ETSU’s Dr. Natalie Smith recently completed her goal of visiting all seven continents by traveling to Antarctica over winter break.
Smith, who serves as the program coordinator of Sports Management M.S., began her travels at a young age as she was born in France while her parents were working abroad.
At six months old, her family returned to North America, completing two of the stops on her journey before she was just one year old. Smith then decided to continue with her travels later in life, visiting many unique places across the globe and picking up traveling tips along the way.
Smith said it was hard to choose a favorite location or moment from her trips throughout the years, although Antarctica recently claimed her number one spot.
“Two others stick out in my mind as incredible. We took a road trip from Durban to Capetown along the coast. It’s called the Garden Route. It’s so beautiful and we got to stop at an Elephant Park,” she said, and mentioned that second was, “the slow boat in Laos. It was a long boat slowly moving down a river in Laos, with very little around except a beautiful landscape. The calmness, even bordering on boredom, was a nice antidote to the busyness of my life here at home.”
Calm might not be the first word one thinks of when planning trips abroad. However, Smith has tips for any young travelers looking to embark on their next vacation.
“Plan extensively and stick to your budget, start with small trips first to gain experience, keep in touch with the people you meet abroad, and be open to change,” Smith said.
