What I do when I don’t travel: 20 more facts about me
Who am I, besides a traveler? What do I like to do when I am not traveling? What are my hobbies? What are my interests? Since I am more than a travel writer, I want to tell you a little bit about myself and what I like to do when I am not traveling. While I post many pictures of my daily life on Instagram, let’s learn a bit more about me! I don’t like flying. The act of flying makes my stomach turn. I love airports and lounges. I’m afraid of heights, and any turbulence in the air makes me feel like my plane is going to crash. I am not a great flyer and take Xanax on most flights to calm myself down. It’s ironic how often I fly! It wasn’t until I was 23 that I traveled on my own. Up until that point, my travels consisted of a series road trips with parents and a drunken Montreal weekend when I was 19 years old. I also didn’t travel west of the Mississippi before 25.)
3. After meeting five backpackers while vacationing in Thailand, I decided to travel for a long time. I was so impressed by what they did that I quit my job the next morning and made long-term traveling my goal. Two Australians, one Canadian and a Belgian couple were involved. I have no idea how they changed my life. In my youth, I dreamed of becoming an archaeologist after watching Indiana Jones movies. After graduating, I went on to become a history teacher at a Boston high school for a year. However, the economy crashed and nobody was hiring history instructors so I took a job as an administrative assistant in a Boston hospital before I began traveling. Three really bad things have happened to me on the road. My first solo trip was ruined by food poisoning. I was hospitalized three days, and on a morphine infusion. In Thailand, I ruptured my eardrum. Third, I was stabbed by a Colombian, which is the worst thing to have ever happened to my!
6. I’m a good chef. I cook less on the road, because hostel kitchens don’t have enough food and are crowded. But I do cook for my fellow travellers every now and then. When I’m at home, I like to cook and host dinner parties with my friends. The shrimp scampi is one of my signature dishes. I also love this tomato/basil/olive/basil salad, stir-fry, and baked salmon. I was a vegetarian once. After reading Fast Food Nation I gave up meat for four years. It wasn’t eating meat I was against, but rather industrial farming and the chemicals/antibiotics in the meat that I didn’t like. When I began to travel, I stopped being a vegetarian. It’s rude for me to refuse food from other cultures. It’s rude to refuse food in a Mongolian village. This is culturally insensitive. “Sorry your heartfelt and traditional cooking does not go with my dietary requirements.” That’s another rant. I love soul, Motown and blues.
10. Prohibition America in the 1920s would be my choice if I had to choose a time period. It sounds like a great time to be alive. Maybe I’ve read The Great Gatsby a little too much.
11. In honor of Gatsby’s birthday, I took up swing dancing so that I could host a party themed around Gatsby. Three years in a line, I repeated the same thing. These were amazing birthday parties.
12. Politics is my second passion after travel. While traveling, I only read about politics. No matter who I am or how well I know someone, I’m always willing to debate and discuss the world. In the past few years I have stopped listening to political news because it caused me anxiety and was not a good way to spend my mental energy.
13. Many people ask me if I will be nomadic forever. My answer is: I don’t really know. Forever is an incredibly long time. I travel less than I did in the past and I expect to continue doing so, but I still travel more than most people. As of now, I am enjoying my travels and don’t see any reason to put down my backpack. I’m a Japanophile. I’m a Japanophile. If I could, I’d eat sushi all day long.
15. I am a Taylor Swift fan. Listening to her non-pop songs and her entire catalog will show you how talented she is as a songwriter. Listen to The Last Great American Dynasty. She managed to write a complete narrative in just three minutes. This is some seriously good writing. I attended the Eras Tour several times. I love her.
16. I am also a big fan of Sia. Amazing songstress and songwriter.
17. I don’t drink coffee. I don’t like the taste. I don’t like to add sugar, milk or soymilk in my coffee. Drinks should stand alone! My opinion will not change. It’s taken me years to get a taste for this. It’s not going to work.
18. I like tea. I drink a lot of tea. Green tea is my favorite. It’s the drink I choose! Rishi is my favorite brand.
19. Old fashioned is my favorite alcoholic beverage. Since a few years, I have been obsessed with whiskey. I evaluate a bar based on the quality of their old fashioneds.
20. One day I would like to be able to garden. I’d like to grow my food. I enjoy cooking and believe it is a logical next step.
21. I was a semi-professional player of poker. I paid for my first trip in part with poker earnings and spent a few months in Amsterdam playing “professionally”.
22. In my younger years, I worked at the Sierra Club of Massachusetts. I created a PowerPoint presentation that we presented to various community organizations in order to demonstrate that energy efficiency could help them save money while also helping the environment.
23. In high school I played Magic: The Gathering a lot and won the state championship. My friend was second. We were awarded a trip to NYC, where we played in the National Tournament. I lost the first round.
24. I don’t like sweets. Once a year, I might have a brownie or cookie, but I generally don’t eat sweets or desserts because I dislike all the sugar.
25. It helps me focus because it’s just white noise. This helps me concentrate because the music is just white noise. Sweet Annie by Zac Brown Band has been playing on repeat in my head for the past two hours as I type this post.
26. I don’t really have a favorite colour. I have two colors: blue and green.
27. I was a spokeswoman for Asiana Airlines. I made a TV commercial that ran for two years. My voice was dubbed, but they did not. It always sounds weird to me when I watch.
28. I love watching movies. I watch at least two movies a week in the cinema or on Netflix. We have group chats about movies with my friends.
29. My favorite liquor? Scotch, and specifically peaty Scotch Scotchs from Islay. Ardbeg is my favorite brand. I would like to learn to shoot a firearm. I would like to learn to shoot a firearm. Not because I love guns — I hate them, I support stricter gun laws, and I donate regularly to Everytown for Gun Safety. I just want to be prepared in the event of a zombie attack or a world-ending catastrophe. I can use a weapon to protect myself, hunt for food, or to defend my family if the worst happens. It’s always good to have a Plan B, right?
I would also like to learn to shoot a Bow and Arrow. That would be a lot of fun and also useful. I read for an hour every day. Biographies, travel, business, history and other books are my favorites. Reading and learning is important in life. I can’t understand why people don’t do it. I read 50-70 novels in a typical year. Here’s a list of my favorite books. I’m a morning person. I usually get up at 7am to do my best work. On a good morning, I will get up around 6am.
33. In the past year, I have been going to the gym more. I do pilates and go to the gym one day per week. Gym-going can have a positive effect on your life. You may find that you eat better and drink less when you go to the gym. I’ve been in better shape for the past few months, and I intend to keep it up this year.
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Here you go! Well, I think that’s at least interesting. It’s your A to Z planning guide that the BBC called the “bible for budget travelers.”
Click here to learn more and start reading it today!
Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks
Book Your Flight
Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner. It’s your A to Z planning guide that the BBC called the “bible for budget travelers.”
Click here to learn more and start reading it today!
Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks
Book Your Flight
Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner. Skyscanner is my favorite search engine, because it searches all websites and airlines in the world.
Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. Booking.com is the best option if you don’t want to stay in a hostel. It consistently offers the lowest rates for hotels and guesthouses.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. This is comprehensive coverage in the event of an accident. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:
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