What I Do When I Don’t Travel: 20 More Facts...

Who am I in addition to only a man who likes to journey? What do I do after I’m not on the street? What are my pursuits? Do I’ve hobbies?

Since I’m greater than only a author and journey fanatic, I needed to share a bit about who I’m and what I do after I’m not on the street (indulge me for one article).

Whereas I do put up loads of my day-to-day life on Instagram, here’s a little bit about me and my life!

1. I hate flying. I really like airports, lounges, and elite status, however the act of flying makes me sick. I don’t like heights and any turbulence makes me suppose the airplane is about to crash. I’m not a superb flier and I take Xanax to calm me on most flights. (Ironic contemplating how usually I fly!)

2. I by no means traveled independently till I went to Costa Rica at age 23. My journey experiences up till then had been a collection of street journeys with my mother and father and a drunken weekend in Montréal after I was 19. (I additionally by no means went west of the Mississippi till I used to be 25.)

3. I made a decision to journey long-term after meeting five backpackers in a shared taxi whereas on vacation in Thailand. I used to be so amazed at what they had been doing that the subsequent day I made a decision to give up my job and make long-term journey my purpose. They had been two Australians, a Canadian, and a Belgian couple. They modified the course of my life and do not know.

4. Once I was youthful, I needed to be an archaeologist due to the Indiana Jones motion pictures. I finally went to highschool to be a highschool historical past instructor and taught for one yr, however then the economic system tanked and nobody was hiring historical past lecturers so I obtained a job doing administrative work at a hospital in Boston earlier than I began touring.

5. I’ve had three actually dangerous incidents on the street. On my very first journey on my own, I obtained horrible meals poisoning. I used to be hospitalized for 3 days and placed on a morphine drip. Second, I popped an eardrum in Thailand. And, third, I got stabbed in Colombia, which is unquestionably the worst factor that has ever occurred to me!

6. I’m a superb cook dinner. I don’t cook dinner a lot on the street as a result of I hate how hostel kitchens aren’t totally stocked and everybody crowds them on the similar time, however from time to time, I wish to cook dinner an enormous meal for my fellow vacationers. Nonetheless, after I’m house, I cook dinner rather a lot and even host dinner events for my associates. Some signature dishes embrace shrimp scampi, this scrumptious tomato/basil/olive salad, stir fry, and baked salmon.

7. I used to be a vegetarian. After studying Quick Meals Nation, I made a decision to surrender meat and was a vegetarian for 4 years. It wasn’t consuming meat I used to be towards, however relatively industrial farming and the chemical substances/antibiotics within the meat that I didn’t like. I gave up vegetarianism after I began to journey.

8. I believe it’s impolite to show down meals in different cultures. When you go to a village in Mongolia and you might be given meals, it’s insulting to refuse. “Sorry, your conventional and heartfelt cooking doesn’t go along with my dietary wants.” It’s culturally insensitive. However that’s a rant for one more put up.

9. I’m an enormous fan of soul, Motown, blues, and jazz.

10. If I might ever choose what time interval I might reside in, I’d pick 1920s Prohibition America. I believe that might be an thrilling time to reside in. However possibly I’ve simply learn The Nice Gatsby an excessive amount of.

11. Talking of Gatsby, I discovered to swing dance so I might throw myself a Gatsby-themed birthday celebration. I did it for 3 years in a row. They had been epic birthday events.

12. After journey, politics is my second love. I reside and breathe politics, and it’s the solely information I sustain with whereas touring. I’m at all times prepared to debate and debate the world any time of the day and with anybody, regardless of how properly I do know them. (Nonetheless, in the previous couple of years, I’ve turned off listening to the political information daily as a result of it was inflicting me loads of anxiousness and never a superb use of my psychological power!)

13. People always ask will I be nomadic forever. My reply: I don’t know. Ceaselessly is a very long time. I journey much less now than I used to and I believe I’ll proceed to take fewer journeys however I nonetheless journey rather a lot when in comparison with the common individual. For now, I’m having fun with the experience and see no motive to hold up my backpack simply but.

14. I’m a Japanophile. I really like every little thing in regards to the tradition: the meals, the historical past, the etiquette, the panorama, the structure — all of it. I’d eat sushi daily if I might.

15. I’m an unabashed Taylor Swift fan. She has a track for each emotion and, whenever you hearken to her non-pop hits and actually get into her catalog, you see simply how proficient of a songwriter she is. Take heed to The Final Nice American Dynasty. She wrote a whole narrative arc in three minutes. That’s critically good writing. I went to the Eras Tour a number of occasions. I really like her.

16. I’m additionally an enormous fan of Sia. Unbelievable songstress and author.

17. I don’t drink espresso. It tastes like shit to me. And I don’t wish to put added sugar or milk (or soy milk) in my cup of joe. Drinks ought to be capable to stand on their very own! Nothing goes to vary my opinion on this. I’ve tried for years to accumulate a style for it. It’s simply not going to occur.

18. I drink tea. Plenty of it. Particularly inexperienced tea. That’s my drink of selection! I’m a giant fan of the model Rishi.

19. My alcoholic drink of selection is an quaint. A number of years in the past, a couple of associates turned me onto whiskey and I’ve been obsessed since. I choose a bar by the standard of the outdated fashioneds they serve.

20. Someday, I’d wish to discover ways to backyard. I wish to develop my very own meals. I really like cooking and suppose it’s a logical step.

21. I was a semi-professional poker participant. I funded loads of my unique journey with poker winnings and lived in Amsterdam for a couple of months taking part in “professionally” on the on line casino within the metropolis.

22. Once I was youthful, I labored for the Sierra Membership in Massachusetts. I created a PowerPoint that we took to completely different neighborhood organizations to indicate that, by being power environment friendly, they might lower your expenses and the setting without delay.

23. Once I was in highschool, I performed loads of Magic: The Gathering and received my state’s championship (my good friend got here in second). We received a visit to NYC to play within the nationwide match there. I misplaced within the first spherical.

24. I don’t eat sweets. Possibly yearly I’ll have a cookie or brownie however, for essentially the most half, I don’t do desserts or sweets as I don’t like all of the sugar.

25. Once I’m working, I’ll usually play one track on repeat over and over. It helps me focus as a result of it finally ends up simply being white noise. As I write this put up, I’ve been listening to Candy Annie by Zac Brown Band on repeat for the final two hours.

26. I don’t have a favourite colour. I’ve two: blue and inexperienced.

27. I used to be one of many spokesmen for Asiana Airways. I did a industrial for them that aired for 2 years on TV. They dubbed out my voice although. It always sounds so weird when I watch it.

28. I love movies. I most likely watch two or three every week, both within the theater or at house on Netflix. My associates and I’ve group chats devoted to motion pictures.

29. My favourite liquor? Scotch, particularly peaty Scotch from Islay. (My favourite model is Ardbeg.)

30. I wish to discover ways to shoot a gun. Not as a result of I’m a gun nut — I strongly dislike them, need actually strict gun management, and am an everyday donor to Everytown for Gun Security — however as a result of I’m a type of loopy “preppers.” I believe the world is just about f*cked, and I’d wish to know the right way to shoot a gun to (a) shield myself in case civilization ends and (b) hunt (one other factor I wish to discover ways to do) for meals when that occurs or (c) the zombies come. Having a Plan B by no means damage anybody, proper?

To that finish, I’d additionally wish to discover ways to shoot a bow and arrow. I believe that might be actually enjoyable — and helpful.

31. I spend an hour a day studying. I’m a giant fan of biographies and journey, historical past, and enterprise books. I believe studying and educating your self is likely one of the most essential issues you are able to do in your life, and I can not perceive individuals who don’t learn books. In your typical yr, I’ll learn round 50–70 books. You could find a listing of all my favorites here.

32. I’m a morning individual. I are inclined to get up round 7am and do my finest work earlier than lunchtime. On a superb day, I’ll rise up at 6am.

33. I’ve gotten far more into the gymnasium within the final yr. I’m going to the gymnasium six days every week and do pilates at some point every week. Going to the gymnasium usually has a optimistic knock-on impact too: when you begin going to the gymnasium, you find yourself consuming higher and ingesting much less since you don’t wish to spoil your exercises. I’ve gotten into rather a lot higher form the previous couple of months and I plan to proceed that this yr.

So there you might have it! Some extra fascinating info about me. Effectively, issues I believe are fascinating a minimum of.
 

Tips on how to Journey the World on $75 a Day

My New York Instances best-selling ebook to journey will train you the right way to grasp the artwork of journey so that you just’ll get off lower your expenses, at all times discover offers, and have a deeper journey expertise. It’s your A to Z planning information that the BBC known as the “bible for price range vacationers.”

Click here to learn more and start reading it today!