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HELENA SMITH\u200a\u2014\u200aWRITER FOR LONELY PLANET AND ROUGH GUIDES AND AUTHOR OF HACKNEY GUIDESHelena Smith is a travel writer and book author. She writes for the \u2018Lonely Planet\u2019 and \u2018Rough Guides\u2019 publications whilst exploring the world, and has self-published her own books \u2018Inside Hackney\u2019 and \u2018Eat Hackney\u2019 in which she shares her insights travelling just a few miles from her doorstep.She shares her insights into travelling and how she worked her way into a dream job being paid to follow her passions.TOP TIPS1. Pack minimallyThe less stuff you have the better your trip will be. trust me. baggage drags you down, there is more stuff to lose, more stuff to carry. more stuff to unpack and repack every stop and it literally is a huge drain on your energy and attitude to do fun stuff and ties you down. having just a tiny backpack with everything you need is the most liberating thing you can do for a good travel experience! This can also be applied as a general life strategy to keep you freer and able to take new opportunities without being so entrenched in stuff2. Want to have a job as a writer\u200a\u2014\u200aJust start writing.Actually pretty obvious in hindsight. to get good at writing you need to do it. By showing initiative and interest in writing about travel or local insights is the only way to get started in the world of travel writing. Just self-publish on a personal blog or submit to online magazines and grow from there. You can also review things on TripAdvisor and answer questions and give advice on Quora. In this modern age also things like an Instagram wouldn\u2019t hurt\u20263. Bananas are awesomeYou can do lots of healthy alternatives to things with them and keep all your vegan friends happy. And you can basically buy them anywhere in the world cheaply. So no excuses.HELENA\u2019S BOOKSInside Hackney (http://insidehackney.com/)If you\u2019re in London or plan to visit the inside Hackney is a great resource beyond the average guidebook or using TripAdvisor. So many cool things she\u2019s put in the book.Eat Hackney (http://eathackney.com/)For culinary travellers, Eat Hackney is your chance to get hold of and recreate the best food available in Hackney from the comfort of your own home. I\u2019m already keen to try the Mung-bean curry she mentions and excited to see what other gems she has inside.HELENA\u2019S FAVOURITE BOOKSTrue History of the Kelly Gang (https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=true+history+of+the+ned&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss) by Peter CareyHer absolute favourite book. It sounds pretty interesting and as I\u2019m about to visit Australia I\u2019m lining it up on my next books to read.Daunt BookshopA great shop in London, it pairs travel books with novels about the country. So you can read a nice story about where you are going.SAM\u2019S FAVOURITE TRAVEL BOOK PAIRINGS\u2018The Shadow of the Wind (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shadow-Wind-Cemetery-Forgotten-Books/dp/1474609880/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3LC8F5WMPKP13&keywords=the+shadow+of+the+wind&qid=1580045060&s=books&sprefix=the+shadow%2Cstripbooks%2C484&sr=1-1)\u2019\u200a\u2014\u200aCarlos Ruiz Zaf\xf3n\u200a\u2014\u200aBarcelona, SpainA beautiful captivating tale from early 20th century Barcelona, it\u2019s one of my absolute favourite books also so a great read to lose yourself in.The Caesar (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Conn-Iggulden-Emperor-Books-Collection/dp/B00JBAJV6E/ref=sr_1_17?crid=2J6Z5DCSEF4LQ&keywords=conn+iggulden&qid=1580045555&s=books&sprefix=conn+%2Cstripbooks%2C371&sr=1-17)\u200a\u2014\u200a A Series of 5 Books by Conn Iggulden\u200a\u2014\u200aRome, Italy, EuropeJust an epic account of the great man. All about Julius Caesar, Rome, Italy and also his conquests across Europe in general.\u2018Memoirs of a Geisha (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Memoirs-Geisha-Arthur-Golden/dp/0099771519/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2KKKZAVWYEOTG&keywords=geisha&qid=1580045283&s=books&sprefix=geisha%2Cstripbooks%2C365&sr=1-1)\u2019 by Arthur Golden.\u200a\u2014\u200aJapanA stunningly beautiful book all about the last true geisha\u2019s of Japan that follows the story of a young girl who goes to Geisha school to try help her family in a troubled age and goes on to be a leading geisha but during a time when Japan was catching up with the modern world.It\u2019s just a really interesting book into a crazy country and a crazy life that doesn\u2019t really exist anymore but with many poignant life lessons about how to succeed and stay relevant in a changing world around you.\u2018Nothing To Envy (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nothing-Envy-Lives-North-Korea/dp/184708141X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=6RNWPP9AAZMN&keywords=nothing+to+envy&qid=1580045243&s=books&sprefix=nothing+to+en%2Cstripbooks%2C490&sr=1-1)\u2019 by Barbara Demick, North KoreaThis book blew my mind. I literally had no idea about what has been going on in North Korea and it is a truly fascinating and shocking book about the crazy world of an entire country ran in a big brother state. it follows the tale of several families and characters and the effects that politics, famine and desperation has on them and the amazing resilience of human beings and the shocking power or information and what can happen when it is withheld from us. Obviously, I haven\u2019t been to North Korea (YET) but I\u2019ll update you on any progress on that front as I\u2019m totally looking into it!Try a free Audible trial of any book here (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Audible-Free-Trial-Digital-Membership/dp/B00OPA2XFG?tag=samharris48%E2%80%9321)CONTACTHelena:You can find out more about Helena and her projects at:helenasmith.co.uk (https://helenasmith.co.uk)Twitter \u2014 Helena (https://twitter.com/HelsTravels)Twitter \u2014 Inside Hackney (https://twitter.com/insidehackney)Sam:Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/samjamsnaps/)Quora (https://www.quora.com/profile/Sam-Harris-58)Twitter (https://twitter.com/samharristweets)LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharris48/)Subscribe!If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends! Special Guest: Helena Smith.\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices