Ep.69 Crafting Unconventional Adventures with Vicky White, Founder of The Alternative Guide

Vicky White, the visionary founder of The Alternative Guide, joins me to share how her passion for travel, art, and photography inspired her to create a unique online travel guide. She explains how the 2020 lockdown became a catalyst for transforming her background in design and event management into a stunning treasure map for those seeking quirky museums, gothic architecture, and unusual art in cities across the world. 

We delve into the intricacies of creating impactful travel guides, from mastering the art of photography to creatively editing each shot with Vicky's distinctive style, characterized by a mystical aesthetic, along with her strategic use of platforms like Squarespace and Instagram to reach a wider audience.

Vicky also shares stories of her followers' recommendations, the heartwarming connections her guides have fostered, and the joy people feel when discovering hidden gems through her lens, illustrating the strong community her work has built.

With plans for expanding The Alternative Guide into the realm of motorcycle adventures, and dreams of traversing Norway's scenic beauty and delving into Italy's dark history, Vicky also emphasises the empowerment and freedom to be found in travelling solo, encouraging others to embrace this liberating experience...

Follow Vicky on Instagram

https://thealternativeguide.com/

Chapters

• 0:00 Alternative Travel Guide Creation and Inspiration
• 17:56 Creating Impactful Travel Guides
• 24:00 Personal Growth Through Creative Projects
• 34:22 Solo Traveling and Alternative Guide Expansion
• 48:54 Connecting Through Mischief Movement Podcast

Transcript

Vicky White: 0:00

I think it's just a real testament to staying true to yourself and creating content that you really find interesting. It is kind of a bit edgy and different, which you know I just love. You know to be different. Hey there, welcome, or welcome back to the Mischief Movement podcast.

Zoe Greenhalf: 0:21

Hey there, welcome, or welcome back to the Mischief Movement podcast. I'm Zoe, your guide on this journey to shake up the status quo and design a life that truly makes you feel alive. If you've ever felt disconnected, stuck on autopilot or trapped in a life that feels more like a treadmill than an adventure, you're in the right place. I know that change can feel scary, so let's turn down the fear and crank up the fierce as we transform your life from the inside out. Whether it's solo episodes packed with actionable advice or interviews with some absolute badass human beings who've dared to defy the norm by living life their way, we're here to inspire, activate, empower and challenge you each week. My mission is simple to help you reawaken your rebel spirit, break free from mediocrity and design a life that's anything but dull. You only get one wildlife, so what are you planning to do with yours? If you're ready to stop settling, start living boldly and create a positive impact along the way, let's dive in and stir up some mischief together. Now buckle up and let's go.

Zoe Greenhalf: 1:34

Hey, mischief makers, today we're heading off the beaten track, quite literally, with Vicky White, the founder of the Alternative Guide. Now Vicky is the ultimate explorer of the weird, the wonderful and the wildly unique. She's built the Alternative Guide as a treasure map for those of us who crave something different. So think quirky stores, dark museums, hidden street art and indie coffee spots that don't just serve caffeine but pure character, particularly if it's gothic style.

Zoe Greenhalf: 2:06

In this episode, we dig into how the alternative guide came to life, how Vicky turned the uncertainty of the pandemic into an opportunity, and the behind-the-scenes tools she used to bring her vision to reality. Plus, we chat about that ever-elusive balance, how she juggles work and adventure and play without crashing into burnout. If you've ever felt the pull to explore deeper, seek out the unexpected or just live life a little more unconventionally, this one's for you. So grab a coffee and let's get into it. Well, I'm so excited this week to introduce you all to Vicky, because Vicky and I have been exchanging messages for a few years now, I think, and I finally managed to get her on and share her fantastic story with you, and I'm just as excited as you are to hear it. So, vicky, without further ado, tell us what your mischief is.

Vicky White: 3:00

Well, I would say I've always tended to live outside of the mainstream culture, whether that be in the way I choose to travel, the music I listen to, the clothes I like to wear and, more recently, even learning how to ride a motorcycle. I've always found myself rebelling against society norms and looking at things from a different perspective, which, in 2021, led me to create the Alternative Guide, which, in a nutshell, is a travel guide concentrating on unusual, curious and offbeat locations. It's really allowed me to tie in my love for travel, art and photography and create alternative guides for some of the major cities around the world, mainly in the hope to inspire others to step off the beaten path and discover things differently for themselves.

Zoe Greenhalf: 4:24

Yeah word, I love it. I love looking at your Instagram feed as well, because, like you said, no, but it is. It's so different from what's out there and not everybody wants to just experience these destinations from the comfort of a hotel. You know you do need to get out there, you do need to see things, and I love that you put this spin on it. I love that it sort of marries up many of your different passions. So like where did the idea come?

Vicky White: 4:53

from. I guess many different things have happened over the years which have led me to come up with the idea for the alternative guide. From an early age I've always been really interested in art history and photography. I absolutely loved doing art at school and I chose to go on to study graphic and communication design at the University of Leeds and as part of the course I was able to study art history and photography and for my final photography project I actually chose to photograph Père Lachaise in Paris, which, for anyone listening who doesn't know, is a magnificent garden cemetery filled with hundreds of historic tombs and fascinating mausoleums. And I guess, looking back now, it was really this project which kind of opened my eyes to discovering that there's this hidden beauty within dark places and how much I really enjoyed capturing it on camera.

Vicky White: 6:29

Then, alongside my passion for being creative, I've always loved to travel and I've been quite fortunate to travel a lot for work and with friends and family.

Vicky White: 6:46

I actually remember, before smartphones even existed, that I'd spend hours on the computer kind of making these different maps for the trips, that I would go on with my family and I would print off the maps and I'd use them to kind of drag my parents around all these different locations that I wanted to see.

Vicky White: 7:15

I guess, kind of after university, I fell into working full-time at an events agency in London and things were just so fast paced I just really didn't have much spare time and the idea of documenting my travels just never really occurred to me. It really kind of wasn't until lockdown came around in 2020 that I finally had the idea. I remember it was a few weeks before lockdown. It was kind of, you know, the last weeks of freedom and my partner, liam and I decided to go on a trip to the Cotswolds because our holiday to Norway had been cancelled and it was during the trip that we were doing this lovely walk to the Painswick Beacon, which you know. We were kind of going through fields in the middle of nowhere and we were just kind of talking about all the unknowns which were coming in regards to the pandemic.

Vicky White: 8:37

Yeah, and I remember saying that if lockdown does happen and I end up having all this extra time on my hands, then I'd absolutely love to start thinking about how to produce a travel guide which I could then launch once things got back to normal. Then fast forward a couple of weeks and I found out from work that I was being put on furlough, which, for me, nearly lasted a whole year, so it really gave me kind of the time I needed to learn how to start a website, research the equipment I would need and to start writing about a lot of locations that I'd already visited. I guess it was then a year later, in kind of April 2021, when I actually launched the guide, and since then I've managed to create alternative guides for 16 different cities so far.

Zoe Greenhalf: 9:49

Wow, that is incredible.

Vicky White: 9:52

Yeah, so that's, that's kind of the story and yeah, how the idea came about. It's so weird isn't it?

Zoe Greenhalf: 9:59

because as soon as you start talking about that sense of wanting to explore when you were a kid, it just all kind of seems to make sense. You know, you pull all the different threads, your different passions and what you enjoyed as a kid, and you've created something which blends all of them and I guess it is filling you with joy, isn't it? This project?

Vicky White: 10:26

yeah, I mean I just yeah, I absolutely love doing it and, like you say, it's it feels like kind of all these different elements and passions that I have have all come together and it was it just kind of feels right and exactly, you know, really fulfilling and basically something that I just love doing.

Zoe Greenhalf: 10:53

Yeah, it's not easy to do that, though I mean as a multi-passionate myself. Sometimes I can't always see the threads. So what are some of the challenges that you've had to overcome today in order to bring this idea out into the world?

Vicky White: 11:12

The main challenge that I faced was that I had the idea, but then it was kind of figuring out how to make it a reality.

Vicky White: 11:24

Yeah, I was really lucky that I did have the time during lockdown to learn how to build a website and use Squarespace, which is a platform I use for my site, which I'd highly recommend to anybody who's listening.

Vicky White: 11:46

It's pretty easy to use and it kind of allows you to design it however you want. I also kind of spent a lot of time refreshing myself on how to use Lightroom and Photoshop, which are the programs I use to edit all of my photographs, and I guess lockdown gave me the time that I needed to learn and prepare. But it also made it really challenging to launch and I was, you know, kind of in limbo for quite a while because I needed to be able to leave the house, to photograph the locations I wanted to feature and to be able to travel. So, yeah, that made it pretty difficult, but eventually there was a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel, in kind of April 2021, and I saw it as the perfect opportunity to launch, as people were even more excited about the prospect of travel once the restrictions had lifted.

Zoe Greenhalf: 13:06

Yeah, it's interesting, isn't it? Because you can always feel like things are stacked against you, but when you can flip that on its head, quite often the outcome just works. Because of those constraints that you had at the time and I love the way that you can you can see almost the benefit of the fact that you were on furlough. You took advantage of that, you turned it into an opportunity and, all right. You couldn't leave the house and start the traveling, but it did give you that space to be able to really think about what it was you were creating and learn the skills, inform yourself about the equipment and all those things that probably, in the end, gave you a really solid foundation for what you were building foundation for what you were, what you were building.

Vicky White: 13:57

Yeah, definitely, I. I really think it was kind of one of those things that comes around which you can either take it one way or the other and you can either use it as an opportunity to kind of make something good, you know, out of a bad situation, which is kind of what I really tried to do, and also the amount of time I had, I really needed to keep myself, you know, occupied, and this was kind of the perfect thing. It was something I'd always kind of thought about and it really was the perfect time to allow me to, you know, start thinking about how to make it a reality yeah, um.

Zoe Greenhalf: 14:39

How do you manage to juggle that, though? Because you have got a day job and it is your passion project, at least at the moment. So how do you find yourself able to balance that? Also because I know that, being involved in travel, you've actually got to have that time to be able to go to these places and visit them.

Vicky White: 14:59

Yeah, well, just for background, after I was on furlough for around a year, I actually ended up losing my job in events production and, to be honest, instead of being too sad about it, I actually saw it as an opportunity to set up my own company and work on a more freelance basis, which is something that I'd always wanted to do. And I guess, yeah, for the last three years, I've been working on different freelance contracts within the events sector and it's really allowed me the flexibility to decide which projects I take on, when I'd like to have time off, and also to work pretty much remotely, apart from when I need to go on site for the live event or for site visits yeah and working in events.

Vicky White: 16:11

It's kind of really provided me with some amazing opportunities to travel.

Vicky White: 16:19

I was lucky enough to work in New York for a few months and to travel across kind of the rest of America and to lots of different cities in Europe, and I really think it's probably taken me to a lot of destinations that I personally never would have even considered visiting, and it's really given me the opportunity kind of, once the event is over, to stay for a few days extra and really explore the city properly and, more recently, also photograph kind of the locations I want to feature.

Vicky White: 17:06

Then, in regards to juggling things, I know kind of for anyone listening who has, you know, started their own company or has a side project, that it takes so much time and effort to really build something for yourself. So you have to be, you know, you've got to be really passionate about it, you've got to be dedicated, as it does tend to take up a lot of evenings and weekends For me. I'm trying to balance things a little bit better and kind of build in a bit more downtime. But, to be honest, I just truly love creating the guides and hearing the nice feedback from people, and you know how much people like the content. It does really make all the hard work feel worth it yeah.

Zoe Greenhalf: 18:15

Have you got any feedback that you can, that you can share, that you can remember? Was there any? Have you had any comments that have made you really think, wow, this is really impactful to people. They love what I'm doing.

Vicky White: 18:28

I yeah, I've received so many comments and messages from people. It's just, yeah, really heartwarming. And there was a project I was working on and I asked kind of my audience for some feedback, like what you enjoy about the guides and you know if you've used them in the past. And I received kind of an overwhelming amount of messages from people just saying how much they connect with the guides and how they love, you know, the photography style and just, I suppose it's just so different to anything else that's out there. I suppose it's just so different to anything else that's out there. Yeah, it's been really great to hear from so many people that it's kind of really helping you know others to discover these places, because personally, I found it even difficult myself finding the information online.

Zoe Greenhalf: 19:31

Yeah, do you get people contacting you now and saying to you oh, if you're ever in this area, you need to visit, like and give you a cemetery or a really quirky museum or some sort of suggestion oh, yeah, all the time.

Vicky White: 19:46

Yeah, people like constantly message me just with their recommendations, which I absolutely love. Yeah, um, and yeah, I mean, some people have even said, you know, if I'm in this country, feel free to, like, you know, come and stay with me and they'll put me up if I wanted to. You know, because people are, you know, messaging me, asking me oh, can I, you know, visit here to create a guide? Can I visit there? Because I think a lot of people, like I mentioned, are struggling to find the information online yeah um.

Vicky White: 20:24

So it's proving like a really great resource for people, um which, yeah, it's just really, you know, humbling to hear that people are enjoying it yeah, I can well believe it.

Zoe Greenhalf: 20:38

Um, because so much of what's out there is just very standard, isn't it very mainstream? Um, we did touch on some of the software that you use, but what's some of the equipment that you use? I mean, presumably you've got at least one camera with you every time you're away, but do you have anything else? Do you have to carry a load of tripods or drones? I don't know. What do you normally travel with?

Vicky White: 21:01

well. For my camera I use the Sony Alpha, which I'd highly recommend. I really love it, and I pair it with the Tamron 28-75mm lens, which I find is a really good range for travel photography, because it allows you to kind of zoom in on any little details that you can't get up close to. For my video content, I just film on my iPhone 15 Pro Max. Nothing you know professional, I just kind of use my phone and I really love to use the cinematic setting quite a lot because it's really good for close-ups and you also get this really nice kind of blurred effects in the background. Um, I also kind of travel with just one kind of handheld tripod, um, which, you know, depending on the situation, I might put my phone in just to get some kind of steadier shots.

Vicky White: 22:12

But yeah most of the time, to be honest, I'm just doing it handheld and then not so much um what I travel with, but um, something that might be useful for people is that I use Lightroom Classic um to edit all of my videos and photographs and I found kind of within the program I have like particular settings that I like to use a lot. So, yeah, you can create your own presets within Lightroom. So I have you my different kind of presets which give my content that kind of dark, moody and mystical feel exactly. And then, as I mentioned, I use Squarespace. It's super easy, you know, without overcomplicating things things.

Zoe Greenhalf: 23:20

In case you haven't heard, you can now purchase mischief movement merch. It's all done through t-mail, a uk print on demand platform offering global delivery, organic cotton and production powered by renewable energy. Not only can you now tell everyone you are a true mischief maker, but if you feel inspired to create your own t-shirts, stickers or mugs, you could also give Tmail a try, because it's a great way to experiment your ideas and take fast action with low risk. You'll find the links in the show notes, so write yourself a little reminder for later. And let's get back to the episode. Okay, so we've got this fantastic product now, but what are some of the lows of building this creative project? And maybe some of the highs that you've experienced as well?

Vicky White: 24:15

uh, regarding the low moments, I wouldn't say there's been anything that really stands out. One thing that I do remember was, probably about two years in after launching, I found that kind of my website and Instagram just still weren't getting much exposure and I just, you know, kept consistent. I was uploading you guys to the website, I was consistent in my content on Instagram and about six months after this, things just completely took off out of nowhere of nowhere, and within kind of the last year, my Instagram has grown from 5,000 people to nearly 60,000 people and my website gets over 10,000 page views per month, which personally, personally, I still find completely astonishing, and I think it's just a real testament to staying true to yourself and creating content that you really find interesting, and eventually you will find other people who share in similar interests. It, you know, it might just take a while to find them.

Vicky White: 26:02

Yeah, so yeah, there's a kind of well, I mean, it's not a real low, but um, that's kind of what I would say regarding that.

Vicky White: 26:12

And then for the high moments, I think the best thing about starting the guide has definitely been the community of people that I found who share in the same love for kind of art, travel and photography yeah um, I've received, you know, so many kind messages and emails from people over the years just saying how, how much they love, you know, the destinations I'm featuring um and how useful that they find the guides and people comment on things or message me personally and they share their own kind of travel stories and their own recommendations, which I really love hearing and hearing. It's kind of the guides become this two-way platform now where people can also share their own travel experiences, which is something I really really love, and I just wanted to say a big thank you to anybody who's listening who might have messaged me in the past or, you know, has commented on something that I really really appreciate it and I think you know, without them knowing it, they've also really helped me develop the guide more and more.

Zoe Greenhalf: 27:51

Yeah, so it's really, you know, it's been just really heartwarming to find so many people who do share in similar interests yeah, I can understand that, because when I get you know the feedback and the in the comments back from the episodes, it just kind of validates your idea a bit more, doesn't it? You just know that you are talking to somebody and what your, your view of the world, is also resonating with somebody else yeah, definitely, yeah, it's just yeah.

Vicky White: 28:20

it's amazing to find, you know, people who just kind of have that passion for travel and also, because it isn't, you know, the mainstream travel, it's like the subculture, and it's really great to find other people who you know share in that interest, because it's not the norm. It is kind of a bit edgy and different, which you know. I just love to be different.

Zoe Greenhalf: 28:59

I know the feeling where are some of the places that you haven't been yet, that you'd like to go, oh, that is what's on the bucket list?

Vicky White: 29:08

a good question. Um, I've had Prague on my list for ages. It's just somewhere that's, you know, really interested me, but I've not managed to visit yet. So I'm really hoping I can kind of visit there soon. Um, also kind of Cologne in Germany. The cathedral there looks incredible and I'd love to visit um to see that. Um also Vienna kind of stands out to me. It's got kind of this, you know, poetic feel about it. That kind of really excites me. And then I'd also well, I've also been thinking it would be really cool to visit Transylvania around kind of the Halloween season, to do kind of a bit of a feature on that. So those are just a few of the places that I kind of have in mind, so we'll see where I can get to next.

Zoe Greenhalf: 30:09

And if I was to put you on the spot and ask you, like, maybe what's the strangest or the quirkiest place, or you know sort of museum or that you visited as part of the alternative guide, what comes to mind?

Vicky White: 30:25

I mean it's hard because, yeah, I've been to a lot of different places now, but I guess one place which really kind of stood out was on a very recent trip that I have done to Rome and there's a crypt called the Capuchin Crypt and it's just kind of filled with kind of hundreds of skulls and skeletons, but it's all kind of decorated of skulls and skeletons, but it's all kind of decorated um, so they form different pieces of well. I mean you, you can describe it as art because it's it's really kind of stunning and spectacular how it's being created. So I would say that's kind of a standout. And you know, it's not a strange place. It's, in my opinion, a beautiful place because of kind of the work that's gone into it to design something like this which is now really historic and attracts thousands of visitors a year.

Vicky White: 31:33

But, yeah, it's really unusual um, which, yeah, I love visiting. I need to get myself to Rome and have a look, definitely, yeah, rome, rome is, yeah, really incredible for the amount of art and architecture there is there. It just really blew me away um, lots of churches which, yes, had, you know, very interesting artworks kind of within them yeah, and there's one thing which I discovered thanks to.

Zoe Greenhalf: 32:04

Well, there's more. There's more than one thing that I've discovered thanks to your guides and your instagram, but one of the things that I sort of like earmarked for a future visit as the um is it called the museum of medicine or something like that in london uh, the um, there's the old operating theater, that's the one.

Vicky White: 32:25

Yeah, it's really.

Zoe Greenhalf: 32:25

Yes, that's a great museum because and I thought, wow, that is like literally on my doorstep and I didn't know about it.

Vicky White: 32:33

It's a kind of a spiral staircase and it's just kind of in a loft, um, and it's, yeah, really interesting, lots of history there and, yeah, very, a very good one to visit if you're in london yeah, I think I will.

Zoe Greenhalf: 32:47

Actually, I'd love to ask you about not just the guides, but, um, I heard that you are also these days into motorcycling, is that?

Vicky White: 32:59

true. Yes, that is very true. It it was actually from listening to one of your very early podcasts with Claire that I love that that.

Vicky White: 33:15

I heard about the VC motorcycle school which happens over summer in East London and I remember I was out running and I was listening to the podcast and I heard about the VC training sessions and as soon as I got home home I instantly signed up for a session and I went a few weeks later learning you know, learning to ride it's always been something that I've really wanted to do. So, yeah, listening to Claire on the podcast talking about her riding journey and how she got into motorcycles, it just really inspired me and it was just the push that I needed to go for it.

Vicky White: 34:07

I love that, and it's been really nice since then as I've managed to meet up with Claire a few times at the bike shed to talk all things bikes and travel, which has been, you know, just so lovely as we get on really well. Yeah, and also through Claire, I've absolutely loved getting involved with the bike shed more and I've helped promote some of their products and also their incredible motorcycle show which happens every year at Tobacco Dock in London. Currently it's a pretty exciting time as I'm deciding which bike I'm going to buy. Which bike I'm going to buy, so I've got my full license and I'm hoping to be out riding before the summer comes around. Yeah, then, as soon as I have the bike, I'm kind of really excited about tying in kind of my adventures on the bike into the alternative guide. Yeah, and I'd really love to create some alternative motorcycle travel guides. I love the sound of them already.

Vicky White: 35:33

I know sound of them already. I know and I would love to do like some different routes around the UK and then eventually look to do some around the world as well. Um, for instance, I just think a trip around Norway to see kind of some of their different stave churches would just be such a fun and an incredible route, like with all the scenery and kind of these beautiful like grand churches are, just like they're just so impressive and unique. Or kind of around Italy to see different kind of dark history sites would be something, yeah, really interesting. So it's an idea, that is. You know, it's really exciting and it's just something that I'd love to make a reality very soon. Just need well.

Zoe Greenhalf: 36:30

I mean, yeah, I was gonna say, you just need the bike. You've got all the skills, exactly. You've got the platform already and it sounds to me like it's happening.

Vicky White: 36:40

Yeah, it's definitely happening, 100% happening.

Zoe Greenhalf: 36:45

Amazing. So I think the biking side of the alternative guides is going to be incredible when that gets going. But what other visions or ideas have you got for where you want to take the alternative guide?

Vicky White: 37:00

I would absolutely love to work on the alternative guide full time and creating guides for as many destinations as possible. Also, I'd really like to think of ways to bring people within the alternative travel community together more, whether that be kind of in-person meetups or events or, you know, even maybe photography walks. Then currently I'm looking to set up an online print shop to showcase more of my photography work and eventually I'd really love to publish a book to document all of these fascinating locations that I've managed to visit. Oh, that would be beautiful. Yeah, I think it could be. Yeah, a really kind of stunning book and something, you know, really inspiring for people to have to just, you know, flick through and think, oh, yeah, and you know what?

Zoe Greenhalf: 38:14

It feels like a really logical next step. It feels like a really good progression of where you are. Oh, that would be beautiful, yeah.

Vicky White: 38:23

So that's, yeah, something I'd love to do in the future, but I think I just need to visit more locations first, so I have kind of that wealth of places to be able to document. Then, kind of, as I mentioned, I'm really excited to kind of bring in the motorcycle element and seeing how that develops. All in all, just I'm just really looking forward to seeing where things go and what opportunities come up in the future.

Zoe Greenhalf: 38:58

Have you got any in mind? Is there anything that you think? If only the right person were listening, I wish that this would happen.

Vicky White: 39:07

I mean, there's lots of, yeah, there's. You know lots of different brands that I'd love to work with kind of in you know the travel industry, if kind of in. You know the travel industry, if it's. You know hotels which are a bit unusual and kind of always you know independent hotels and boutique hotels. You were doing things a bit differently, um.

Vicky White: 39:31

And then you know, in the motorcycle, like I'd love to work with some brands to, you know, take the guide to global and be able to do some motorcycle trips and feature, you know different locations around the world. So I would say, yeah, I've not got a list or anything of people I'd like to work with. I'm just quite open to, you know, seeing what comes up and what opportunities happen. Um, I receive quite a lot of different opportunities but I I'm always careful to make sure that they're the right fit for the guide and that the audience, you know, would benefit from seeing what I'm kind of promoting or creating. So it's, yeah, one of those things where I I'm always kind of the guides first and it's, you know, if it doesn't fit its kind of core beliefs and its ethos, then then yeah it's. I wouldn't say yes to to anything kind of thing yeah, yeah for sure.

Zoe Greenhalf: 40:42

And then one of the things that I was just thinking about then, in terms of traveling is how often, when you're on these trips, do you find that you're on your own, and how difficult is that to be a traveler by yourself, because some people get really intimidated by that for me.

Vicky White: 41:02

I've just always loved solo travel. I've really, yeah, just found it like the sense of kind of complete freedom is that you're in a new place, you don't really know the ins and outs of it, and just kind of being there on my own and, you know, being able to do whatever you want to do, go wherever you want, see the places that you've been thinking about for so long, see the places that you've been thinking about for so long. Um, I just, yeah, find it really empowering to be in that situation. But I do understand some people don't feel like that and they, you know, might find it difficult to travel by themselves. But I, I'd really recommend it personally.

Vicky White: 41:57

Or, you know, if you're thinking about it, just kind of give it a go and see. It's not kind of like you have to eat out on your own in restaurants or anything like that. You know you can just go back to the hotel if you want and, you know, grab something to eat. It's just mainly, yeah, when I'm away, I just love walking around and just spending hours just wandering, kind of having a bit of an itinerary but then also seeing where comes up whilst you're just kind of exploring a city.

Zoe Greenhalf: 42:35

I find that interesting as well and do you find that, once you're there in a city, it's easy to then come across these new places that hadn't been on your radar? Do you find that just by talking to people in, like you know, maybe in a cafe situation or someone that you meet in a gallery, I don't know they say, oh, but have you been to this place yet?

Vicky White: 42:59

yeah, yeah, always as soon as you kind of get into conversation with someone, um, I find as well, like a lot of people who work in shops, like clothing stores, like if you talk to them about the location, they're the people that really know a lot of good recommendations.

Zoe Greenhalf: 43:20

Now that feels like a good tip to know and also you don't know where to go.

Vicky White: 43:24

Go to a clothing store yeah, I remember when my partner and I were in Texas and we were, you know, going to some of the stores in Austin and basically one of the guys just gave us pretty much our whole itinerary because he was like I've got to go here, you've got to eat here, you know, you've got to see this, and yeah, it was great. So, yeah, it's always nice to chat to the local people and also, luckily for me now, like if I'm creating a guide and I know I'm about to travel somewhere, I'll always put something out on my Instagram saying if you've got any recommendations, please let me know. And quite a few people, who tend to kind of live in their cities, send me their thoughts and recommendations, which is really great and I love, you know, being able to tie in places and incorporate them, um to the guide yeah.

Zoe Greenhalf: 44:25

So where are you going next? Do you know yet?

Vicky White: 44:29

well, I think that's going to be Prague, um. So I'm very excited about that. I'm hoping, yeah, in the next few months Prague is going to happen, because I've yeah, I've wanted to visit for years and just the architecture kind of in the city it just kind of is, you know, the epitome of kind of a gothic style city. So I think that'd be, yeah, next on my hit list. Fingers crossed amazing.

Zoe Greenhalf: 45:02

Ah well, vicky, it's been absolutely wonderful to chat with you. Finally, um, where can everybody find you? Just remind me of, like, which social channels you are on and your website and stuff.

Vicky White: 45:14

People can find me over on instagram at the alternative guide underscore and via my website, the alternative guidecom. I really love it when people reach out to me and kind of message me or email me with their you know travel stories and experiences, so I'm always open to messages, so please feel free to get in touch anytime brilliant.

Zoe Greenhalf: 45:47

Thank you so much for being here and sharing your mischief.

Vicky White: 45:52

Thank you for having me. It's been really wonderful to be a guest. After listening to the podcast for so long, it's great to be here, so thank you for asking me to come on.

Zoe Greenhalf: 46:04

Oh, thank you. So I really hope that if you love all things alternative, a little bit of that dark subculture you will check out the alternative guide, especially as the photography is beautiful. Anyway, here are my takeaways from this episode, to get yourself ready for a recap. Number one Vicky managed to blend her love for travel, art and photography and then use her passions to inspire others to travel off the beaten path. If you've ever felt boxed in by having to choose one interest, let this be both your permission and proof that you can alchemise those hobbies and things that excite you and turn them into something incredible that not only brings you joy but also has an impact on other people. Two Vicky loved travel and art from an early age and often made maps for her family to use on their trips. If you're unsure what you'd love to do with your life, sometimes the clues about finding those things that make us come alive really can be found when we look back to our childhood. Three I've said it before, but I'm going to say it again Start where you are with what you've got.

Zoe Greenhalf: 47:14

Vicky couldn't travel during the pandemic, so she set about writing guides for cities that she'd already visited. Keep it simple and just start? Four even if you don't feel completely ready to do your thing, what skills could you learn or refresh in the meantime? Five it's easy to see unexpected challenges as limitations, but so often there's an opportunity to be had in those constraints if we are curious enough to explore them. Six freelancing isn't for everyone, but can be a great way to have the flexibility you need to integrate your other interests. If you don't fancy going freelance, you could still think about ways to bring your passions into your work and make your nine to five feel more aligned to who you are. For example, could you tag an extra day onto your business trip to explore.

Zoe Greenhalf: 48:07

Seven although Vicky does use a camera and tripod, most of her video content is created on an iPhone and her guides are hosted on Squarespace. So don't think that you have to invest in a load of professional equipment or a fancy, expensive website designer just to get going. Keep it simple and then upgrade as you go. Eight anything new you take on will require dedication and showing up regularly, so don't be put off by low engagement at first. If you truly believe in your idea and trust yourself to see it through, keep going. And number nine don't be scared of solo travel. It might feel daunting, but on the other hand, it can give you an enormous sense of freedom and empowerment.

Zoe Greenhalf: 48:54

That's a wrap on another episode of the mischief movement podcast. If today's content stirred something in you, let's keep in touch on instagram or connect with me on linkedin. You can even click the link in the show notes to sign up to my mischief mail newsletter, where you'll get exclusive insights on upcoming episodes and your chance to submit questions to future guests. But shh, don't tell anyone, it's our secret. For more info on ways to work with me and some fun free resources, check out the website themischiefmovementcom. Until next time, stay bold, stay rebellious and, of course, keep making mischief you.