Traveling; its a damn lifestyle! You don’t do it for braging rights!

Tazara rail, border station at Mbeya;Tanzania

Just before I go on let me set a few facts straight;

• -         I am 20 years old and I have been to 8 countries, In fact if everything goes according to plan I will see 12 countries before my 21^st birthday.
• -         I have no set income! The only money I receive is the frugal allowance from my dad which is barely enough to help me live a life standard little better than a hobo.
• -         I am a full time student.

Why did I feel necessary to mention this?

You see unfortunately many people tend to have a misguided perception of us travellers and travel in general. Some think we do it for bragging rights others think we have tons of money to spend. Then you have those people that love to think we are running away from reality, from live, from responsibility.

None of these judgements could have been further from the truth. I am not only speaking for myself but all the people out there who adopted the travel lifestyle.

My first border crossing on my own

There is nothing you can do against the bite of the travel bug. June 2011 marked the day in which I crossed an international border without my parents for the first time in my life. I was 19 at the time and entering Namibia was a real nerve wrecking experience. So far I never had a good experience at border posts... The last time I had my passport stamped was when the Turkish government kindly asked us to leave their country, apparently we overstayed our welcome and the man behind the counter made sure we got the message.  But as I got my passport cleared I was filling my lungs with dry Namibian air, inhaling the incurable travel disease.

My random lesotho trip- It was freezing cold!!

Travel doesn’t have to be expensive, in fact it can be cheaper to cross a border, spend a week or two exploring your neighbouring country than spending a fortnight at home! All you need to do is keep things simple! Don’t be afraid to ask.  Take things as they come! 
4 months ago I heard about a guy, Dirk, who was going to visit a small town in the mountain kingdom of Lesotho. The night before he left I asked him if I could tag along, “No problem! Just make sure your passport is ready” was his reply. It might have easily been one the most spontaneous things I have done. So the next afternoon I phoned my mother at the border control just to let her know I am leaving the country and she won’t get hold of me for a week. 
She wasn’t too happy with the surprise but she has come to terms with the fact that her son will always be somewhere but no-where to be found on this planet. I made travel a lifestyle. I am serious about my studies and my professional future. But if my future job opportunity doesn’t fit in with my way of living then it’s just not fit for me. That is why I decided to study Economics and International trade.

About my stories; I don’t tell them to brag among my peers. As a traveller my stories tend to be set in a different setting involving many interesting characters... I love to share my experiences because as I tell them I relive the experience! And nothing makes me happier to fascinate the young and old with my stories from the outside world. It is my dream to motivate as many young people and children as possible to explore their own world and create their own adventures.