Hello everyone!

I’m Kinsey, a 24 year old American traveling and working throughout the world. Currently I am in Australia living and working, but I spent the past two years living in Shenzhen, China teaching English and traveling throughout Asia. Nothing makes me happier than being on the road and meeting amazing people in some pretty cool places. To follow my travels you can check me out on Instagram at “nuggetfairy”.

Mystical 8s

1. Best foreign curse word you know and how/why did you learn it?

“The best foreign curse word I know would in Chinese and it is GanMa 干嘛. This isn’t actually a curse word but close to it. In English it has the meaning of saying why or what are you doing really exaggerated. Almost the same meaning as what the hell! Friends can say it to each other when they do something wrong or really funny. Sometimes parents even say it to their children when they are upset by their inappropriate behavior. Even though I’ve lived outside of China for 6 months and no one around me speaks Chinese, I still find myself saying it all the time.”

2. What is your guilty pleasure when you travel?

“My guilty pleasure when I travel is chocolate, particularly Kit Kat bars. I have a huge sweet tooth and could eat chocolate for every meal if it wouldn’t make me obese. So in every country I go to, I get a Kit Kat bar when I first arrive. I actually keep every wrapper and put it in my travel scraps book – A small photo album where I collect and keep receipts, tickets, postcards, roadmaps, paper with directions from locals on it…basically small tokens from my travels that remind me of that place or experience. I suggest everyone keep one!”

3.Besides the essential items, what are 4 must-bring things that you HAVE to have on your trip?

“The first thing I have to have are my head phones. There is nothing I love more than traveling by train, plane, bus, or car and listening to some crazy good song sound tracking my ride while I get to watch the city or country side fly by outside the window. I think of these music filled rides as my form of meditation. The second thing would be my “Kinsey proof” camera. It’s a Nikon Coolpix AW130. By “Kinsey proof” I mean its waterproof up to 100ft/30m and I can drop it from about 10 feet/3.25m. I take pictures of almost everything and having that hanging on my shoulder at all times makes it possible for me to snap all that I see. The third thing is my journal. Every time I get on a flight, get to a new place, have a moment of peace, a moment of panic or sadness, I open it up and write. I usually write exactly where I am sitting and how I’m feeling, maybe what my last meal was or what I was just doing, so I can read it later and get back in that moment. Then I ramble on about my travels and life, which is extremely therapeutic and amazing to have so I can look back and read it. The fourth thing would be my rings. Rings are pretty much the only jewelry I love and always wear. When I started traveling at the age of 13, I began collecting a ring from each country I went to. Some I wear everyday, and some I keep safe at my sisters home in Boston. But now when I look down at the ones I wear everyday, I am reminded of the country I got it from.”

4.What’s the craziest thing have you done for money?

“I never done anything really crazy for money. But I have done crazy stuff for free food. Basically one night my friend and I after having a few drinks out, ate a half eaten kebab out of the trash. Girls gotta eat, right…?”

5.How can you learn about a culture and meet locals without speaking their language?

“It definitely helps to learn about a culture when you speak the local language, but by being outgoing and kind to locals you can learn a lot. From my experiences with local people, when you reach out locals are more than happy to share their culture and life with you. Just remember to be kind and open to new things, and great experiences will come to you.”

6. Do you ever plan to settle down and get married?

“Eventually settling down and getting married will happen, but for now no way!”

7. Which country have you visited where the media has portrayed it to be very “unsafe” and “dangerous”?

“I’ve visited Thailand and Malaysia which I’ve seen portrayed by the media as “unsafe” or “dangerous.” In both countries I never felt unsafe or that I was in a dangerous place. I try not to believe everything the media projects.”

8.What’s the best advice could you give to someone without a passport?

“If you can…get one and use it.”

 

When I first met Kinsey, she gave off such a positive vibe. She’s such a caring person and she’s definitely a free spirit. I remember her trying to get my roommate and I to do yoga at like 6 in the morning when we first met. I was like “umm sure I’ll try to be there”. NEVER HAPPENED haha. I am so thankful for CTLC (our English teaching program) or else I would have never met this kind individual.

Thank you so much for doing this interview, I really appreciate it. Continue to travel the world and bless everyone with your awesome presence. Good luck in your travels and continue to take amazing and vibrant photos. Be safe out there Kinsey 🙂 !

Follow her on Instagram: nuggetfairy 

Check out her amazing gallery below……

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Next Mystical 8s: Nicole Britt, a girl who has been country hopping for the past 7 years