NOMADIC MATT FOR TRAVEL INSPIRATION

      For anyone that wishes to travel the world on a budget, following Nomadic Matt on his blog, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter is a must. Matt Kepnes  (aka Nomadic Matt) has been traveling and writing for over 10 years and is always up to something new. Currently, he is hosting meetups in 11 cities across the country, as part of The Nomadic Network Tour, and promoting his latest book, How to Travel the World on $50 a Day.

      Just recently, in San Diego, Ron and I decided to meet up with this talented young man at the Brew Project Bar and Restaurant, where we were joined by at least another 50 interested travelers.

      Nomadic Matt is what I call a hardcore traveler, although he claims to be slowing down some. About 10 years ago, he quit his job in a cubicle, sold everything, and began to travel full time. He quickly realized how much he didn't need all of that stuff he left behind. He has been writing and helping others travel on a shoestring ever since.

     He spoke to the group for about 20 minutes and then answered dozens of questions. He recommended planning a trip one step at a time, which is usually good advice for most things. It's easy to get overwhelmed with the multitude of websites, books and blogs available to everyone these days. The first step might be to look at your budget and figure out a way to set a specific amount of money aside. He also said that he doesn't worry much about planning. because he never follows the plans anyway.

    

Another step he mentioned, which always works for me, is getting the flights booked—it's kind of like the point of no return.

     Matt develops travel community more than most writers do. For example, he organized a travel book club on his website that anyone can join. An avid reader himself, he found that the club motivates him to read a book a week. A favorite: Walking the Nile by Levison Wood.
   Matt's favorite place is Thailand, where he lived for two years.

    

BELGIUM

Some of his recommended websites: Couch Surfing (stay with locals & meet new people), Warm Showers (hospitality exchange for touring cyclists), and Camp in My Garden (private gardens for camping).

     After the presentation, he encouraged everyone to introduce themselves and learn from each other. Ron and I had a good time walking around visiting and were impressed with the diversity of people attending. We met a man who had couch surfed over 80 times. We visited with a woman who was going to spend six months on an Oceania cruise, traveling around the world in 180 days.

     Others were on their way to Greece, Peru and Italy—some with reservations and some without. One young photographer had lived in Africa for a year and was anxious to return. A recent retiree was about to begin traveling while writing two blogs (Matt offers online courses on travel writing and blogs). Some were even talking about their favorite travel shoes. You name it, and it was probably being discussed somewhere in that room.

     I think I went home with a case of travel overload--I had a nightmarish dream that night that all my stuff would not fit into a suitcase and it caused me to miss a plane to Sweden.

PORTUGAL