We know there are many of you out there that won’t consider a trip abroad without packing your trusty Hotter shoes and we love hearing your stories from around the world. Here we talk with Marilyn Kaplan, one of our USA customers from Norman, Oklahoma, who has spent her summer exploring the Far East.
- We can see that you have enjoyed a fun filled 18 days of travelling from Seoul to China, firstly can you tell us why you were in Seoul?
Answer: My husband and I are both Rotarians, and we went to attend the Rotary International Convention.
- What do you do at Rotary International?
Answer: From July 1, 2015 until June 30, 2016, I was Rotary District Governor for my district. It is a volunteer position, coordinating activities of the 33 clubs in our district.
At the Rotary International Conference
- How many people were in your travel group?
Answer: Just the two of us, myself and my main travel companion my husband Steve.
- We can’t imagine that many of our readers have visited Seoul, what sort of things did you do whilst there?
Answer: We toured several palaces and museums, we took the bullet train to the ancient Silla capital in southern South Korea, at Geoyongjiu, then we attended sessions of the convention, featuring Rotary’s projects around the world.
- That sounds amazing, and then you travelled to China? Is this a place you have visited before?
Answer: No, but since we were in South Korea, it seemed like the perfect time to visit China, too.
Marilyn and Steve In South Korea
- What were your travel highlights and surprises?
Answer: We visited Tiananmen square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Great Wall, the Terracotta Army in Xian, an acrobat show, a Kung Fu show, and a few other sights.
- That certainly sounds like a lot of walking, how important is your footwear choices when you are planning your travel adventures?
Answer: Very, very important! I took four pairs of shoes, two of which were Hotter; the Rosebay wedges and Leanne athletic shoes. My new favourite pair of shoes are the Megan sandals that I wore on a recent visit to Beaufort, North Carolina, USA.
- What are the items that you definitely won’t leave home without?
Answer: Comfortable walking shoes, maps and guide books.
- How do you know how far you have walked each day?
Answer: My iPhone has an app that measures walking distance in steps and miles and also flights of stairs I’ve walked up. We averaged about 5.6 miles a day.
- That is a lot of steps! How long have you been a customer with Hotter?
Answer: About a year, maybe 18 months. My favourite pair are my most recent purchase, Megan.
- We are sure our readers will be inspired by your journey, do you have any tips for overseas exploration?
Answer: Keep an open mind and don’t be afraid to be curious.
- Thank you for your time and sharing your travel experiences with the Hotter team, what do you have next on your agenda?
Answer: I am in North Carolina on the beach right now. Next, will be Denver, Colorado, then Utah and Wyoming, then home to Oklahoma.
Tell us about your travels too by emailing us at [email protected] or via Facebook https://www.facebook.com/HotterShoes
