Name: Susanna (Sooz)
Nationality: United States
Hometown: Eagle River, Alaska
Current location: Canada
Occupation: MSc Student and Founder of Curiosity Saves
Small town Alaska is a wonderful place to grow up connected to nature. My backyard was like a living zoo with all sorts of animals passing through. I spent my childhood playing outside as a family, skiing to the supermarket because our car got stuck in the snow, eating roadkill moose, camping, extreme sledding, and community bonfires to light up the long winter nights.
My adventurous childhood was the perfect segueway for my first international trip: backpacking Europe. But, like many people who grew up in a small town, after my first taste of travel, I was suddenly too big for my hometown. I had also just graduated from university in an economic downfall and couldn’t find a job. One day, I packed up my car and drove to Las Vegas (of all places).
Then, I launched a travel blog and kept traveling
Not long after I moved I met my now-husband, Ganesh. He’s a third-culture kid, an Indian-Australian born in Singapore, and brought a whole new perspective on things into my life. What happened in Vegas didn’t stay in Vegas, it moved to Germany. After moving to Germany with my partner, I returned to my roots in many ways. I reconnected to the sustainable lifestyle and appreciation for nature I enjoyed as a kid. And, I found my true happiness and stride in launching my own media company. The company encompasses two websites, a travel blog dedicated to sustainability, and one covering environmental education. I also went back to school to fulfill a life-long dream, but more on that later.
On Education
Did you attend college? If so, where, and how did you choose that school/those schools?
After high school, I dreamed of big campus life in a new city. Ultimately though, I couldn’t pass up the amazing financial incentive to attend university in my home state and enrolled in the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA). For many years I thought I would regret going to school in Alaska, but my lack of student debt is something I appreciate as an adult.
I recently decided to go back to school and I’m in the middle of my MSc dissertation at the University of Edinburgh (UoE). Even though higher education is free in Germany, I chose UoE because it is a progressive online program allowing me the flexibility to balance work and school – plus I don’t need technical German.
How did you choose your program? Did your decision change over the course of your time at school?
I wanted to be a wildlife biologist as a kid, so naturally, I got a degree in Journalism and Public Communication. 😛 Writing was another passion of mine, and a journalism degree was the ‘easy path’ to a degree. I spent most of my late 20s having some regrets about my decision, wishing I’d pursued a science degree.
It is never too late to go back to school though, and enrolling in classes in my 30s was my way of fulfilling a lifelong dream to get a science degree. However, my studies have taught me that communicating science is increasingly vital alongside hands-on conservation, and I love combining conservation and communication.
In your opinion, what makes travel uniquely “educational”?
Continuing with the theme of sustainable travel and environmental education, traveling to learn about the environment is critical for personal development and the future of our planet. I use travel as an opportunity to learn about new species and ecosystems, and how I can take action to conserve at-risk nature. I always take the time to learn about how local communities approach sustainability. For example, I learned how to reduce my food waste while visiting my husband’s family in India, lessons I use in my daily life here in Germany. Opening yourself up to see how different cultures struggle and overcome environmental issues allows us to have a more intersectional approach to embracing a sustainable lifestyle.
My first piece of advice to anyone looking to engage in sustainable travel is to engage in environmental education when they travel.
Professional Background
What has working outside your native country taught you about yourself and the culture you come from?
My first travel blog was a side hobby. My real job was working 50 hours a week as a salaried manager for a large casino and working part-time for a lifestyle magazine.
I was exhausted, stressed, and sick all the time, but I couldn’t call in sick or request a vacation. As a woman in management in Vegas, I was harassed and judged.
American work culture is toxic and I never realized that until I was able to end that toxic relationship.
After moving to Germany, I found the value in a healthy work-life balance as Germans are known to prioritize family, personal time, and mental and physical health. I realized the importance of fostering quality personal relationships and work ethic. I work for myself, but my husband, who works a high-stress job, is able to take six weeks of holiday with me and disconnects on the weekends.
How might your career path have differed if you’d stayed in your home country?
Having health insurance is often tied to your job in the United States, so I probably would have never taken the leap to be a full-time content creator. Instead, I would have been stuck at a corporate or office job unhappily working 9-5 just to ensure I had some health care.
When I moved to Germany I felt like I had the option to pursue a creative self-employment career because some of my more basic needs were met.
Don’t get me wrong, it was incredibly difficult to get set up here in Germany with my visa and lack of income at the start, but I think I felt more secure here, like Germany had my back. Moving internationally allowed me to realize how brave I was, and my years of travel gave me the confidence to just go for it.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Every job I had prior to self-employment felt like a chore, like I was in an endless tunnel with no light at the end.
I hated dressing a certain way and living my life based on other people’s time.
So, I love being able to express my authentic self – wearing what I want and managing my own time. Better yet, I can take vacation days and relax when I’m sick.
Being my own boss really suits me; I am more productive and motivated than ever before.
On Lifestyle
Do you think young people in your home country would benefit from traveling more? Living abroad more? Why?
I think both young and old can benefit from traveling and moving abroad. You’re never too old to change your ways or start something new.
As soon as I started traveling, I completely transformed in every way.
I gained empathy, and appreciation for so much more than the small town I grew up in. I approach problems, solutions, and all of life’s hurdles differently. Travel and living abroad creates valuable characteristics that can help people in personal relationships, their careers, and even self-confidence. The United States, and especially Alaska is just one small piece of a beautiful global network, we could all do well to remember that.
Have you ever traveled in the #vanlife style? How did you choose this lifestyle?
My husband and I actually planned a mega van trip across Europe in a campervan in 2020, but we had to cancel. Once we had access to the vaccine and the EU travel pass, we were able to plan a series of van trips to only a few countries, embracing slow travel. We love campervanning as it allows us to enjoy a camping experience while getting off the beaten path. We visited plenty of small towns, national parks, and nature reserves – places I never would have visited in Europe if traveling by plane or even train. In a way I’m glad we canceled that mega trip because I think we enjoyed exploring only a handful of countries more intimately – I fell in love with an entirely new side of Europe.
Why does the world need travel blogging?
I’ll edit this question a bit, the world needs authentic travel bloggers that are true to themselves.
Every traveler can bring something new to the table and showcase a unique experience. If all travel bloggers are writing about the same 10 things, it contributes to over-tourism and economic inequality.
The world needs traveler bloggers to go find those hidden gems and cultural experiences and share those stories so that travelers can then, in turn, travel to enrich their own lives and get outside their comfort zone.
Find your voice, find your niche, and showcase what makes you and your destination unique.
I wasn’t happy as a travel blogger until I started writing about the things that made me happy and I feel much more satisfied that I help people travel in a new and different way.
One last question
What advice would you give to someone who knows they want to travel but aren’t sure where that fits in with the rest of their lives?
I listened to this podcast one time that talked about grouping priorities in groups of three, as it is hard to get to the bottom of a long list of priorities. So, if travel is one of your top three priorities you will find a way to fit it into your life. I would start by sitting down and working through your priorities and seeing what else you might need to move down the list to start traveling. Aside from that, travel doesn’t always have to be a lifestyle that defines you, you can start small and start local to get a taste for travel and what you like about it. Be careful though, once you get bit by the travel bug it might become the #1 priority, but that might not be such a bad thing.
Editor’s note: This interview has been lightly edited.
Connect with Sooz
Sustainable travel: https://curiositysavestravel.com/
Environmental Education: https://curiositysavestheplanet.com/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/curiositysaves.travel/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/curiositysaves.theplanet/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CuriositySaves
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