Ah, but imagine the high you could get by reading Kellyn’s Quarantine Questionnaire!
KELLYN BECHTOLD:Since filmingSurvivorin 2017, life has been an adventure.
I eventually moved from Chicago to Denver, where I set up a new home for a couple years.
Robert Voets/CBS via Getty Images
I left the states in January of 2020 to spend the year traveling through Southeast Asia.
Clearly, COVID had something to say about that.
First, I attended an intense yoga & meditation retreat in Thailand, then traveled to Bali.
Robert Voets/CBS
Ultimately, I landed in Spain for 7 months to “wait out” quarantine.
The European Union finally kicked me out, and I made my way back to Denver in October.
I really look at my life as BS/AS (BeforeSurvivor/AfterSurvivor).
I am so incredibly grateful for the opportunity.
Being on the island is stark.
You’re isolated in a completely controlled environment.
No Instagram, no Twitter, no texting, no news a real break from the outside world.
In contrast, being on national television was 1000x harder than playing the game ofSurvivor.
Professionally, I’ve served as Chief of Staff at two start-ups focusing on business strategy and people operations.
Personally, I’ve had some ups and downs.
Relationship break-ups, make-ups, real heartbreak and have fallen in love.
I’ve done a lot of personal exploration work in vulnerability, spirituality and confidence building.
I’m excited to see what the future holds!
What is your proudest moment ever from playingSurvivor?
Probably winning an individual immunity (even if it meant putting a target on my non-athletic back!)
The whole event went down in slow motion.
I tried to stay calm and take it all in.
You’re on f*ckingSurvivor!"
and it ended with a necklace.
What is your biggest regret from yourSurvivorexperience?
Not using my extra vote to take out Wendell at final 10 and flipping to play with Michael.
I was too scared of idols and I didn’t realize my game was pretty much over anyway.
For example, we all talk about food all the time.
This was an actual WTF moment for me, and there were many like this.
How do you feel about the edit you got on the show?
I feel completely fine about it.
I played too safe.
In poker terms, I just blinded down too far before making a move.
But literally every single Survivor player wishes that!
Also, I fell down and flailed around A LOT in challenges.
Plenty of “dodo edit” material that the producers saved me from!
I’ll take it!
What was it like coming back to regular society after being out there?
Was there culture shock or an adjustment coming back?
Culture shock is an understatement.
I wanted to eat all day every day for a couple months.
The gifts received have always outweighed all of the negative consequences.
Whom do you still talk, text, or email with the most from your season?
I stay in occasional touch with a lot of the cast, especially if you count social media interaction.
Recently, my interaction withSurvivorin general, and my cast, has dropped off.
I am so proud of that friendship.
I look up to Dom as a big brother!
He has a huge heart, is a stellarSurvivorplayer, and an even more spectacular human.
I was also extremely lucky to be “adopted” by the pre-merge crew from my season!
(Remember when I said above I thought I was adjusted?…
And, of course, mySurvivor#1 crush Keith Nale.
I typically don’t love returnee seasons, but I couldn’t get enough ofCambodia!
Who’s one player from anotherSurvivorseason you wish you could have played with or against and why?
If you could make one change to any aspect ofSurvivor,what would it be and why?
Zero advantages or idols.
True storytelling and character development.
I think the producers don’t give the audience enough credit.
Never having an Exile Island or Extinction Island ever again.
Isn’t the actual point of winning Survivor to get to the end without getting voted out?
It just makes no sense.
Finally, would you play again if asked?
I would consider it, if asked, of course.
Realistically, it is unlikely I’d be asked back at this point.
So I’m just thankful for the full experience I had the first time around.
