What is inside the mind of a Julia T photographer?

Answer 1

Hi!

Thank you all for following this series of articles! Here I highlight and interview extraordinary personalities and world travelers that I’ve met while traveling the world myself. I hope you enjoy it!

Name Julia T.

Age: 18

Profession: Business Owner, Social Media Marketer.

CA:

Thanks for doing this interview! Can you start off by giving us a paragraph description of yourself, your travels, and your entrepreneurial ventures?

JT:

Hey! Thanks so much for having me! I am from the beautiful state of Hawaii. I live in both Hawaii and Florida, going back and forth between the two every few months.

I own a social media management company, which I started when I was 15 years old.

I’d started an Instagram account for fun, collecting and sharing photos for girls my age. I ran the account and grew it to over 65,000 followers. I learned what works and what doesn’t, and have since turned to run social media for spas, markets, public figures, jewelry companies, and more.

In this modern-day and age, people are SO quick to grab their phones to find the products and services they need. 500 million people are active on Instagram every month – and over 3.5 BILLION photos are liked every day. I love helping people with the social media side of their business.

CA:

Wow! That sounds fantastic! I believe I met you just over a year ago and have followed your travels all over the world since. The locations you visit look incredible! You seem to have a great love for life and this really shows from your posts.

JT:

Yes, I love traveling and all the fun learning experiences that go along with it.

CA:

Great! This being a travel blog, tell me about it! I know you’ve been all over the world. What was the most inspiring place you’ve ever been to?

JT:

Well, some notable places I’ve traveled are Hong Kong, Austria, Puerto Rico, Japan, and Mexico!

I’ve been inspired by every single place I’ve been to, whether a foreign country or another city in the US. Probably the single most inspiring place I’ve ever been to in Japan. My grandparents live in Japan, so I try to go every couple of years.

Things are just so different over there – the culture, etiquette, social customs, stores, schools, government, everything. The Japanese people I’ve had opportunities to speak to conducted themselves with overwhelming amounts of respect and integrity. It’s extremely refreshing to hear viewpoints of those from another culture that live like that.

I’ve noticed that Japanese people in general are more open to speaking about wellbeing, wisdom, morals, family, spirituality and appreciation than I’m used to in America. The entire social culture is based around consideration of others, respect and hard work. Their products are of high quality, people work hard and have high morale, and it’s one of the world’s safest countries. Also one of the cleanest!

CA:

Wow! That sounds incredible! I’ve been to China, but have not yet made it to Japan. I’m scheduled to go later this year, and you’ve just given me even more reason to want to go!

What is your single greatest memory from that country?

JT:

Years ago, I attended the school over there for a couple of weeks over my summer break. The experience really opened my eyes up to a whole new world, life, and culture I would’ve never known otherwise.

CA:

Wow. I can’t wait to go.

What do you think the biggest surprise is, when you travel to exotic places? I know for myself, there can be little things that one has just been so accustomed to living in the west, that we take for granted what other cultures might not have. Like 24 hour supermarkets, and having 15 food choices even at 3am!

JT:

Oh good question! Probably how everyday things I’m used to in America are so different elsewhere!

In Japan you don’t tip at restaurants.

In Austria (the city I was in, at least) literally every car I saw the entire time was one of 3 or 4 different high-end brands!

Food serving sizes are a lot smaller than America in many countries.

In Mexico you put used toilet paper in a trash can and not in the toilet!

CA:

Haha! That sounds rough! =)

When has travel really gone wrong for you? Tell me your most intense, shocking, crazy travel story. Don’t hold back on the details either!

JT:

Aw man, I wish I had something really juicy for you. I was stopped by a TSA agent because apparently their machine detected something weird. They tested again and again and then brought me to a private little office, I was 15 at the time and that really freaked me out!

CA:

Would you recommend more people travel the world? Where would be the top 3 places you’d recommend people go?