1) Hi Flora, and congratulations on being featured as a globelle gal in focus! Can you tell us where in the world we'd currently find you?

Thanks! I'm currently living in London, UK, where I grew up. 

2) What inspired you to first start travelling?

My parents instilled a love of travelling in me from an early age. They both worked in theatre and travelled copiously with productions, and I was lucky enough to join them a few times! As soon as I finished school I started travelling solo, and the urge never really stopped. 

3) What's been your favourite place to visit, and why?

That's a tough question! I don't think I can pick just one place – it's a toss up between Svalbard (in Norway, above the Arctic Circle), Bolivia, and Canada (specifically Nova Scotia & Newfoundland). Those three places have all left me awestruck: Svalbard for the raw beauty and wildness, Bolivia for the mystery and magic, and the Canadian provinces for their friendly people and fascinating history. 

4) What's the worst thing that's happened to you since being on the road? How did you deal with it?

Some pretty awful things have happened during my decade of travels, but the most immediate one which springs to mind didn't happen *to me* exactly.

A small group of us were hiking to Machu Picchu along the Salcantay Trail when a spooked horse with no rider raced down the narrow mountain path, barreling straight through us. Although nobody was knocked off the mountain itself, one of my friends broke her collarbone and couldn't walk. We were a good five hours walk from our next campsite, with no road access, no phone signal and no way for a helicopter to land even if we could've called one! It was a pretty terrifying situation – but luckily when another group of hikers eventually arrived, a dozen of us built a stretcher out of anoraks and hiking poles and we took turns carrying our friend through the mountain paths until we finally reached a road, hitched rides in a passing truck bed and got her to a village hospital! 

5) Obviously life on the road is about fewer possessions and more moments, but what is the one thing you can't travel without?

It may sound cliché, but a notebook and pen is something I absolutely never travel without! Not only for the writerly aspect, either – it's always useful to have a way of writing addresses, scraps of foreign vocabulary and getting taxi drivers to sketch out directions to must-see locations they've decided I have to visit. 

6) You've recently released your first book, The Adult Orphan Club. Can you tell us a bit more regarding your journey to release this? What do you hope readers take out of reading your book, especially those who may have found themselves recently bereaved?

My mum died suddenly while I was still at university. She'd always wanted me to continue travelling, and I guess I used exploring as a way of escapism for many years. 

Nine years later my dad died, and the resulting grief was extraordinarily difficult to live through - particularly because I felt so alone in the combination of losses I'd had. But thankfully I discovered that writing publicly about my grief was a cathartic way for me to process what had happened.

Bereavement can be such an intensely isolating experience, but the most bizarre thing I've learned is that many elements of grief are pretty common, so I wrote the book in an effort to make others feel less alone – and judging on the positive responses I've had so far, it seems to be working, which I'm really grateful for. 

7) The Travel Industry has come under scrutiny for its lack of diversity. From your experiences, what would you like to see change, and how can communities such as ours and individuals help?

Different bloggers have different audiences and communities, so by selecting a non-diverse group of travel bloggers to front a campaign you're basically saying you don't want to reach a diverse audience. In the past I've been guilty of going on press trips with zero diversity, and at the time I didn't voice this to organisers – so from now on I'll ensure that I only work on campaigns which actively include Black, POC, plus size, LGBTQ+ and disabled creators.

From an industry perspective, there needs to be a definitive shift in transparency and meaningful representation. What percentage of a DMO or brand's staff/management are Black? Is there Black representation on panels and workshops at conferences and tradeshows? Are Black charities and community groups being supported with charitable contributions? Being an ally means asking these questions at every opportunity. 

8) How do you think we'll see travel change & alter in the post Co-vid 19 era? 

It's going to be a strange time for a while yet. I suffer with pretty bad anxiety so don't currently have any plans to board a plane! I think there'll be much more slow travel and localised travel, which is undoubtedly better for the environment and will allow many people to discover the beauty of their own immediate surroundings. 

9) What are your plans for the future, and what do you hope to achieve through all of your hard work?

At the moment I'm working hard on publicising my new book and focusing more on my grief-related writing/content than travel writing. I'm setting up a podcast soon and working on my next book too.

I tend not to think too far into the future, but I hope more people continue to enjoy my writing and that I'm able to publish more work. 

10) What does travelling mean to you?

Travelling means clarity, freedom and inspiration. In the good moments it gives me confidence; in the more difficult moments it helps to challenge me and bring fresh insight to the way I think. 

11) If you could offer one piece of advice to those travelling for the first time, either as part of a group or solo, what would it be (when Co-vid allows)?

Listen to your gut. Internal intuition is a valuable thing, and I think it's heightened when you travel –particularly if you're travelling solo. 

12) And finally, how can globelles get in touch with you, and keep up to date with where you're exploring next (once Co-Vid allows!)?

I'm on Twitter and Instagram at @FloraBaker, and my website is www.floratheexplorer.com. You can also find my first book, 'The Adult Orphan Club' on all Amazon sites, available as an ebook and paperback.