I have spent too many days and nights stranded in an airport, feeling miserable.

Travel has taught me to…

Breathe, to live, experience, and to love life.

I dream of one day visiting…

Everywhere and anywhere! New Zealand is very high up on my list though.