lifestyle
In her remote southern shack Jo is charting a different course, writes Sophie Al-Bassam.
map maker
J
o* was in the middle of travelling through 60 countries over 12 years when she lost her sense of direction. She sustained a head injury snowboarding in Canada, and it still affects her today. “I lost my sense of direction overnight. I never knew where I was,” she says. So, she became more observant of her surroundings and started to draw maps to feel more grounded. Soon Jo was supplementing her work in cafes by selling local maps, wherever she was. Years later she settled in a “little shack” on the edge of a World Heritage site in Southport, Australia’s southernmost settlement, with her partner Sarah, their blended family of four kids, and dog, Poppy. 18
JOURNEYS // FEB / MAR 2022
Photos: courtesy Lady Jo. * Jo chose not to include her last name
A mile in THE SHOES OF A
