Haleigh HendricksonWelcome to the Women Outdoors Spotlight Series: a space for women to share their stories, articulate what the outdoors means to them, and encourage other women to say yes to adventure.
This week’s series features Enora Seite.
Hi Enora! Introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about you!
Hello everyone, my name is Enora — an unusual name I know! It is a French Celtic name because my parents are both French. I was actually born in Singapore, then grew up in Korea, Japan, and France, and finally ended up in Manchester, England where I am now.
I stayed in England for 17 years for school, went on to university, and eventually became a doctor. While I am a doctor by profession, I’ve always had a love for traveling (I got the taste for it when I was very young moving about so much).
I love meeting new people and trying new things, especially different sports. My dream is to combine being a doctor with traveling the world. Hopefully, one day I will work for Medecin Sans Frontiere (MSF).
Soon, I will be taking a break from work for a six-month backpacking trip around South America. With future plans to hopefully move to Australia for work.
Wow! You have lived such a full life already! Tell us what inspired you to start getting outside.
My mum was my biggest inspiration for getting outside. She always pushed my brother and me out of our comfort zone. She was the one signing us up for sailing lessons, horse riding lessons, etc. — anything to make our upbringing more fun and adventurous.
We moved around a lot so we always found opportunities to do the most amazing things like trekking in Senegal and the Sahara, or exploring the beaches and jungles in Asia.
Once I got the taste of adventure I couldn’t get enough of it.
To me being outdoors and traveling feels like freedom, and gives me so much love for life.
Being outdoors always makes me feel lighter and serves as my main stress mechanism. Having that next adventure planned gives me something to look forward to and to work towards.
“Being outdoors feels like freedom” — how beautifully put! What would you say is your favorite way to get outside?
I love the ocean and being by the sea is definitely my favorite place to be.
My mum has been windsurfing since she was 18 so, again, she was the main instigator in getting us out on the water. One of my favorite hobbies is scuba diving. I started when I was 15 completely on my own because members of my family have health conditions that hinder them from being able to dive.
I have never been more at peace than when I am underwater.
Diving is what started my love for photography too. I was so happy when I got my first underwater camera.
My newest hobby though is kitesurfing. I started to learn how to kite surf with my mum and brother a few summers ago. I always struggled with windsurfing because I had less strength than them, but I found kitesurfing a lot easier.
Kitesurfing is one of the most exhilarating sports and an amazing full-body workout. When I learned how to kitesurf for the first time in Fuerteventura, I couldn’t laugh without wincing for two weeks because of how sore my abs were.
Ah, I too am most at peace when I’m underwater. A feeling not too many people understand. Speaking of epic adventures, can you describe your most memorable adventure to date?
My most memorable adventure to date is the trip I took through Peru and Bolivia — especially witnessing the salt flats of Bolivia.
We found a tour that allowed us to stay near hot springs and take dips at night. The temperature outside dropped to 23°F (-5°C) so we had to run from the huts we were staying in and quickly get into the 100°F (23°C) natural hot spring.
It was so cold that as soon as we lifted our heads out of the water our hair would freeze! Despite the cold, the experience was incredible. We could see the whole milky way above us
The entire moment was surreal. I will never forget that snapshot photo I’ve saved to my memory of the night and recommend the experience to everyone.
Truly an experience of a lifetime! Since we’re on the topic of memorable experiences, tell us about your favorite trail that you’ve hiked.
My favorite hike has to be climbing the Acatenango volcano in Guatemala.
We trekked up the dormant volcano traversing through a number of different micro-ecosystems. At the top, we camped on the side of the mountain and watched the active volcano, Fuego, erupting all night! It was such a cool experience.
In the morning we got up and hiked to the top of Acatenango and saw the sunrise over the entirety of Guatemala! 100% my favorite hike to this date.
Wow, not many people can say they’ve camped near an erupting volcano! Adding that to my bucket list. What is an adventure that is still on your bucket list?
I would love to explore the arctic on an expedition!
It feels like something that is so out of reach but hopefully one day I will get there. In the meantime, I also have Patagonia and Iceland very high on my bucket list.
I cannot wait to follow along on your adventures as you explore those places! What piece of advice would you give to women who are looking to break into the outdoor space?
The outdoor space definitely feels daunting to get out there at first. I was very lucky and privileged in having a mum who introduced me to so many cool things.
But as a doctor, I see so many heartbreaking stories of people who fall ill and will never get the experiences many of us get. My job has put life into perspective — it really is too short.
While it is scary trying new things, you will not regret pushing yourself. Trust me! You will be happier, less stressed, grow in confidence, and love yourself more.
You deserve to feel like that. We all do.
What an incredible note to end things on! Tell the readers where they can connect with you further and continue to follow along with your adventures!
Absolutely! I am about to start a 6-8 month backpacking trip around South America and I am so excited. I have been working extremely long hours to save up for this dream trip that I have been waiting for since medical school. I can’t wait to get out there!
I would love for you all to follow my trip on @enoratheexplorer on Instagram and TikTok. I also have a new blog coming soon at enoratheexplorer.com.
Send me a message and let’s connect, I would love to meet some new people!
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