Vagabonding Travel

One of the most enjoyable mountain bike trips ever near Dali, China
The open road. There is nothing that feels as good as waking up in the morning without a plan, and deciding which direction you will go. No amount of wealth, electronic toys, or shiny new Lexus cars will make your heart beat harder than packing a bag and heading into the unknown. You answer only to yourself. You are the boss.

What is Vagabonding?

Rolf Potts, author of the book Vagabonding, describes the vagabonding lifestyle as:

"The act of leaving behind the orderly world to travel independently for an extended period of time" and "A deliberate way of living that makes freedom to travel possible".

So put simply, it is the act of choosing adventures and travel experiences over working away your life for material things. In other words, you can still be at home and "vagabonding". It is a mindset, a new way of life, and it never goes away. One day when all of the things people spend their money on have rusted or ended up in yard sales and at Goodwill, my travel experiences and stories will still be there. No one can take them away!

Going on a vacation and trying to squeeze 2 weeks of living out of a year just doesn't work. We always return in worse shape than before we left...with mail stacked up and the dread of going back to work. Take a look at my website for a great backpacking tips to get started.

I travel alone strictly as a budget traveler - which means I carry a backpack and sleep in bungalows and guesthouses. There is usually no AC, I provide a feast for the mosquitoes, and I eat only local street food whenever possible. My average traveling budget is around USD $20 a day to live. (and it can be done way cheaper!)

The Escape!

Before I started vagabonding I was working 60+ hours a week at a miserable corporate IT job. For 7 years I sat in a cubicle, wasted away my 20's, and succumbed to the Rat Race. In 2005 I was able to sell my things, save money, break ties, and escape Corporate America for good. On January 27, 2006 I got off the plane in Bangkok, Thailand and life has never been the same since. I created this site to share my story with others in the same situation and to offer encouragement. Don't give up, its never too late!

Travel slowly

There are LOADS of budget travelers that have been to many more countries than I have. Rather than just having border officials pound my passport relentlessly with stamps, I made a promise to myself to slow down, and never to travel on a set time-line. I have stayed in some countries for months, and some just a few weeks. I usually know when its time to move on the minute that I get out of bed that day and act accordingly.

Vagabonding Places I have been

Thailand
6 months total here made this my first and favorite place in the world. Islands, jungles, fiery food, and friendly people. This place is my retirement plan and I have visited 3 times already!

Laos
Mountains, villages, French culture, and land mines. I loved it even though my first severe case of food poisoning (courtesy of eating a BBQ bat from a street vendor) nearly killed me!

Cambodia
Angkor Wat, every bit as impressive as the pyramids, should be one of the wonders of the world. I was able to visit some remote temples where priceless Khmer carvings still littered the ground! Traveling Cambodia and seeing the suffering changed me forever. If everyone could go there once there would be a lot less complaining!

Alaska
Undoubtedly the most magical place I have been in the US. I camped, caught trout, had a grizzly encounter, and climbed mountains for nearly a month....I have been here twice and will definitely go again.

Ireland
Probably my favorite place in Europe even despite the weather. I was lucky enough to enjoy the craic for nearly a month.

Sweden
Raw fish in mustard, viking ships in museums, the cobblestoned streets of Galma Stan, and an awesome music scene!

Germany
I traveled the south around Konstanz, a beautiful lake town, and then hitchhiked my way over to Munich for my first Oktoberfest - no further explanation needed. :)

Switzerland
A quick jaunt from Germany by car into Switzerland, I made it up into the Alps. The coffee was worth the drive.

Netherlands
I caught a ride with a friend from Brussels to S-Hertogenbosch. I loved it, but was forced to come home early when a loved one passed away. I will definitely go back.

Italy
Love. Pizza. Wine. A fun language. I could live very happily in Italy.

Egypt
I was in Egypt when the war on terror heated up, which made my interactions with locals a little more interesting. I even had the pleasure of fleeing and bribing some of Egypt's finest policemen! :) It was still fascinating and I have never seen so much history in one place.

England
London is by far my favorite city outside of the US, despite being so bloody expensive. What a place!

Mexico
For my first pre-paid travel gig, I was hired by American Eagle to do photography and write a blog about Spring Break in Acapulco. 4 weeks straight of Spring Break, partying until 06:00am seven days a week nearly killed me, but wow - what a way to die. :)

Jamaica
More of a much needed vacation, my first 2 weeks in the Caribbean. The water was like one giant pool and perfect for diving. (both scuba and jumping off of cliffs!)

China
The toughest place that I have traveled, but the most rewarding. For 3 months I wandered, learning Mandarin, and even studying Shaolin kung fu at the temple's famous school in Henan province for 1 month. China is huge and fascinating - my favorite adventure yet.

Indonesia
I spent 3 months in this huge, diverse, and sometimes dangerous place. The local people are the most open I have encountered, and there are 19,000 islands to play on with active volcanoes. I went whale hunting, lived traditionally with a family, and nearly ended my vagabonding (and living) career once or twice!

East Timor
One of the newest countries in the world, this war-torn place just gained its independence from Indonesia. I saw enough machine guns, barbed wire, and land mine signs to get my blood moving. The UN has a huge presence here to keep the peace and there is a 22:00 nightly curfew.

Singapore
I could only afford a few days in this expensive city-country, but it is a highly organized, clean, enjoyable place to walk, shop, and eat.

Malaysia
Malaysia is a very modern and nice place to visit, with gorgeous islands. My favorite new city in Asia is Kuala Lumpur, a cheap yet developed place to drop anchor for a while in Asia. I spent 1 month here and loved it.

Colombia
My favorite country in South America so far, Colombia was more expensive than expected but fun to explore. No, I never got kidnapped, but yes there are a lot of drugs!

Ecuador
I crossed Ecuador from top to bottom fairly quickly, but I did spend some time in the little surfer towns on the Pacific coast. Dodgy but charming, just don't get in a big hurry trying to travel by bus.

Peru
I walked to Machu Picchu which was one of the greatest places I have visited so far during my travels. I enjoyed it much more than the pyramids in Egypt!



Just for fun, here's some examples of the travel experiences I had while on the road.

Pictures from all of the places I visited can be found in my adventure albums.


Please read about how you can help me get back on the road - its free!