Faces in Motion: Lavinia of Continent Hop

The multi-award nominated creator on her travel thoughts, most extraordinary experiences, essential apps and founding a platform for untraditional women.

What’s a piece of home that you take with you on your travels?

That’d be my scarf! A scarf is such a versatile object yet you can never find one when you most need it. It’s light and helps in all seasons. Also, a rosary!

Describe a memorable view from a trip you’ve taken

I remember going on an island-hopping tour in The Philippines, unsure what to expect. I thought it’d be visiting a couple of islands with tourists, trying to find a spot on the beach, grabbing a beer and then moving on. Instead, I was taken to an island that disappeared for a couple of hours during high tide. It had everything one would need on an island including a mini coconut tree, makeshift barbeque station and spa! It was the perfect day and one that has been hard to top.

What is your most extraordinary travel experience so far?

There have been a few. One of them has been waking up in the Sahara desert with nothing but miles of sand as far the eyes could see. The sun lit up the desert like gold. When we set off back to the hotel, I saw the shadows cast by the camels on the sand dunes. It’s been clearly imprinted on my mind as if it were yesterday. The other experience is seeing the Northern Lights from my room in Norway for almost half the night. The colours were bright and they danced in swirling patterns. Utterly mesmerising!

What’s your in-flight ritual?

I wipe the tray table and the handles with an anti-bac, keep a sanitiser and my mini satchel nearby. When packing, ensure I have all I need in my cabin bag. I get anxious if I need something and realise I’ve packed it away in the check-in. I also make sure to have a blow pillow with me as I can’t do without it on long-haul flights.

What are your 3 essential apps for creating content on the go?

I try to create content once I’m back from a trip, unless I believe it’s essential due to work. It’s so hard to get a feel of the place if I’m constantly creating content. That said, my most essential apps are Canva, Adobe Lightroom and Snapseed. All of them are to do with images and will mostly cover all your editing/creative needs.

Who’s a fascinating person you’ve met on holiday?

I met this guide while I was in Jordan who had ended up there by chance. He’d left his country due to social problems, randomly picking a country to move to and call home. However, since he wasn’t too educated and hadn’t been able to find a job, he had been deported from three countries before landing in Jordan. Jordan had been welcoming to him. He felt blessed to be working in Wadi Rum, taking tourists around and sleeping in a tent under the Milky Way. It made me realise that travel is such a privilege for millions. We shouldn’t take it for granted – even more so after the pandemic.

You founded Untraditional Humans, a platform sharing stories of women who broke free from societal expectations and chose non-traditional paths. What inspired your own path to creating this space for others?

I work in Tech, wanted to be a pilot, married a Hindu and have never done things in the ‘traditional’ way by society’s standards. I wanted to create a space for women who thought they were the only ones breaking norms and not feel lonely while doing so. This space was meant to inspire people and to let them know that there were others out there not afraid to do so. I wish there was a space when I thought I was doing something out of the ordinary to help me not think thrice about what I felt I needed to do. Hence, I created Untraditional Humans.

The pause on travel has given us time to rethink the way we move around the world. What way(s) do you think you will travel differently when we head back out again?

I know that I’ll be appreciative of travel even more when I can travel again. It’ll be more about giving back and helping local communities. I also hope the distancing norms we’ve followed for quite a while help us embrace unknown towns with fewer tourists and people and help their tourism economies too. For many, travel will be about feeding our souls and not just about having a holiday away from home.

Lavinia is the creator of Continent Hop, a space for those who aspire to travel the world while maintaining a healthy work and life balance, and founder of Untraditional Humans. Follow Lavinia on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Read next in the Faces in Motion series: Eulanda of Hey! Dip Your Toes In