When you have lived in a place, even a touristy place, all your life you sometimes forget that people love to visit it. When Alex and I saw Fie’s, from Departures Army, vlog on her road trip from Alex’s home off Highway 1 and my home we had to share it. It is always nice to see your home through someone else’s eyes and relive what makes your home great. We hope you enjoy this little slice of our home and check out Fie’s other videos on youtube.
My name is Fie, I’m a 22 year old traveller from Denmark. I have never been much of a writer, but I love to do creative stuff so I started my youtube channel about a year ago, documenting my travels and adventures. Hoping to inspire others to travel themselves. There is nothing more rewarding then finding yourself, which I believe I’m doing when I travel. At the moment I’m living in Southland, New Zealand and within the last 12 months I have been in Tanzania, England, Holland and on a 6 week road trip around Western USA. Don’t forget to be you, we are all creative spirits travelling through life.
Why a Road Trip Along Highway 1 Works So Well
There is a reason the Pacific coast route has been filmed, photographed and written about for generations. Highway 1 hugs the edge of the continent, and the scenery changes every hour. One stretch is fog rolling over cliffs, the next is open beach, and the next is a small town with a bakery you would never have found without a local pointing the way. For those of us who grew up beside it, the road is simply the way to get anywhere. For a visitor, it is the whole point of the journey.
That contrast is exactly what makes a traveller's vlog so valuable to us. A visitor notices the things we have stopped seeing: the colour of the water, the way the light hits the hills in late afternoon, the friendliness of strangers at a roadside stop. Watching Fie's footage felt like being handed a new pair of eyes, and we found ourselves remembering why we love where we live.
A road trip also suits the kind of travel Fie describes. There is no rigid schedule. You can change your mind at a fork in the road, stay longer where it feels right and skip what does not. That freedom is where the most memorable moments tend to happen.
What to Look For in a Travel Vlog
Not every travel video is equally useful if you are planning a trip of your own. The best ones are honest about the in-between moments, not just the postcard views. When you watch a channel like Fie's, a few things are worth paying attention to:
- Pacing: how long she spends in each place tells you how much time a stop really deserves.
- Getting around: the practical side of driving, parking and distances between stops is often shown rather than explained.
- Local flavour: small details such as food, music and the people she meets give a sense of the place beyond the landmarks.
- Honest reactions: tired days, wrong turns and unexpected delights are all part of the real experience.
A vlog will never replace your own research, but it gives you a feeling for a destination that a list of attractions cannot. It also shows that travel does not need to be polished to be inspiring.
Seeing Your Own Home Through a Stranger's Eyes
It is a strange and lovely thing to watch someone else explore the streets you know by heart. Familiar places start to feel new again. A viewpoint you have driven past a hundred times suddenly looks spectacular, and a small local café gets the appreciation it has always deserved.
This is something we try to bring to the whole site. Whether you live in a famous destination or a quiet corner of the world, there is value in stepping back and asking what a first-time visitor would notice. It can change how you treat your own surroundings, and it can make you a better host to the friends and family who come to see you.
It is always nice to see your home through someone else's eyes.
If that idea appeals to you, our A Glimpse of and My Favorite pages share more of the places and moments we treasure.
Travelling as a Creative Spirit
Fie describes herself as someone who has never been much of a writer but loves to create, and that attitude speaks to a lot of people. You do not need to be a professional to document a journey. A camera, a notebook or even a few voice memos can capture what a place felt like while it is still fresh. Years later, those small records become the most treasured part of the trip.
Her words about finding yourself on the road also ring true for us. Travel strips away routine and puts you in situations where you have to make choices, talk to people you do not know and trust your own instincts. Those moments build confidence, and they often reveal what you actually enjoy rather than what you assumed you did.
Moving between very different places, from East Africa to Europe to the American West and then settling in New Zealand, also teaches perspective. Every place has its own rhythm and its own idea of what a good day looks like. The more of them you experience, the more open you become.
Plan Your Own Adventure
If Fie's journey has you dreaming about your own, start small. Pick a route, choose two or three stops you are excited about and leave room for the unplanned. A few simple habits make any trip smoother:
- Share your rough route with someone at home so people know where you are.
- Keep your plans flexible, since the best discoveries are rarely on the itinerary.
- Talk to locals, because they know the quiet spots and the best places to eat.
- Record the journey in whatever way suits you, whether that is video, photos or a journal.
For more ideas, browse our Travel Advice page, see what is on the menu in What We Are Craving, or follow the map through Where In The World Have We Been. You can also explore everything together on our Features page.
Most of all, remember Fie's closing thought: don't forget to be you. The best journeys are the ones that feel like your own.