[PROFILE] - Alexandra HURAUX - A world tour without any plane

Can you introduce yourself in a few words?  

I'm Alexandra, a true adventure enthusiast. I love moving, whether on the other side of the world or just here in France. Between two hikes in the great outdoors, you will surely find me capturing a sunrise (or sunset) with my camera. Sporty, in love with simplicity and outdoor life, I also love chill moments with my friends, a drink on the terrace. I live mainly for these little pleasures in life and the big escapades!

What memories do you have of your studies at IÉSEG? An anecdote that stood out to you?

Overall, I have very good memories of my studies at IÉSEG. An anecdote that marked me in my journey, in relation to the trip, was the day of the departure amphitheater. My dream was to go to Canada, to Toronto. I wasn't sure I could go because nothing was planned for that day. I still remember the moment my name was called, the time was distorted when I announced my destination and this choice which marked the start of an incredible adventure. It was my first big trip alone, away from my loved ones for so long and everything that came from it was just incredible. Looking back, I think that this experience strongly contributed to giving me the taste for adventure that I cultivate today.

What was your path after your studies?

I graduated in 2021 from my work-study master's degree following which I accepted a permanent contract within the digital department of Decathlon. After 2 years as a Product Manager, I changed internal projects to become a deployment project manager for circular Second Life solutions.

You embarked on a superb personal project since June 5, where did the idea come from?  

Like many people, I idolized the world tours and long-term trips that we see everywhere on social media. I promised myself that one day I would make this dream come true too. The initial plan was to leave after my master's degree but Covid happened. I stayed in Lille and continued to experience incredible moments of life and, above all, I changed a lot! My environmental awareness has grown enormously over the last 3 years, I documented myself, informed myself, I even became a facilitator of the climate and digital fresco. I was also experiencing a lot of personal dissonance, particularly regarding transportation during my travels because I took planes a lot. Going traveling always inspired me but not in the way I had imagined it, I didn't want to (over)consume destinations, change continents or even countries in the blink of an eye. So I made a decision, I will not fly on this trip, if I can resign and give myself time to see the world then I can do it responsibly!What is the main purpose of this beautiful journey?

The main goal is to experience all the beautiful things that come with travel: the discoveries, the encounters, the cultural shocks, the landscapes and also the struggles, the learning. Beyond that, I document my adventures and all this responsible travel thinking on my social networks. The objective is to prove to myself that it is possible, that another reality of travel, of tourism is possible and to show it by sharing it openly with others, by trying on my scale to trigger reflections and, hopefully, awareness.

https://www.instagram.com/onatripwithalex/

https://www.youtube.com/@onatripwithalex

Today, 4 months after the start of the journey, what have you seen, discovered and where are you?

 
I am writing these lines from Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. I crossed Southern Europe via Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania and Greece, before arriving in Turkey which has been my favorite of the trip so far.
I loved Triglav National Park in Slovenia and the coastal town of Piran, my hike of Bobotov Kuk in Montenegro in Durmitor National Park and my climb of Greece's highest peak Mount Mytikas last August.
This adventure also allows me to try travel alternatives: we had 2 woofing experiences on a farm in Croatia and Turkey which allowed us to integrate into the countries in a different way and to meet extraordinary people who work to local projects that make sense.
What I love to do during my trip is couchsurfing, whether to find hosts in the cities we pass through or to participate in events. I have had wonderful experiences, especially in Turkey where generosity and hospitality abound, and I even made best friends along the way thanks to this app!

What's next?

After Georgia we will cross the Russian border to reach Kazakhstan and spend several months in Central Asia before joining Pakistan and India via China.

Do you have any advice to share with those considering taking the plunge?  

As with everything, don’t wait until you’re ready to get started! Trust yourself, if you have the desire and the motivation the rest will follow, you have to anticipate some administrative issues (visas, borders, vaccines, etc.) and the rest will come with time
The secret is flexibility! I imagined, organized and idealized this trip a lot before leaving. Now that I'm living it, I realize that, despite being on slow travel, I see a lot of things in a short time and the truth is that it's sometimes very tiring. I now know that I want to do things differently, to slow down even more and spend more time in each country.