Inspiring women featuring Marta Tudini
Meet Marta Tudini
- Backpacking Traveller
- Polyglot
- Explorer
- Scuba Diving Instructor
- Yoga Instructor
- Animal Lover
- Nature Enthusiast
- Ocean Conservation Activist
The interview
Can you tell our readers a little bit about yourself?
My name is Marta Tudini I come from Italy. I have been backpack travelling since I was 25 because I felt trapped in my little town. I’ve never felt at home in Italy. I felt that I needed to explore other cultures. I wanted to learn new languages. I wanted to see what was outside my little village in Italy.
I lived in many places. I had the passion to become a scuba diving instructor. So, two years ago, I did it. Last year, I also became a yoga instructor. Now I live in Lanzarote, Canary Island and I came here because I wanted to work as a scuba diving instructor. Since then, I changed jobs again. I’m always moving and doing different things. I learned Spanish so now I also know how to speak Spanish. That is kind of another thing I would like to achieve in my life. I want to be able to speak different languages, become an instructor in different areas and travel basically. That is who I am. Traveller and a person who likes different experiences.
What inspired you to travel the world? Was it something that you have always wanted to do or was it something you did in the spur-of-the-moment?
It is something that I always wanted to do. I remember when I was 15 I already had the need to leave because my village is very, very, small. It has a population of like 2000 people and it is isolated. I felt like I wasn’t living like I wasn’t seeing enough of the world. Since I was younger, I knew that I had to go. I don’t know any other way to say it. I had to go.
Then I spent most of my time just working, working, working. I got inspired when I met my second boyfriend. He used to travel quite often, mostly during the weekend and over the summer. I realised that was my way out to see what was outside the village and then from then on I just took off. I was like okay, I can do it with another person or by myself. It is very life-changing when you travel because it changes your way of thinking. You see how other people think, what they do, what they don’t do, and what is important to them. It opens your mind.
What advice can you give to those that might feel that travelling is an unachievable goal? Can you share your own personal experience? The challenges you faced and how you overcame them. The prospect of leaving everything behind might scare some people. What are your thoughts?
Yes, that is true. Sometimes when I go back home, they say, “ Oh!, you’ve been there and you’ve been there”. They become very excited but then, I notice, they are scared to make plans for themself to travel especially long-term. I always answer that for me it is scary to stay in the same place all your life. That is what scares me.
My advice depends on what kind of traveller you are and what you’d like to do. I don’t like to go on holiday for just one week and then come back home. I like to travel, work, and explore. That is what I like. You need to know what you want to do. How you want to travel and then you need to be organised with money. That is important.
I notice that some people are scared to travel because for example they want to go to Vietnam and they think “oh I don’t know how to speak Vietnamese.” The language is a difficult barrier, and also, they might be scared, not knowing whether it is a safe place. You always need to be careful. When I travelled to Asia it was so easy. We used to go to the reception of the hostel and say I want to go from here to there and they would book the bus for us. There is WIFI everywhere. It is so easy. I think it is just what we have in our mind that blocks us but otherwise, if you just close your eyes and step forward to do what you are thinking to do afterwards, you come to a realisation that it was so easy.
The challenges that I had? You need to adapt a lot while travelling, or at least the way I travel which is backpack travel. First, you need to adapt, second, you need to organise yourself with money, third you need to be careful where you live. You can find a job. Finding a job is easy even learning a new language.
When I came to live here, in the beginning, I couldn’t speak any Spanish, it was difficult but then you find people that help you out. In the sense that they try to understand you and try to make it possible for you to understand them. So, you help each other out. There are tools available like Google Translate that also help you out. In the beginning, it’s like that but then you realise how helpful that moment of struggle was because otherwise, you wouldn’t learn.
For me, travelling is challenging but it makes you grow and it is easy at the same time. Sometimes it makes you step out of your comfort zone, but you learn a lot. Let’s say, today I don’t know that I’d like to play paddle but let’s say you travel to another country you meet new people, and we play paddle every time and by doing so I kind of find another part of myself that I didn’t know before. That is the most important for me.
How do you budget for your travels, and what tips would you give to someone who wants to travel more but is on a tight budget?
The first thing I do is I always check if I need a visa. Then, I start to think about how much money I am going to need so I check the cost of the visa and the flight. I try to organize myself and think of ways I can cut the costs to stay within my budget for example, buying a flight earlier is a tip to save money. I don’t like to stay in a hotel. I prefer to stay in a hostel or an Airbnb. I try to go with other people, so we pay less, which is another tip on ways to save money. I try to find a job because I always travel to stay in a place for long periods of time.
For example, if I want to travel to New Zealand for one year, I know that I need to find a job. If I don’t find a job, I stay where I am until I feel I am ready to move to New Zealand. I leave when I know that I have three thousand dollars on the side so like that I create a safety net. It gives me one month upon my arrival where I don’t have to worry about money, I’m safe.
Finding a job in those places is so easy. It is so easy!! You just need to organize yourself in this way. There is also couch surfing where you can sleep in someone’s house on their couch. Obviously, you need to be careful. There is also another platform that helps you find very cheap accommodation. It also depends on where you want to go. Keep in mind that if you go to the Maldives you need to spend a certain amount whereas, if you go to Asia, you will spend another amount. So, it depends on your budget, where you are able to go and how you are able to spend.
Is there a community of backpackers that you can rely on?
Yes. There is a website which is called backpackers. When you travel you meet lots of people who are also backpackers so you can help each other out. You can ask questions and they can give you advice. I always find someone who helps me.
As a woman, sometimes safety is an issue, have you ever encountered scenarios where you felt unsafe during your travelling?
There are two places where I felt unsafe. The first place is Cambodia, I didn’t feel safe there because I was staying in this little town and it was all destroyed. Like the buildings and pavements were all destroyed. At the time they were kind of rebuilding everything. It was all broken, it was weird to experience. Nothing happened to me personally, but I wasn’t feeling safe.
Another place where I felt very, very, very unsafe was in New Zealand, in north island. There was a lot of drugs and it made me feel unsafe to go out when it got dark. Those are the only two places where I didn’t like to be alone.
What was the most memorable experience you’ve had while travelling?
The experience that comes to mind was the time I first saw a whale. I was in New Zealand on an island. On this island, there is nothing, no potable water, there are no houses. Nothing. We slept in the desert. It was a very ecological experience. We explored the island with our jeep.
Seeing the colours in the sky and the stars was something that you can’t even put to words. You have to see it with your own eyes to understand its beauty. One day we stopped on a cliff to see the sunset and suddenly we see this whale jumping out of the water and I started to cry. For me, for what I think in my mind, the whale is an ancient and wise animal. There were so many animals on this island. You’d see turtles then you walk a little bit and encounter another animal. You can’t even begin to imagine.
My other memorable experience was also in New Zealand. We were on a surfing board and the dolphins started to swim with us. Every time I looked in the water, I could see the dolphins swimming beneath us it was such an amazing experience. I felt such a strong connection with nature that I never felt before. That was my most memorable experience, connecting with the animals.
Can you tell us a little bit about the places you’ve visited?
The first time I left I went to London to study English. London is a very beautiful city. If you commute with the metro it feels like you change cities, one place is different in style to the next. I think it is very beautiful. I lived in Australia. I think Australia at the moment is my favourite place. In terms of nature, colours, and energy. I lived in Malta where I had my first experience in diving. I lived in Tenerife. Tenerife and Lanzarote are not my favourite places honestly but the joy that Spanish people have is very nice. They have very positive energy.
I lived in New Zealand which is very beautiful, you get to see a very different culture like Māori culture, which has a very ancient language. The nature across the two islands in New Zealand are crazy different from one point to another. There are tropical forests, ice glaciers and sometimes it is similar to Ireland where you see huge fields with sheep, there are also places with volcanos. Absolutely crazy in a good way.
Then I went to Portugal where I lived in Lisbon. I think Lisbon is my favourite place in the world because it is colourful, the people are very nice and so is the energy. There is music everywhere. You can dance everywhere. You get to meet lots of young people. You can go out alone and you still get to meet so many people. It is a place that is filled with so much energy!! it is incredible!!
I also travelled to Asia. When I was there I could see how different our life in Europe is from Asia. For example, in Bali, Lombok, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos nature is amazing but you could see how they don’t take care of it, even if it is so beautiful. But it is an enjoyable experience going there because their culture is very rich. You can see their devotion to religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, Islam, Sikhism, Shamanism, and Shintō. You can see the different traditions and rituals they have; how they pray, their offering to their Gods, and the beautiful temples. The place is also very colourful. At the moment, those are the places I travelled to.
How do you connect with locals and learn about their culture when you’re travelling?
It doesn’t happen often for me personally because if I stay in Europe there are many Italians like me travelling. I come across Italians, whilst travelling, even in the workplace. So Europe is difficult but then when you travel outside of Europe you are more likely to interact with the locals. For example, at the hostel you are staying you can ask the reception questions like “where can I go out to eat a traditional local meal?”, “can you give me general information about this place?”, “where can I go?”, “which are the places I can visit to interact with the locals”.
Even in Lisbon, I lived there for one year and it was difficult for me to meet Portuguese people, especially in the main city because it is international. Usually, in my experience, you end up meeting the same people where you come from.
Have you ever felt lonely whilst travelling? Would you consider it a challenge or is it something that sustains you?
No, I don’t feel lonely, the prospect of finding new people sustains me. My village in Italy is very small. I have friends from there, but they all moved away too so basically I only have family ties there. I miss them but I always say that when I leave one place I try to reconnect with those close relationships. I don’t know why it doesn’t scare me but I don’t want to be surrounded by the same people all the time. I love them but I also like to make new friendships because they can also give me new experiences. In Italy, I don’t have many connections.
Can you share your experience of how you got into scuba diving and what attracts you to it? Was it something that you always wanted to do or was it something that you became attracted to it whilst travelling?
I became attracted to it whilst I was working. In 2016, I was in Sardinia (an Italian island) and at the end of my working summer, I said okay now I want to do something for myself. I did my first immersion there. I felt so free. I have always been attracted to water. When I was a child, I use to go on holiday with my mum and I use to run towards the water and I remember they had to run after me and pick me up. I always felt a belonging being in water. After my first immersion, I knew that I wanted to become a scuba diver instructor. It took me three years, after that, to actually start. I went to Malta where I obtained my first three licences then I went to Tenerife where I obtained the other two.
In 2021, I started working as a diving instructor in Italy. In the water, I feel at peace. It is a good feeling. You are essentially suspended in the water and there is only nature surrounding you. No words are needed. You just need to observe. Your body is free and so is your mind. That is the sensation I get being in water.
I decided to become a scuba diving instructor because I wanted to do it as a job. It combines my two passions travel and water. It wasn’t easy getting my licence because the course is very pricey. It is also very gruelling. It is on a 10-day period, where you study day and night. Then you have two exams at the end, which are very challenging. It felt more challenging in my case because the water was 16 degrees and I remember the sea was so angry that day. We couldn’t even see each other from a very short distance.
During training you need to learn how to be responsible for another person. It is not an easy job it comes with a lot of responsibility. When you decide to become a diving instructor you need to be aware that you have the responsibility of another life in your hands. So you need to do everything possible to avoid something bad from happening. At the same time, it is very worth it. Now I get to see people who do their immersion for the first time and see them coming out of the water looking surprised and happy.
My experience might be limited but you are the only female scuba diving instructor I know. From your experience do you see it as a male-dominated environment or have you encountered many female diving instructors along your journey?
No, they are mostly Men. I was working in a diving centre where I was the only woman and there were eight other men working. In this job, men are seen as a person you can trust and being more reliable for solving problems. Whereas women are seen as being ‘useful’ to deal with kids and other women. Basically, we are tasked to handle what is considered ‘sensitive’ situations. Sometimes in certain situations it is understandable. Imagine this scenario, a woman goes into a diving centre and she finds eight guys, they would need to put the equipment on her, they try not to touch you but it can happen involuntarily. So it is better in this scenario if there is a woman that does it.
Can you mention the most memorable experience you’ve had while scuba diving, and what made it so special?
One of the first was actually in Malta. I went to Ċirkewwa, there is an immersion that I did and I got to experience a shipwreck. It is something out of this world like something you would see in the movies. It was a surreal moment. You are there, 30 meters under the water and you see this big shipwreck then you start to imagine these different scenarios. what happened? How did it end up there? Were there any survivors from the shipwreck? Your fantasy comes out to play in this most absurd way.
Another experience I had was here in Lanzarote. I saw turtles, rays, and huge fish like angle sharks. I got to see these creatures up close in the water. Turtles have the ability to live a really long time. They are creatures that might have lived to be 50 or 100 years and you start to wonder what they have seen with their eyes.
The sea feels like it’s another world. When you look at it from the outside all you see is water. Underneath, you discover another universe with creatures, that sometimes you are able to meet, sometimes not, depending on how lucky you are. For me that is special.
Can you share some of your favourite diving spots around the world and what makes them special to you?
- Maldives.
It is an idyllic scuba diving paradise. During a diving trip you may see manta rays, whale sharks, reef sharks, soft & hard corals and much more. They are all sea-creatures that I love to see.
- Mexico.
Some of the most spectacular and complex underwater caves and caverns are found in Mexico. These are accessible by entry points or cenotes (underwater caves) known as sinkholes. Actually, cenotes are a type of sinkhole of freshwater-filled limestone.
- Belize.
The Great Blue Hole is a giant marine sinkhole off the coast of Belize. The hole is circular in shape, 318 m across and 124 m deep. It has a surface area of 70,650 square metres. The great blue hole is on a different dimension and I would like the opportunity to explore its depths.
- Costa Rica.
Costa Rica is home to one of the world’s best destinations for diving with hammerhead sharks, Cocos Island.
At the moment these are my top four favourite diving spots.
What are your thoughts on ocean conservation?
Ocean conservation is a career path that I always wanted to pursue. I find it interesting, but I also think it is a difficult career path to take. Personally, I think it is easier to do it by yourself. For example, you can do it on a small scale where you yourself can organise a group of volunteers to clean up the beach and/or the environment. Ocean conservation as a career path is very competitive work, it is underpaid, and it is dependent on the nation.
You need to study a lot as it requires a Degree, Masters and PHD. You need to have a good background on Ocean conservation and there are many aspects to it. From my experience, I tried to join one week of conservation projects, but they were very expensive so, they are not, what I would consider, accessible for everyone to join.
My thoughts are that if you really want to conserve the ocean it is better to do it by yourself unless you already have an educational background. I am 33, I do not have a degree or background in Biology, I know that it would take me roughly 10 years for me to gain all the knowledge that it requires. If I were to pursue the conservation course in Costa Rica it would roughly cost around 5000 euros. So, to pursue a career path in ocean conservation, the way I see it, it all depends on accessibility and opportunities.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to get involve in scuba diving?
If you wish to pursue it as a career, I would say to keep in mind that this is a job that is difficult and comes with a lot of responsibility. You also need to be willing to invest your time and money to develop your skill.
To become a certified diving instructor you are required to do 5 to 6 courses. However, if you are just looking to pursue it as a hobby and you are just interested to do a fun dive then it wouldn’t cost you that much money. With that being said I do not wish to discourage, overwhelm or scare anyone from pursuing scuba diving. I am just presenting the reality of it. There are so many scuba diving instructors so it is very possible to achieve, otherwise there wouldn’t be so many.
There are actually different and cool ways to do it. Let’s say you don’t have 1000 euros to spend on courses as an alternative you can do an internship. An internship is not only flexible, but it also allows you to travel because you have the choice of doing it from any place in the world. The best part about it is that it allows you to get paid while you see and explore the underworld for free.
I do recommend that you do your research beforehand. This is a physical job that is very underpaid so before you sign a contract make sure that you have explored more than one option. As like any other job some people might try to take advantage, so it is in your best option that you assess the pay, working hours and conditions before signing any contract.
How do you balance work and travel and what tips would you give to someone wanting to pursue a similar path? I would imagine it is not easy to find high paying jobs when you are applying for short term positions and unless you are financially comfortable, I would imagine you need to find a balance between work and traveling in order to sustain yourself.
I think the advice depends on where you are in your life because if you are 21 years old you might not care for example to maintain your travelling costs by working as a waitress or cleaner or whatever other job you are willing to do. What I mean is if you do not have a set profession in mind then you have more options available to you. I have to say that there are certain countries that waitressing pays really well and you are able to maintain the cost of travelling very easily. So, it also depends on where you are geographically.
When I lived in Australia it wasn’t a problem for me to work 6 months then travel for three. My idea at the time was to work, save money, travel, then start working again. It wasn’t a problem for me, it was what I wanted to do, and I maintained this for quite a while. Then at some point, when I was growing up, I said I want to become something. I wanted to have a profession. I wanted to travel being a scuba diving instructor and later also a yoga instructor.
So, my tip is to first figure out what you want to do. Then you need to think about what is possible for you to achieve in that moment. If you are unable to save money where you are in the moment, you can also think of alternative places to travel to, that are considerably cheaper. For example, you can travel to Asia where you might need only 1000 euros for living costs instead of 3000 euros. You can also find a job there. Sometimes you do not need to plan everything long-term. You just need to get through the first 2 or 3 steps so you give yourself options. When you follow a path you never know what can happen, other opportunities may present themselves.
Are there any projects that you are working on right now?
As I mentioned before I am also a yoga instructor. I would like to start doing yoga classes online. It is a project that I am currently working on. I do not want to be tied down in a place by work and teaching yoga online will allow me the flexibility to work while also moving around to these different places. This is my idea but I am still in the process of figuring it out.
Right now, I am also attempting free diving. Which is a sport that requires the skill to dive without the use of oxygen tanks.
I would also like to have an experience of working in a boat whilst travelling. I will be required to get my licence and it is very expensive to obtain. However, right now I am figuring out ways in which I can do that. Those are the projects I am working on right now.
What are your future goals and aspirations both personally and professionally and how do you see your passion for travel and ocean play a role in your aspirations?
I will always see my life connected to the ocean. I would like to share this part of myself with someone else however if it comes it comes if it doesn’t that’s okay too. I want to learn more languages because I noticed that in every job the more languages you speak the better it is. I am not sure whether I want to have a house somewhere. At the moment it is not really that important to me as I want to be on the run.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to pursue their passions and make a difference in the world just like you?
I would say, get to know what you want. Don’t be scared. Don’t let your mind block you as a result of the problems you might be facing. It doesn’t matter if you have a problem, you solve it. Everyone has the ability to solve problems.
You need to believe in yourself. Ask for support when you need it. I’m of the belief that if something is made for you, yes you might encounter challenges but at the same time it will be easier for you to face them.
I am a believer in the universe and the energy. So, if the universe decides that that is your path everything becomes possible. When something is for you, you feel it. You feel happy. You feel like you are in the right place. So when you’re faced with a challenge never give up. If you do not pursue the things that you want you will feel unhappy.
You need to ask yourself do I want to be happy or unhappy? And if you want to be happy, please do it because it is right for you, not right for another person or situation.
Dear-Marta,
We would like to thank you for sharing your experiences with us. We wish you the best and look forward to collaborating with you again in future projects.
Dear-Donna and friends
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