In Lumia pictures: How to travel around the world in 14 days
Phileas Fogg famously did it in 80 days, subsidized by a substantial fortune. Now, three British music students have gone one better than the literary icon. They traveled around the world in just 14 days and without a penny in their pockets.
In a world of noise, there are some who break through it all and triumph. Meet Max, Elliot and Sophie, our intrepid adventurers, who as part of a social experiment, reached out to companies like STA Travel and fellow musicians from around the globe. Their aim was to do what no one had done before. To travel around the world in 14 days using just the internet and human generosity. And where did we come in? Well, we’re all for helping everyday adventurers, so we gave them some Lumia smartphones to document their incredible voyage. To find out more, we hooked up with the three amigos. Here’s what they had to say.
So, guys, the big question has to be what inspired you to go on your adventure?
Max: The three of us are all coming towards the end of four years studying at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London. We saw two free weeks in the calendar as an opportunity to think big and attempt ’the impossible’. So we set out to get around the world in 14 days through the power of the web and human kindness. Planet earth is better connected than it ever has been before and so we knew we had an exciting social experiment on our hands from the moment we launched. There were a lot of people who thought it was unachievable and so part of the inspiration came from a desire to prove those people wrong. We were also wildly fascinated by the unknown; we launched the campaign with absolutely nothing to our names so it was fascinating to see the story evolve before our very eyes.
The sun sets over Rio
What was your overall goal and did you achieve it?
We had a few. Firstly, to get around the world in 14 days and we did it! Over 32,000 miles later and we’d travelled from London – Lisbon – Rio de Janeiro – Panama – NYC – LA – Sydney – Kuala Lumpur and back home again. I still can’t believe we made it! Secondly, we wanted to bring people together through the power of music and made it our mission to get the world singing.
Finally, we wanted to put the power of the web and social media to the test. The support we received from the tens of thousands of people across the world completely surpassed our expectations for the project. We stayed with some incredible people who immersed us in their cultures and ways of life. Ultimately it was these people that we met along the way that made this once in a lifetime experience truly memorable.
A snowy but bright NYC
We gave you Lumia devices to capture the adventure on – how did you find them?
Elliot: I think I speak for all three of us when I say that the Nokia Lumia range thoroughly impressed us all! Not only are they amazing phones they are really easy to use, they all have an incredible camera that captures stunning imagery. When we launched the campaign back in December 2013, we were using DSLR’s to capture all our content. However, as soon as the Lumia phones arrived, our camera gear got put aside and it saved a lot of space in the suitcases too!
Had you used or owned a Nokia or Lumia device prior to your trip? – if not how does It compare to your previous phone?
I owned a Nokia 3310 back in the day and a Nokia Xpressmusic 5800 about four years ago. I remember never being disappointed with those phones once. I’ve currently got an iPhone 5 but it just doesn’t compare to the Lumia. I’m definitely a convert! The Lumia range provides so much more than your average smartphone. The combination of sublime imagery and a healthy battery life more than did the trick for us. We really put them through their paces throughout the trip and they made all of our work seem effortless.
If there’s one thing we love, here at Nokia Conversations, it’s a happy ending and this story sure has that. What’s more, it showcases how technology combined with a go-getting spirit really can make the impossible happen. So, if you’ve got any tales of how your Lumias helped make your dreams come true, let us know down below.