Featured Traveller: Kiera Nelson – BJJ Globetrotters
Age: 26
Belt: White
Profession: Public Health
How many years in BJJ: 3
Other martial arts: A bit of boxing years back
Where do you live: New Zealand (Wellington)
Where are you from: New Zealand (Auckland)
Kiera Nelson – BJJ Globetrotters Beach Camp
What inspired you to travel and train?
I travel a bit for work, so my training is constantly interrupted. After about a year, I started looking for gyms when I was away and haven’t looked back. I absolutely love meeting people through training, and it’s epic to get in some rolls with people with different styles and training from me and my training partners at home.
This past year, I took the year off work to do some research to finish my Masters, so I thought I’d make the most of it and write the thesis while travelling. I wanted to keep training while I was away, and had booked the Globetrotters Beach Camp in Pärnu. The trip really came together when Chrisitan put out a post looking for people to matsurf and post about it. This seemed like a good idea, so I’ve spent the last 7 months travelling around Europe, matsurfing and training where I could.
Tell us about your most recent trip and what’s next – where have you been and where are you going?
I’ve been told the most appropriate way to explain my trip is to say that I visited ‘Potato Europe’ — I started in Estonia at the Pärnu camp, and then made my way down the Baltics, through to Poland, Germany, and then Paris (less potato), Belgium, the Netherlands, and into Denmark. At that point I ran out of visa days, so I visited some of the UK (England and Scotland) and Ireland before heading back into the Schengen Area to Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary, finishing with the Winter Camp in Wagrain. As much as possible I travelled in one direction, initially to save money but then intentionally because I loved seeing where the food and vibes blur and shift between areas and countries. No plans for the next trip yet, but I feel like Tomato Europe is a natural next step.
Kiera Nelson – BJJ Globetrotters
What do you enjoy most about travelling?
I love learning about people, what’s normal in different places, and figuring out what my life might look like if I lived there. While I love a hostel, I find it can be hard to get a feel for these more mundane parts of life as you end up exploring a country alongside and through the eyes of other travellers. I found BJJ the perfect solution. When you head out to gyms, you meet a bunch of local people that you already have something in common with, and usually learn about some cool spots. I found travelling to gyms also got me off the beaten track and let me explore some smaller areas that I wouldn’t have otherwise thought to visit.
Any particularly memorable experiences that made it all worth it?
I had so many pinch-me moments on this trip, it was so surreal to see places like Paris, Berlin, and London in real life. But it was equally amazing to see places I had no concept of like Estonia, Latvia, and Slovakia, and to realise how much more there is to see. Mucking around in proper falling snow was a first for me, and it blew my mind! I loved it and will absolutely be heading up to the snow this winter — might even upgrade my paint lid sled for a snowboard…
There were so many wicked moments — it was really cool to catch up with old friends and friends I made on this trip along the way. It showed me how connected we all are. The world really can be tiny! But after all of it, somehow sitting by the pub fire in Dingle listening to trad music really stands out.
What has surprised you the most while travelling?
How little you need language. It’s amazing how far a smile and wave can get you — in BJJ too! I loved taking classes in different languages. It’s amazing how much of a technique can be picked up from watching. I’m sure I miss some details, but it’s such a fun way to take a class.
Kiera Nelson – BJJ Globetrotters
Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip?
Oh yeah, I pair this with being hard-out Type A. Each day has a budget, so if I want a bougie coffee it’s probably beans for dinner. I tend to splurge more on experiences and save on food and accommodation where I can. Travelling slower and in one direction made this way more feasible — also live laugh love a FlixBus <3.
A massive hack I found was using Trusted House Sitters (not sponsored). Essentially you look after someone’s dog and stay in their house while they’re away. I found it a great way to stay in some more expensive cities, and also a great break from hostel dorms.
In terms of activities, while there are some things worth paying for, I found that in most places there are more than enough free events and spaces to explore if you troll through Instagram (an excellent activity for those long FlixBus rides).
Any advice for your fellow Globetrotters?
Slide into the DMs (of gyms — no need to thank that girl for the roll). Most gyms are super happy to have visitors if you drop them a message. Yes, the first few times you rock up to a new gym might be a bit intimidating, but everywhere I’ve been I’ve found that BJJ people are just so nice! And the more you do it, the more chill it becomes.
