5 Minutes With Sherry Ott

For McCool Travel’s 86th travel profile, I am pleased to present Sherry Ott. Sherry has been a resident of the world (permanently traveling) since 2006. She supports her wanderlust and explorations by various means, including professional travel writing and photography, social media consulting, and speaking and teaching. Sherry is also the founder of Meet Plan Go!—a career break resource.
Sherry’s bio:
Sherry Ott is a long term traveler, blogger, and photographer. She writes about her nomadic lifestyle and around the world adventures on Ottsworld.com. She’s circled the globe numerous times and has visited all 7 continents. She lived in Vietnam, hiked the Annapurna Circuit with her father, finished the Mongol Rally, walked the Camino de Santiago, kayaked in Antarctica, and drove an auto rickshaw across India. She continues to seek out adventurous unique opportunities to inspire people to overcome their fears and reap the benefits of travel. She’s also a co-founder of Meet, Plan, Go!, a website and national travel event teaching you how you can take your very own traveling career break or sabbatical.”

Sherry Ott, Ottsworld Travel
Sherry Ott, Ottsworld Travel

Sherry Ott

Hometown…
Peoria Illinois
Always in my luggage…
my old baby pillow…yes…I know that’s weird
3 favorite home-away-from-home places…

  1. Brussels
  2. Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam
  3. Costa Brava Spain
Sherry Ott, Ottsworld Travel
Sherry Ott, Ottsworld Travel, Photo from Ottsworld.com

A favorite travel memory is…
Arriving on the outskirts of Ulanbataar Mongolia  and seeing the buildings for the first time.  We had just finished driving for 5 weeks (9,000 miles) from London and seeing our ‘finish line’ in our sights for the first time gave me goosebumps and butterflies.  It was the first time that all of the uncertainly of the Mongol Rally melted away and I actually knew we were going to make it!

Sherry Ott in Mongolia
Sherry Ott in Mongolia, Photo from Ottsworld.com

3 favorite travel brands…

  1. Telecom Square Mobile devices
  2. Eagle Creek Luggage
  3. Exofficio travel apparel

3 money-saving travel tactics I use are…

  1. Stay in short term apartment rentals so I can make my own breakfast and pack a lunch saving money on food
  2. bring a refillable flat water bottle so I don’t have to buy water
  3. no taxis – take buses or metro or walk whenever possible – you see so much more of the local culture that way!

3 ways that I have fun while traveling are…

  1. Go for a run in a new city to learn my way around
  2. go to the local market (outdoor or indoor supermarket) to see the different food and brands
  3. take a food tour right when I arrive so I can get great food recommendations from locals for the rest of my time staying in the city!
Sherry Ott, Meet Plan Go
Sherry Ott, Meet Plan Go, Photo from Ottsworld.com

8 word (or less) travel mantra…
“Just say yes!”
Favorite non-travel website …
IMDB – it has solved many arguments!
Most memorable souvenir …
Seeing my niece get her first passport stamp!
Favorite cheap eat …
pho on the streets of Vietnam
I would like to meet …
a bear in the wild!  Ok – maybe not ‘meet’, but view from a safe distance!  I went all the way to the Great Bear Rainforest in BC Canada where there are ample bear sightings and I never saw a bear – so I’m still waiting!

Sherry Ott, Ottsworld Travel
Sherry Ott, Ottsworld Travel, Photo from Ottsworld.com

Thank you very much, Sherry, for taking the time to share your travel inspiration and tips.
Follow Sherry Ott on FacebookTwitterInstagramPinterest, and Ottsworld.


Check out McCool Travel’s previous profilesMcCool Travel presents tips from travel experts in our 5 Minutes interview series—featuring travel industry giants, super frequent travelers, and adventurous persons. Previous 5 Minutes post: Paula McInerney.


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