Vegtravelbuddies Interview with Nicole "Nikki" Robson of Orendipity

By Tina Chau Feb 12, 2018

We continue with our Vegtravelbuddies interview series as we feature Nicole "Nikki" Robson. Nikki writes about her travels on her blog Orendipity. She's currently based in New Zealand and plans to explore more of the country while there. Read our full interview with her where she shared about becoming vegan and some of the best vegan eats and veg-friendly places she has discovered in her travels.

Q: When and what made did you decide to become vegan?

I actually went vegan on the 1st January 2014 as a little New Year’s challenge. I had a bit of turbulent few months and a councilor pushed me to consider picking up a small project to try and get me out of my own headspace. I was already a vegetarian, so the animal rights of things was prevalent in my decision but my mental health was also a huge factor in it too. It seemed like a good distraction. As much as I’d love to brag about ethics and morals, and of course that is such a significant driving force behind the lifestyle choice now, it wasn’t a completely altruistic decision. I did it for a greater cause, selfishly, to make myself feel better.

Q: What was it like for you going vegan?

The first few months was a weirdly lost time for me. I’d been a vegetarian for around three years already at that point but the more I researched veganism, the more documentaries I watched and articles I read the angrier I got. The whole time I was vegetarian seemed a little ignorant, there was no pride in that anymore because whilst I’d been fighting the justice of murdered animals I’d been blind to the torture of so many more (this is in no way judgment, it was a feeling at that time. Being vegetarian is just as awesome). In a way, I’m glad because it made my transition fairly easy. There was no desire there at all to revert back to dairy because I was just so consumed by all this new information.

Q: What advice would you give to someone thinking of making a switch to veganism?

Remember it’s about the intention. Whatever reasons for the switch, you’re battling a lifelong addiction. At first, the ease of the lifestyle won’t be obvious, especially if your friends and families are meat eaters. It’s overwhelming and emotionally strenuous and you shouldn’t feel ashamed if you slip up now and again, especially if you’re doing it overnight. There is no right way to do this, do what feels right, flow into it. The internet is such a wonderful thing too, there are so many blogs and sites to inspire you when you’re struggling and ones like this one where you can connect with like-minded people if you’re feeling a little bit like an outsider. Going vegan is like a personal revolution, you’ll change so much, do so much good just by eating a certain way, how beautiful is that?

Q: What was the first trip you remember taking? How old were you when you started traveling?

The first trip I really remember was one to Gran Canaria. Though maybe that’s because we visited the island so frequently and all the visits in my earlier life kind of merge in my memory. I’ve been so fortunate to have grown up with two hardworking parents who always tried to take me away somewhere for a little family vacation once a year. Our trips started when I was about three or four so I blame them for my restlessness.

Q: Have you ever traveled before you became vegan? If yes, how does it compare to your experiences now traveling as a vegan?

My only solo travel has been whilst I’ve been vegan. Before that, it was family vacations, though as I recall the last trip we went on together, to Portugal, I was a vegetarian and I remember my parents thinking that was difficult to deal with. I notice the difference but it’s more an everyday difference rather than just a traveling one. There’s definitely more food planning before I visit a place which was never really an issue before. But it’s actually one of my favourite parts, I love a challenge anyway so it all just adds to the experience of a place.

Q: What's the biggest challenge for you as a vegan traveler?

Being that person. You know, the one all the memes mock online, the vegan who apparently can’t go a minute without mentioning it? Some people think they’re being funny when really the joke is insulting. I’m laid back about it and I’ll laugh along to a lot of stuff, I love making fun of myself, but some individuals can be downright mean about it and that can be a little isolating. Especially when you’re traveling solo it can put a bit of a barrier between you and making friends.

Q: What's your favourite place so far?

This is my nightmare question. I just can’t pick favourites Coff’s Harbour on the East Coast of Australia holds a very tender spot in my heart because of the beautiful shoreline but mostly because of the people I met there. But Bali was something else entirely, especially since I explored the main island with a native speaker and a local. The culture was so rich and the people so friendly. The vegan food was spot on too, lots of fresh vegetable dishes and some very surprising raw cafes (Alchemy on the outskirts of Ubud was a plant power dream). And then there’s the South Island of New Zealand. I grew up with my head buried in adventure novels and being there made me feel like a real-life explorer.

Q: What’s the least vegan-friendly place you’ve been to so far?

I think maybe Lanzarote, where I resorted to a lot of plain salad and fries dinners but even then there were a few restaurants boasting vegan dishes and easily adapted veggie ones. There’s a dish my family love called Canarian potatoes, salted boiled potatoes in a spicy red or green mojo sauce. It’s simple but the majority of the time it’s vegan-friendly and it’s a local dish, so an all-around win.

Q: What’s the best vegan meal you’ve had and where?

This is so hard, I eat so much good food when I’m travelling. It was probably somewhere in Sydney though, I have dreams about some of my favourite haunts there. In Surry Hills, there’s this café called Proteini, though not completely plant-based the vegan options there are so inventive. I could never not choose their pancakes though, I have a major sweet tooth so the savoury dishes I eat tend not to stand out in my mind. Saying that, the vegan nachos at a café called Fidel’s on Cuba Street in Wellington, New Zealand are pretty heavenly. I actually have a review of that place up on my blog (excuse that cheeky plug).

Q: What was the last place you’ve visited? What advice would you give to those thinking of heading there?

I spent the last five months on the first half of my work visa in New Zealand and the last month of that was spent cruising through the South Island. Whilst the Kiwi experience, a backpacker tour bus type deal, gets a solid 8/10 from me, I would advise your own transport. Living the van life in the South would be all kinds of epic. Though if you’re an avid memory saver like me, you may not get anywhere for stopping to take pictures of its beauty. You feel like an explorer, dwarfed by all those grand mountains and trudging along treks to mesmerizing waterfalls. It’s just another realm entirely.

Q: What are the places you plan to visit in 2018?

The first six months will be spent working and exploring more of New Zealand, I have a working holiday visa which is my favourite way to experience a place. Afterward, I’m still unsure. The whole planning thing never really appeals to me but I am desperate to get some volunteering work in some time before the year’s out. Either working with women’s rights in India (the country at the top of my bucket list) or at an elephant sanctuary in Thailand. I get all excited just contemplating all of the possibilities

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Follow Nikki on Instagram and Twitter

Website: www.orendipity.com


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