As you may know, I’m really inspired by travel junkies who aren’t afraid to chase after their dreams. So, it should come as no surprise that I’d feel drawn to this next “real girl”…
In today’s “Real Girls Around the World” feature, we travel to Egypt to get to know Nadine Arab, an Egyptian curly-head from Curls en Route, who decided to quit the norm because it just doesn’t suit her. She ditched her 9-5 as a magazine editor to pursue her dream of becoming a full-time digital nomad and wants to inspire aspiring travelers like you to embark on your own solo adventures.
Let’s dive right in!
The Interview
Hi Nadine! Thank you for joining us today and being a part of Real Girls Around the World! I happened to find you through a solo female travel hashtag of all places. It just shows how powerfully effective social media is at connecting people from all around the world.
One of the first things that struck me about you is that you seem like the epitome of a “real girl”.. authentic, interesting and altogether, just an awesome, down to earth girl and your followers agree.
In one of my favorite Instagram posts of yours, you said, “Let’s normalize travel mishaps”. I love that because we can all relate to trip disasters. The popular misconception tends to portray travel bloggers’ lives being a vacation all the time. I’ve had my share of horrible mishaps too which is why Real Girl Review’s motto is, “The Good, the Bad & the Ugly”. But, I love your optimistic take on things not going as planned.
And now we want to know…
- What is your craziest (or funniest) travel story?
I have a lot of insanely funny stories – it’s so hard to label one as the “craziest” or “funniest”. So, I’ll just pick one randomly.
The one on top of my head right now has to be a very random evening in Bali. I was riding the scooter when I spotted a billboard, promoting a pool party with Fergie as its headliner! Even though the event was the following morning, I booked a ticket right away – I felt like I owed it to my 13-year-old Black Eyed Peas-loving self.
Afterwards, I went to meet up with two other solo female travelers that I found on a Facebook travel community. We somehow ended up at a drag show and one of the drag queens invited me to dance with her on stage! Right after the show, we found ourselves in a tattoo studio at midnight – one of the girls got a tattoo and I got myself my second travel piercing! It was a very spontaneous day that I absolutely loved.
- What was the moment you were bit by the travel bug?
It was definitely my Erasmus experience where I lived in France and traveled around Europe for 4 months.
- What would your perfect day be?
Any day spent in the great outdoors is perfect to me. Ideally, it would be somewhere in Sinai where the beautiful mountains meet the Red Sea.
- What about a destination entices you to visit it?
It usually depends on my mood. Sometimes, I feel like going somewhere exotic, or maybe somewhere with lots of adventure travel activities, or maybe a destination where I can relax. However, my perfect combo is when a destination offers delicious cuisine, breathtaking nature, adventure travel, a sick nightlife scene, and definitely interesting culture and history. That’s why my top destinations were Bali, Italy, and Cape Town.
- What’s the first thing you do when coming home from a trip?
I order McDonald’s!
- What are your plans for 2022?
I started my year on a positive note as I’ve already traveled to 5 destinations. I started my year in Saint Catherine in Egypt as I spent 3 days hiking and camping in the mountains, then I headed to Dahab for a few days before going back to Cairo. I also spent a day in Fayoum, spent my birthday in Dubai, and then I went to Siwa for a weekend after I came back to Egypt.
I’ve had a couple of international travel plans for this year in mind, but unfortunately, they were canceled. So, until I figure out where I’m headed to next, I’m focusing on other projects related to my blog, Curls en Route. I recently launched my Egypt travel planning service, and I’m also dropping another BIG surprise next month!
I don’t know about you, but I’m so excited to follow along on Nadine’s adventures and see where life takes her next. You can follow along too!
Where to find Nadine…
And there you have it! I hope you enjoyed Nadine’s stories and got a little inspiration to travel!
Now, I want to know! Were you inspired by Nadine’s adventures? Any places that you want to go to next? Let me know in the comments below! 🙂
To become part of the journey and stay up to date on all that’s happening at Real Girl Review, subscribe to the blog! You can also follow me on social media: TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.
Thank you so much for your continued love and support! I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you.
Until next time… Sending you lots of love.
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Fact Check:
At Real Girl Review, we value truth and always strive for accuracy. Posts are updated regularly. If you read something that still doesn’t sound right, contact me at gv@realgirlreview.com. I will investigate the facts and make changes as I deem necessary.
Thank you for reading the blog Henry! The ancient pyramids have been on my adventure list for a while now too!
Great interview! I wish I could drop everything and spend my time traveling. I’d love to see the ancient pyramids and then the very modern Dubai!