08 Nov, 2021
Living your life traveling from one country to
another is a life people could only dream of, but for Fatima AlMattar it’s not
only a reality, it’s a career.
From visiting the most beautiful beaches,
exploring different cultures, and experiencing life as a local in Africa,
her journey took an interesting turn when she was stuck in Antarctica for two
weeks due to COVID-19, where she decided to document her adventure in a book.
We decided to have a chat with Fatima AlMattar and
ask her about her book, ‘After the End of the World’, as well try to find out a
little more about her life.
How did you feel being stuck on a ship for 16 days?
I had mixed feelings and emotions between loving
and enjoying my surroundings, breathing the fresh air, looking at the penguins
and whales… things that people would only dream to see! And also, the fear,
uncertainty of the unknown! So it was a gush of emotions for sure, one hour
we’re smiling, the second worried, the third chatting, and so on.
We’re
very curious… what did you do during those two weeks?
Thankfully
the crew managing the ship did an excellent job at keeping us busy for those two
weeks, they had prepared a full program about what to do in Antarctica. For the
duration we were stuck we were about to run out of food and medication, but the
crew was very well-trained and lined up activities for us to do, but at the same time, they were quite transparent with all of us
and explained what was happening.
Which do you consider to be your most dangerous traveling
experience? And if you had the choice, would you do it again?
I guess the most dangerous experience for me was rafting in
the Zambezi River between Zambia and Zimbabwe where I almost drowned! I started
praying and had a flashback of my past… it was definitely a near-death
experience. Would I do it again, knowing I was about to drown? Definitely not.
It was horrible.
But if we’re talking about overall danger, the
country I felt most unsafe in was Madagascar in Africa, and that was mostly
because our trip was designed to experience Madagascar authentically, we lived
in the rural areas between locals, so that was quite uncomfortable and did not
feel safe. Would I do it again? I would visit Madagascar again but would go for
a different experience.
To switch from an employee at a major company to traveling
the entire world… was it a difficult decision to make?
It was an extremely difficult decision
to make because I loved where I worked; I had an amazing time, worked with
incredible people in a job with growth potential. But I don’t regret that
decision one bit! Traveling the world is a complete eye-opener and a real
added value for me as a person. I would say it’s worth following your dreams
and passion.
I’ve always liked being an entrepreneur, I have my
own traveling consulting company, and I’ve recently established my own social
media management company called "Social Recipe", so I’m very happy that I started
pursuing my dreams, it was worth exploring my potential.
We have to ask, how many PCRs have you done so far?
Honestly, the second I passed my 100th
PCR I stopped counting. Way too many to count or even care to know at
this point.
What motto do you live by?
I actually have a motto that I always have in front
of me and it truly helps keep me inspired “I can and I will”. I mean, a lot of things
inspire me but this particular quote reminds me that if I want to, I could do it.
And it turns out I could, and I did!
Who is your biggest supporter?
I’m surrounded by people who support me, from
family, friends, colleagues, and teammates. Everyone supports me in their own
way, and if you combine that energy, you can truly feel the support and that
keeps me going.
I’m very thankful for everyone in my life. Each and every single one of them.
You can find Fatima AlMattar’s book, ‘After the End
of The World’, here.
