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

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

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

Whereas I do submit quite a lot 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 standing, however the act of flying makes me sick. I don’t like heights and any turbulence makes me assume the airplane is about to crash. I’m not a very good 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 highway journeys with my dad and mom 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 assembly 5 backpackers in a shared taxi whereas on trip in Thailand. I used to be so amazed at what they had been doing that the following day I made a decision to stop 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 don’t know.

4. Once I was youthful, I wished to be an archaeologist due to the Indiana Jones motion pictures. I ultimately went to highschool to be a highschool historical past instructor and taught for one 12 months, however then the economic system tanked and nobody was hiring historical past academics so I received a job doing administrative work at a hospital in Boston earlier than I began touring.

5. I’ve had three actually unhealthy incidents on the highway. On my very first journey on my own, I received 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 received stabbed in Colombia, which is unquestionably the worst factor that has ever occurred to me!

6. I’m a very good prepare dinner. I don’t prepare dinner a lot on the highway as a result of I hate how hostel kitchens aren’t totally stocked and everybody crowds them on the similar time, however now and again, I wish to prepare dinner an enormous meal for my fellow vacationers. Nevertheless, after I’m dwelling, I prepare dinner loads and even host dinner events for my pals. Some signature dishes embrace shrimp scampi, this scrumptious tomato/basil/olive salad, stir fry, and baked salmon.

7. I was 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 reasonably 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. For those who 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 together with my dietary wants.” It’s culturally insensitive. However that’s a rant for an additional submit.

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

10. If I may ever decide what time interval I may dwell in, I’d decide Nineteen Twenties Prohibition America. I believe that might be an thrilling time to dwell 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 may throw myself a Gatsby-themed party. I did it for 3 years in a row. They had been epic birthday events.

12. After journey, politics is my second love. I dwell and breathe politics, and it’s the solely information I sustain with whereas touring. I’m all the time prepared to debate and debate the world any time of the day and with anybody, irrespective of how nicely I do know them. (Nevertheless, in the previous few years, I’ve turned off listening to the political information day-after-day as a result of it was inflicting me quite a lot of anxiousness and never a very good use of my psychological vitality!)

13. Individuals all the time ask will I be nomadic endlessly. My reply: I don’t know. Eternally 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 loads when in comparison with the common particular person. For now, I’m having fun with the experience and see no cause to hold up my backpack simply but.

14. I’m a Japanophile. I really like all the things in regards to the tradition: the meals, the historical past, the etiquette, the panorama, the structure — all of it. I’d eat sushi day-after-day if I may.

15. I’m an unabashed Taylor Swift fan. She has a tune for each emotion and, once you take heed to her non-pop hits and actually get into her catalog, you see simply how proficient of a songwriter she is. Hearken to The Final Nice American Dynasty. She wrote a complete 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 have the ability to stand on their very own! Nothing goes to alter 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. Just a few years in the past, a number of pals turned me onto whiskey and I’ve been obsessed since. I choose a bar by the standard of the outdated fashioneds they serve.

20. At some point, I’d wish to learn to backyard. I wish to develop my very own meals. I really like cooking and assume it’s a logical step.

21. I was a semi-professional poker participant. I funded quite a lot of my unique journey with poker winnings and lived in Amsterdam for a number of months enjoying “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 point out that, by being vitality environment friendly, they may get monetary savings and the setting without delay.

23. Once I was in highschool, I performed quite a lot of Magic: The Gathering and received my state’s championship (my buddy 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 annually 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 tune 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 submit, 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 shade. I’ve two: blue and inexperienced.

27. I used to be one of many spokesmen for Asiana Airways. I did a business 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 really like motion pictures. I in all probability watch two or three every week, both within the theater or at dwelling on Netflix. My pals 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 learn 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 a daily 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 find out how to shoot a gun to (a) shield myself in case civilization ends and (b) hunt (one other factor I wish to learn to do) for meals when that occurs or (c) the zombies come. Having a Plan B by no means harm anybody, proper?

To that finish, I’d additionally wish to learn 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 vital issues you are able to do in your life, and I can’t perceive individuals who don’t learn books. In your typical 12 months, I’ll learn round 50–70 books. You’ll find an inventory of all my favorites here.

32. I’m a morning particular person. I are inclined to get up round 7am and do my greatest work earlier than lunchtime. On a very good day, I’ll rise up at 6am.

33. I’ve gotten far more into the gymnasium within the final 12 months. I am going to the gymnasium six days every week and do pilates sooner or later 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 destroy your exercises. I’ve gotten into loads higher form the previous few months and I plan to proceed that this 12 months.

So there you might have it! Some extra attention-grabbing info about me. Effectively, issues I believe are attention-grabbing not less than.
 

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