So we’ve been a bit slack on the blogging front lately – the whole team is pretty busy bouncing around juggling travel and work (oh it’s a tough life hey) so we’ve decided to recruit a new face to the RTW Backpackers Team to help provide some entertainment and lighten the hard, arduous work load of blogging!
I’ve been following a few amazing travellers who I can tell will be having some heaps good adventures over the coming few months but it was a tough decision decided who would add some chaos to the mixing pot!
So let me introduce our newest wandering nomad – Stephen…
So Stephen, introduce yourself…who are you and where are you from?!
Right! I’m an aspiring travel writer, adventure junkie, and world-wide vagabond from Ohio. In 2006, I took a trip to Ireland that rocked my world. After that trip, I went back home and nothing was the same. I had my first taste of a bigger world and backpacking culture; I fell in love with both.
Every year I would eagerly wait for summer, when I could take off for 3 months. At the end of each trip it was harder to come home. Two years ago I couldn’t take switching back and forth anymore and I started my path towards becoming a full-time vagabond. I worked, I saved, and I started a blog. Finally, a couple months ago, I set off to travel full-time; focusing and working two years to create the life I wanted was the best choice in my life.
I’m a backpacker to my core. I’m never more at home than when I’m showing up at a train station in a foreign country with my backpack and no set plans.
– You’ve just set out on your RTW adventure, any stand out highlights so far?
Can an entire country be a highlight? If so, Croatia holds that title.
However, by the time you read this I’ll have just ran with the bulls. It is the main item on my bucket list, and if I survive I’m sure that it will be my greatest highlight.
– ….anything you’ve had to learn or adapt to quickly that you didn’t envision?
Ha, it is funny you say envision. Two days ago on the beach in Barcelona sand got into my contact lens and scratched my eye. Yesterday, I had to wear an eye patch, plus, take my contacts out.
Imagine navigating the trains and subways in Spain, while you are trying to keep your valuables safe with almost zero visibility. Luckily, I had some friends to help me out or I would have never made it.
Today I can see a little better, but everything is still blurry. I’m going to use my lack of vision as an excuse for any spelling errors in this post, just kidding.
– Tell us some more about your blog, what can readers expect from your musings?
Alright, time for a little self-promotion! A Backpackers Tale is an adventure/misadventures travel blog. I focus on all the adrenaline pumping activates around the world. I want to encourage others to travel, to have adventures and to explore the world. However, I also offer practical travel tips and personal stories from the road.
It’s weird because I thought my audience would eat up the adventure posts but my personal stories, and thoughts are by far the most popular post on my site.
– What inspired you to start writing about your adventures
After traveling I developed a reputation in my town as being the go to guy for travel advice. I would receive emails from friends of friends, people I didn’t even know asking me for advice. Then, I discovered travel blogs and saw a passionate group of people living my dream, and writing about it. There really wasn’t an option from that point. Travel writing is a perfect outlet to share experiences while helping others to travel.
– Shameless plug time, what’s your favourite post so far?!
I like my post What Two Years of Saving To Travel Taught Me. It captures the moment in life when my dream was shifting into reality, and when all the hard work started to pay off.
– What’s the plan for the rest of the year then, where are you heading and any epic adventures in there?
I’m packing in the adventures in 2013! The Mongol Rally starts July 13th where I’ll be driving over 10,000 miles through two continents and nineteen countries in five weeks. After that, I have La Tomatina, Morocco and Oktoberfest. In October, I fly to India and from there; your guess is as good as mine until I fly to Australia in January.
– On your adventures what 5 things are you really stoked about doing?
I’m super pumped to be crossing some of the top things off my bucket list. My top five are the running of the bulls, camping in the Sahara, The Mongol Rally, Oktoberfest and Ye Ping Lantern Festival.
– Any awesome travel bloggers you’d recommend we all follow, who’s been inspiring you?
Well, Nomadic Matt taught me how to blog, so I always follow him closely. I also love reading Backpacker Banter; you’ve inspired me to pick surfing back up.
A few other blogs I follow closely are:
- Further Bond
- One Giant Step
- Expert Vagabond
- Active Backpacker
- Pause the Moment
– Any advice you’d give those thinking about long term travel?
Stick with it, traveling is awesome but like anything else you have days when all goes to hell. Use those days as a chance to learn. People are always surprised how strong and capable they are when they have to figure something out on the road.
Stephen will be blogging occasionally on RTW Backpackers – but you can also follow his adventures over at A Backpackers Tale and his tweets via @XXXXXXX
