Interview with Enikő Tóth

Can you imagine picking up your backpack and travelling the world on your own? My interviewee did just that. She travelled across the planet and then crossed New Zealand by car on her own. In the meanwhile, she had quite a few adventures. So who is she? Her name is Eniko Toth, a member of the Toastmasters Club in Nyíregyháza and the winner of the autumn championship in Table Topics category in English.

– How did you come across Toastmasters?

I have already heard about it when I was in high school. At that time, I did not attend any club meetings. However, I took part in a few English public speaking competitions in high school and as part of this, we studied international Toastmasters championships. Then I attended university in Denmark and when I came home, I wanted to be a part of a community, a community where I can learn, grow and be surrounded by amazing people. This is how I ended up attending a club meeting in Nyíregyháza. I was part of the club when it was just starting out, but as the time for my world trip got closer and closer I decided not to become a member then. Thinking back, that might not have been the best idea, because I could have met some amazing Toasties all around the world.

– Why did you eventually join?

I always love to develop myself and Toastmasters gave me the opportunity to do just that. 

– Why is rhetorics important for you?

I feel that it is an important part of my future, that this is my path. I`ve loved to perform since I was a little child. My parents are also great performers, they worked as entrepreneurs for a while and they have done their fair share of speeches as well. Many times I went with them, learnt a lot from them and from other performers too.

– How did you decide between Table Topics or Speech category?

There was never a dilemma. Table Topics give me the challenge and the adrenaline I need to perform. One prepares a lot for a speech and knows the results, there is no real surprise.

– What were the topics of your Table Topics speeches? 

At the area competition my question was the following: “What makes the world go round?” This could be a hard question for some, but not for me. As I have travelled around the world and have seen a lot, the answer was obvious to me. There were two words that immediately came into my mind: love and kindness. When I was traveling, there were days when I did not know where I am going to sleep that night, but somehow I always managed to find a place in the end. I met incredibly kind and helpful people, even at places that some would consider dangerous. I believe that if we aid each other, there could be no problems that cannot be solved. 

At the finals, my question was “If I could travel back in time and deliver one message, what would it be.” 

– And where would you travel, to which era?

I would travel back to the time of ancient cultures. I have a personal motto: “Learn something old every day”, instead of learning something new.

– But one would think that people at your age are only interested in new things, like technology… So where would you travel exactly and what would you say to people living in that period?

That was my very first question too. Where would I travel back to…? I might go back to the time of the cavemen or maybe I would just pay a visit to the people during the industrialization. I would tell them that even though technology is important, without it we could not make this interview or even have the Toastmasters competition, but it is important to remember the ancient wisdom that our ancestors had. I believe it is important to find a balance between the old and the new. This is why I would talk to the representatives of ancient cultures, to learn what they would tell the people of the modern world and tell the people in the industrialization, to pay attention and not forget. I am actually working on a documentary about this topic with a friend of mine. I think it is important to spend more quality time with each other, discover our relationship with nature and just be open minded and curious. Ancient cultures were great in these areas and for me, this is the main message.

– Are there any documentaries that gave you inspiration and you would suggest for others to watch?

My favourite documentary is the HEAL, which is about the importance of our health and how powerful the human mind and body really is when it comes to chronic diseases. Anyone can get this in a book version too (it is written by Kelly Noonan Gores) or watch the documentary on Netflix. 

However, for this specific speech at the finals, I got inspiration from two other documentaries. One of them is a Matt Damon movie called the Brave Blue World, that describes how we treat our water system and how we can provide drinkable water to everyone around the world. The other documentary is called Kiss The Ground featuring Woody Harrelson. This movie is about our agriculture and the importance of our soil and its relevance to our food and health. Both movies bring light upon the fact that we are destroying our planet and there is a need for change. And I believe this could be achieved by learning from the Elders.

– What did you get out of the competition?

I love to compete, it gives me great energy. I am grateful that I had a chance to meet other members of the Hungarian community, so far I only knew the members of our little club in Nyiregyhaza and a few members from Skylarks whose meetings I attended online a few times during the first lockdown. This covid time can be really hard on all of us, but the benefit of it is that we can visit any club around the world. And what I am also really grateful for is that I was congratulated by people from all over the globe. 

– What can we know about your documentary?

It will have four parts: Mindset, Soulset, Healthset and Heartset. Due to the comfort of technology, people forgot the ancient knowledge, and this is what we would like to bring back. Throughout my travels I have learnt that technology is important, but it also makes us disconnected. We need to learn to balance the ancient and the modern worlds. We should pay more attention to our spirituality, our relationships. Our health. The aim of our docuseries called Native is to give people the tools and information that have been tried-and-tested for hundreds of generations by native cultures in an interesting and entertaining way. And to help people improve your daily life, realise their inner power and build a more fulfilling life. Helping people is at the bottom of my heart. 

– What experience was the most significant on your trip and what did you learn from it?

There were quite a few significant events, starting from the very first day. I like to plan everything and for this journey I also had A, B, C plans. Then I boarded my first flight in Denmark, landed in Bangkok a few hours later and after passing through the visa check, I realised that I have no luggage. I know, I know, people say all the time that we should always pack some essentials in our hand luggage, however I have been travelling a lot and nothing has happened before, plus I had a very small hand luggage. That meant that I ended up only with some cash, my phone and tablet as my company on the other side of the world. And I thought that I could either spend hours worrying and complaining at the airport or just go to my hostel and enjoy Bangkok. It was lunchtime when I arrived to the hostel and as I had no luggage, I needed no time to settle in. There were two girls at a table and I walked up to them and asked if I can join them for lunch. We soon became friends and I visited places with them that I did not plan to visit before (and it would have been a mistake to miss out on them). We became such good friends that we kept in touch even after this trip and I ended up visiting one of them in Ecuador. I have learnt that it is nice to plan, but sometimes it is even better to be spontaneous. When we plan everything until the last detail, there is no space for surprise but there is a huge chance for disappointment, however if our only plan is to experience the most and we are willing to try different things, go with the flow, then we can see the greatest wonders, create the best memories and have the best surprises. 

But I could have mentioned many other events too, like meeting a Maori healer and then everything changed for me. It was a real treasure to have a conversation with an Aboriginal Australian Elder. I also volunteered a lot, learnt to drive a scooter in Indonesia, drove a camper through New Zealand on my own and got invited last minute to spend Christmas with a wonderful couple in Auckland, NZ. I have met a lot of people and built meaningful relationships in only 30 minutes. A lot has happened and I have learnt a lot.

– Last minute invitation for Christmas? That sounds interesting… Christmas is coming up, maybe you can give some inspiration.

I spent Christmas in New Zealand, it was summer there so that was already something very unique to me. I was not at the right place – regarding the location – and when I met an older couple from Auckland at a Buddhist temple, they quickly invited me to spend the holidays with them. 

– I think many people get anxious when they hear about a young girl travelling the world by herself with only a backpack. What would you tell to those who find it challenging to jump out of their comfort zone and into new things?

Just take the first step, a step after which you cannot turn back. They can either buy a plane ticket or invest in something, the point is to say “YES” to someone who matters to them. After that, there is no turning back. And if needed, have someone by your side who will keep you accountable on your journey. 

You can learn more about Eniko and her work at: https://enikototh.me