Itchy Boots

I have to assume that she is hiring a "fixer" to handle part of the administrative issues for some of the countries she travels through. I could be wrong though.
 
milq said:
I have to assume that she is hiring a "fixer" to handle part of the administrative issues for some of the countries she travels through. I could be wrong though.
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She does it herself, and she is extremely adept at it.
Remember, she has been traveling her entire adult life and before, including when she was working during her career in geological / oil exploration.
The only "crew" she has, are some folks helping with her website and ecom store, and shipping. But she knows LOTS of overlanders and the world traveler community, and stays current with border crossings, international hot spots, conflicts, and the rest.
If you recall, the only real hassle she has had in eight seasons now, was when countries started closing borders and quarantining travelers, and barely got out of Ecuador with the help of the Dutch embassy.
She is no ditz, and knows what is required to take herself and a motorcycle across borders. She frequently comments on having to get that "passage" document, insurance requirements, currency exchange, and the like. Lots of folk who do not know the dance, wrongly assume she has some hoity-toity travel agent or some preeminent booking agency at her beck and call... not so.
 
Eight seasons, several continents, a lifetime of travel... and no issues to speak of.

How would this have turned out differently, if she had one or two riding partners?

Why have no other hotel employees decided to take advantage of her, in all this time?

With all her successful solo trips, sharing the world with those of us who choose not to, why do some continually question her judgement?

Not only Whooshka, but many others across social media, but I've enjoyed following her videos for what they are, and likely will continue. More power to her, and others who choose a similar path -- Everyone makes their own choices, and she is not harming anyone.
 
As Noraly has stated on many occasions, she does not like to post any negative incidents as she prefers to keep a positive attitude in all her episodes.
In the last episode, she freely admits that she made some mistakes and wasn't on her "A" game.

Noraly also says that many people criticize her choices. Her response is that to be truly free, they have to be her choices, no mine or yours.

With over 2M followers, Noraly is one of the most popular adventure riders today.
 
She is an amazing and talented young women and works extremely hard to keep up the pace she maintains. She had her bike stolen recently but fortunately recovered it quickly because of the Air Tags she had strategically hidden. There was some damage to the wiring harness but the guy that built the bike had added a circuit that could be used in an emergency to allow the bike to run with minimal electrical circuits active. Who would have thought of that? I think she makes it look easy but in reality she has taken precautions and done more upfront planning than it appears, I hope she can continue to have safe travel. She certainly goes into areas that you would expect to be very dangerous.
 
Sadlsor said:
Eight seasons, several continents, a lifetime of travel... and no issues to speak of.
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Interesting how we define issues. I've not seen anywhere near all of her videos, but I cannot forget when she had to slog through that muddy stretch and the local guy rode the bike ahead of her while she walked (and probably roasted the clutch for her). She dealt with this with aplomb, but I'd still call the whole episode an 'issue'.
 
amorley said:
As Noraly has stated on many occasions, she does not like to post any negative incidents as she prefers to keep a positive attitude in all her episodes.
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It says that she's telling half the story. You can sense it in many of her clips.

On the flip side, there are travelers who constantly complaining... Neither is good.

If someone is documenting/filming their trip, it would be cool if they'd show the viewers both sides. Expressing emotions, commenting on things, and how it felt at the moment. Many small details complete the picture. This what makes it interesting.
Noraly making it for the most part looking like a walk in the park, which is never the case. Yeah, I know... her trip, her format. Our screen, our comments :).
 
Sadlsor said:
Seems we may also differ on what an "adventure" is.
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I'll buy that. I'd say your trip with your new GS from California home was an adventure (based on your description in other threads on this forum). Had you planned it carefully, taken your time and limited your riding to say, 400 to 500 easy miles a day, avoiding wild weather and traffic patterns, then it would not be an adventure (my definition). In other words, any trip that goes awry due to unforeseen circumstances goes from a trip to an adventure.

I remember reading about a long distance sailing couple (the Hiscocks(?)) who planned their voyages to the point that they would delay departure if inclement weather lay along the planned leg. Their extended voyages around the world were described by friends as largely uneventful (and almost boring) because of their caution and planning. They were, however, regarded by contemporaries as consummate sailors. I'd say that was not necessarily an adventure, whereas virtually every time David Lewis set sail, it was an adventure.

If the trip does not test your mettle, then I'd say it was probably not an adventure. A walk in the park is not...unless you confront and have to escape an attack by a mountain lion.
 
FastST said:
If someone is documenting/filming their trip, it would be cool if they'd show the viewers both sides.
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In marketing, this phenomena is known as "branding." This is an important element, whatever your style.
While I do not follow them, there are a handful of other female solo RTW riders, and I'm not drawn to them for several reasons. Notably, these others are not nearly as popular (YT metrics, subscribers, content, viewing duration, etc.), so IF Noraly were to follow that more "realistic" documentary style, she would have an entirely different audience, and I submit from a strictly marketing, a decidedly lesser number of subscribers.
She has intentionally chosen a different tack (brand), and from a livelihood (aka profitability) point of view, that would be unbelievably foolish to pivot now. Her subscriber numbers continue to grow, the viewer Comments are consistently in the hundreds (more engagement, more Google juice), all of which inarguably demonstrate a carefully crafted, strategic avatar and image.
For content creators, she is textbook successful, and still growing her laptop (and riding of course) lifestyle, which is the secret envy of numbers of certain people from all walks of life. (Note: another marketing tip.)
Besides my passion for riding off-road, it's obvious that I geek out on her branding / imaging / marketing strategies, all in addition to being a video and drone geek myself.
If you've read this far, it's understandable if you're sorry that you did.
 
Sadlsor said:
If you've read this far, it's understandable if you're sorry that you did.
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Read this far, and not sorry :)

You may have a point there, but to me it seems more commercial (and maybe it's her goal) than a real story telling. Hope I'm making my point.
 
It's a real commercial story... but it's also HER story, largely choreographed by her.

Still, we see her unfolding it in ways she didn't plan for, so it is at the same "real."

She's a great story teller, said as a compliment. There's still adventure in every episode, the way I see it.
 
Her book adds another dimension to the story. She reveals a little more history, and her routine.
She suffers from night blindness and is pretty strict on the hours she rides. She also wears contacts for another stigmatism, ( hence those blue eyes)
Noraly respects the laws of the countries she travels in, for example she isn’t allowed to fly her drone in Iraq or Iran. I have to check to see if she’s allowed her Garmin InReach as I haven’t seen it displayed in awhile.
Edit: the list of countries a satellite communicator is restricted,

Countries Where inReach Devices May Be Regulated, Prohibited or Embargoed | Garmin Customer Support

Garmin Support Center is where you will find answers to frequently asked questions and resources to help with all of your Garmin products.
support.garmin.com support.garmin.com
 
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Sadlsor said:
It's a real commercial story... but it's also HER story, largely choreographed by her.

Still, we see her unfolding it in ways she didn't plan for, so it is at the same "real."

She's a great story teller, said as a compliment. There's still adventure in every episode, the way I see it.
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A positive adventure with some real elements in it. - There. We came to a common denominator :)
 
In today’s episode it struck me how privileged I am to travel by motorcycle in my country.
We don’t have check points every 50 or 100kms where I have to surrender my passport or documents to have them checked out, or asked where I’m heading.
I can pull up to a gas pump and fill the tank myself.
A majority of the roads I travel on are well maintained
Most traffic laws are obeyed for the most part, our intersections are easily navigable, very little chaos.
Unfortunately females, are subject to harassment in my country, we haven’t resolved that. I’m extremely saddened by that. Noraly is phenomenal on how she navigates that. I have a lot of respect for her.
 
kiltman said:
Noraly respects the laws of the countries she travels in, for example she isn’t allowed to fly her drone in Iraq or Iran.
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In more than a few of those countries, breaking the law would have very nasty consequences. Remember that kid who tried to pull down a banner (or was it a flag?) in North Korea? It would have been a minor misdemeanor in the US, but over there he was imprisoned, beaten and he ultimately died from mistreatment in jail.
 
kiltman said:
Most traffic laws are obeyed for the most part, our intersections are easily navigable, very little chaos.
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...And yet some drivers don't see you.
Maybe a little mayhem can give more room to maneuver in traffic. I feel riding in NYC is safer than in an overregulated NJ.
 
FastST said:
...And yet some drivers don't see you.
Maybe a little mayhem can give more room to maneuver in traffic. I feel riding in NYC is safer than in an overregulated NJ.
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As a former New Yorker, I agree. In NY, you KNOW the guy on your right is going to cut in front of you to make a left turn, and plan accordingly.
 
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