Traveller Profile - Frank
This month I would like to introduce my friend Frank as our feature profile for December.
Happy Days! Greetings from the road of life. I'm Frank, an unapologetic US Citizen who travels the world. So far I've been to 105 Countries (and yes, we can have a super interesting chat about what "counts" and what doesn't over an espresso if we meet up someday.) I just arrived home to San Diego, CA, from the most recent leg of my journey (Greece, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia... ) to rest, and patch my bones while I get ready for the next sojourn (India, Sri Lanka, Maldives...). My friend and fellow traveller Laura (who asks a lot of questions!) has asked me for my two-cents on the following. I find any question about travel, that implies or requires a definitive response to be difficult. Because like most things in life, my perception and experience changes as I dance this road of happy destiny. Anyway, here you have it...
1. Why do you travel?
I travel to travel. I try to not have any preconceived expectations when I travel (I know this is not 100% possible, but I try).
The better answer for me has developed over many years and has become clear to me in hindsight.
I travel for 3 main reasons -
1) The Local People! - if I don't go to their home and meet them on their turf, I am going to miss out on a lot of beautiful interactions with the people of this world. (*I try to make a friend in each country.)
2) International Travelers - I have met the most amazing people from all over the world! (*and yes, if you invite me to come for a visit, I will wind up on your doorstep.)
3) The Five Senses - the sights, the sounds, the smells, the tastes, and the touches!
2. Tell us your favourite: a place to visit, mode of transport and source to get travel info.
This first part of this multi-part question is one of those travel questions that I have trouble with. ALL the places I visit are worth a visit. And ALL places have something unique and favourite about them. Some require a little more poking around than others but ALL places have a heart and soul.
My cheeky answer usually is "right here, right now." or "Ocean Beach, San Diego, California" but I know that is not what Laura is looking for here. So... okay Frank, (yes, I talk to myself a lot!), pick one place...
Gili Trawangan, Lombok, Indonesia - I stumbled across this island looking for some Technical Scuba Diving Training and have found so much more. From the local people to the lifelong friends I have made, the "No Motorized Vehicle" rules, the delicious local cuisine, I could go on and on. So there you have it...Gili Trawangan.
My favourite mode of transportation is First Class, hahahaha... no really, I can do any mode of transport available and necessary to get to where I've got to go, but I prefer to arrive in one piece and not twisted like a pretzel.
One thing I really do enjoy when it makes sense is to rent a vehicle and do a long road trip. Being in control of where I stop and when I stop and all that entails is extremely freeing to me. I have done epic road trips in the USA, NZ, Australia, UK, Caucuses, Europe, etc...
My "Go To" Travel Guide is the Lonely Planet. I do not use it as a bible but more for a template. I especially pay attention to the "Getting There & Away" parts and I find the Maps to be pretty accurate. It's a good place to start when planning any trip.
3. What is your favourite travel memory?
One of my Top 10 Days in my life was spent at Petra! From the walk down Al Siq where the first views of The Treasury were revealed, to the Camel ride out of the "Rose City" as the afternoon sun slowly sunk towards the horizon, it is a day I will remember and cherish forever. Of course, the people are what made it really special!
4. What's the most important thing you've learned while travelling?
Hahaha... again, a tough question to give a quick answer to.
If I had to distil it all down it would come down to this: we are all the same. All of us. None of us better than or less than anyone else.
5. Who would you love to sit next to on your next flight?
Back to my answer on my favourite mode of transport... I would prefer to fly First Class, where you sit all by yourself, in a little pod, happy and content.
If I could travel back in time, I would love to sit next to Ramesh Balsekar...
6. What's your best money-saving tip to travel?
I don't travel to save money. I travel to spend it. That being said, I spend my money on what's important to me. I don't waste but don't penny pinch either. I am unsure who to attribute this to (I think Mark Twain), but I go to the quote "20 years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do, than by the things you did."
7. How do you deal with the post-holiday blues?
Post-Holiday what? I am on a permanent holiday! Life is a holiday. When I am not out travelling I live in paradise. Ocean Beach, California.
But back to the why's? I already told you the 3 main reasons that I travel, these are the 3 main reasons I come home.
1) My Family - I love them all.
2) My Friends - they are all crazy in the most beautiful way.
3) My Senses - live music, dancing, eating, the smell of the ocean, and the feel of my own sheets on my own bed.
8. What's one thing you like to do in every place you visit?
Make a friend, I try in each country to meet someone, (I don't limit myself to one) a local that I can connect with. To talk to, ask questions of, break bread with, meet the family, whatever I can do to get a real feel for what it is like to be from wherever it is that I am.
9. Travelling can leave a big environmental footprint, how do you minimise yours?
It's hard. I'm conscious of it and try not to be a totally naive human on this planet and the impact that I have on it. But that being said, I do fly, drive, eat meat, use plastics, etc... So I am part of the problem. To kid myself into any other belief is a rationalization. I do try though. To reduce, reuse, and recycle.
10. Plan an around the world trip for us, stopping in one city only on each continent.
Okay, bags packed, let's go...
New York, NY, USA (the BEST CITY on the planet!), Lima, Peru (the food!), Antarctica (a scuba diving cruise from Ushuaia), Cape Town, South Africa (just to watch the clouds drift over Table Mountain.), Novellara, Italy (a BBQ at my friend Panny's Mom's house), Singapore, Singapore (did I mention food!), Sydney, Australia (yes, be a total tourist, climb the Harbour Bridge for Sunset, it's amazing!), Yasawa Islands, Fiji (Bula!)(and I know this is not a continent, but it's a great stop on the way across the Pacific Ocean.), San Diego, CA, USA (okay that's two cities in North America, but hey a kid has gotta come home once in a while.)
Breathe, you are alive...
Happy Trails!
Wow Frank! I love your view on life and travel. Thank you for your deep answers.
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