Name: Karen Hautala Hili
Age: 37
Occupation: Project coordinator
My earliest travel memory…
Every year at Easter break, my family and I would travel to Disney World in Florida. I can remember being three years old and having breakfast with Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.
My best holiday ever…
When I volunteered to teach English for one month in Sri Lanka. I taught orphans and adults from basic to advanced English. To see their faces light up when they learnt something new was the biggest joy for me as a teacher.
I was in the middle of the Amazon, surrounded by lush greenery, monkeys and indigenous people. It was nicely surreal, except for the elephant-sized mosquito
Another part of my job was working to save the local turtle population and help local women weave baskets for extra money. Our lodgings were very basic, but I was steps away from a pristine sandy beach. Every day at lunchtime, the other teachers and I would have a swim in the sea.
Sri Lanka is a real paradise and its people are amazing. I visited so many places, including an elephant orphanage and a tea plantation. I even got to pick some tea leaves – I can still smell those crisp, green tea leaves.
I would never return to…
Kathmandu, Nepal. I had to wear a surgical mask the entire time to be able to breathe due to the heavy pollution in the valley. I also got a stomach virus when I ate yak
meat and soybeans in a traditional Nepalese restaurant.
Despite this bad experience, there were two highlights: travelling up to Kopan Monastery to breathe clean air and meditate with Buddhist monks and having an amazing, full-day spa experience for less than €20.
The most dangerous place I’ve visited…
The Demilitarised Zone bordering North Korea. Back in 1996, I was stationed in South Korea with the US Army and we did field exercises on the border with North Korea.
No one was allowed to speak and you could smell the fear in the air. When we passed the ‘Bridge of No Return’, we were told that if we crossed it, we would be shot… obviously I didn’t try it.
My favourite city…
Dubai. I lived and worked as a teacher there for two years.
Everything is luxurious and larger than life. It reminds me of Las Vegas mixed with a dash of Arabic spice. I miss the lifestyle, the sea, my friends and having everything at your fingertips. I would definitely move back there if given the chance.
My most treasured holiday souvenir…
A friendship bracelet the local women made for me in Thailand. They take so much care in
creating things with such meagre resources. It makes you appreciate what you have.
My biggest gaffe abroad…
It was in an ashram in southern India, when I tried to enter a temple with bare shoulders. I tried to cover with a scarf before the guard at the door spotted me, but I wasn’t quick enough. She shouted at me and forbade me from ever entering again.
I was so embarrassed and soon checked out of the ashram.
The friendliest people…
The Irish. They’re always in good spirits and really welcome you. I love the food, the music, the atmosphere.
I found the same hospitality in South Africa. When I suffered
a motorbike accident in Cape Town, complete strangers helped me out when I needed it most. After I recovered, my friend took me on a tour of all the vineyards in the Stellenbosch and Franschoek regions. We happily drank our sorrows away.
I never travel without...
Sun block, a camera and researching the country first.
My all-time favourite holiday photo...
It was taken in Hawaii 2007. My entire family and best friend managed to fly out and meet with my parents over there for a wonderful time in paradise.
An unforgettable hotel...
A five-star floating hotel in Manaus, Brazil. I was in the middle of the Amazon, surrounded by lush greenery, monkeys and indigenous people. It was nicely surreal, except for the elephant-sized mosquitoes.
I return most often to...
My hometown of Gloucester, Massachusetts. Gloucester is the oldest seaport in America, where you can enjoy a lobster barbecue while sailing on the Atlantic. I like to go twice a year, during Christmas and summer, to visit my family and friends.
My ideal travel companion...
My husband, Paul.
My next holiday plans…
Boston, then Greece, then Boston again, then hopefully Madeira Island to practise my Portuguese.
When we passed the ‘Bridge of No Return’, we were told that if we crossed it, we would be shot…obviously I didn’t try it
My dream trip…
To volunteer to teach in the Maldives for a month and then go to Seychelles for a month with my husband.
My travel tip...
Always learn the basics of the local language. I speak five languages – Maltese will be my sixth. Even if I can only say hello and smile, it has always helped me in my travels.
I travel because...
I love to meet new people and see different ways of life. I’ve been to 37 countries and I still get a thrill every time I get a new stamp on my passport.