time & money aside, what’s on your pin list?

So so much! But to name a few I’d say New Zealand, Hawaii, Madagascar, Iceland, Tonga, Russia, and maybe parts of “The 5 stans” in central Asia. I also want to do an African safari, a northern lights trip, hike around Patagonia, and a slow cultural & gastronomical tour of Italy.

What draws you to a particular part of the world or an experience? How do you choose where you go and what you do?

Unique natural landscapes, and how people experience life differently. I actively try to challenge assumptions about others or how risky doing something is (or boring or difficult or..). The realization you get after experiencing something for yourself is priceless. The deciding factor for me is the likelihood of experiencing enough of a place with the time & money at my disposal.

What (or which) experiences play a big role during your journeys?

Savoring food, talking to strangers, and getting lost! I tend to carve out part of my plan to aimlessly wander around a place, walking towards the general direction of my next meal or snack. The more I’m on my feet exploring, and savoring delicious foods, the more I’m enjoying my time. Sometimes I talk to chefs or cooks of places I like, and I ask them about places they like. Their recommendations are often away from the “tourist trail”, and lead to discovering a lot while I get lost on my way there. A trip isn’t complete without getting lost somewhere!

Which trips had a big impact on you?

Several come to mind but I think my first solo trip had the biggest effect. I think introspection is a big factor for growth, being at a place with an unfamiliar or different culture by yourself really makes you reflect. I guess that trip made me much more accepting and confident in exploring more places, cultures, experiences, and even thoughts & ideas. It’s the reason I encourage people to travel differently.

what Things still get under your skin while traveling?

Invasion of personal space (especially in lines), tourist groups blocking paths, or people not learning to say "Please" & "Thank you" in the local language are simple things that get to me. Being polite doesn't hurt and it’s as simple as noticing how most locals act & behave. If you think what people do isn't polite then don't do it, just be considerate of what causes offense. I think a bit of manners, some courtesy, and politeness go along way.

What does your travel year look like?

I actively try to make each trip throughout a year different so it looks something like:
- An unfamiliar culture & history.
Like Japan, Sril Lanka, Brazil, or Mexico.
- Discovery. Slightly different than the first category in that it's a bit more familiar, usually smaller cities or countries in Europe.
Like Croatia, Utrecht (Netherlands), Seville (Spain), etc..
- Quick, relaxed, and laid-back trip. A short trip (or a couple) to a place I feel at home at or that has enough things to do without being overwhelming. To places where I can get away with doing nothing other than getting familiar with the place.
Like Amsterdam, London, Barcelona, Lisbon, Paris, or a beach destination (Zanzibar, Ibiza, Bahamas, etc..)
- Family trip. A get-together trip to a place where it’s easier to settle down for a bit.
The past couple of years were either in the States (California mainly) or Cape Town, South Africa.
- Friends get-together. A newcomer to my travel calendar, I'm not too much of a fan of group trips but my best friends live in different places and we decided to do a reunion trip once a year. A trip that's part adventure, part laid back, and part exploration.
First time it was Panama then we went to Portugal.
- Slow-travel (every couple of years). After experiencing about a yearlong trip between 2018 & 2019, I’ve decided to do something similar every 3-5 years. The luxury of time made it easier to connect with locals and inspiring people in ways I didn’t expect.

How did the “slow-travel” EXPERIMENT go?

I took a career break from the corporate world to travel and experiment with different learning projects, which ended up making Pin There what it is now. The working online (“digital nomad”) part of the test failed after a couple of months, exploring around was too tempting. I’d be working while my feet were itching to get out the door, they won!

I was aiming for about a year long break with 6 months of travel but ended up traveling for 8 months and the “break” lasted about a year and a half. My plan was to explore Patagonia but visa issues shifted the focus towards Central America, then the plan was to start with Costa Rica or Colombia then move around from there to places like Belize, Nicaragua, Cuba; I ended up starting in Mexico (after sometime in the U.S.) then going to Guatemala (returning to it a couple of times), Ecuador, Panama, Honduras, Belize, and Cuba.

Your... (funniest, earliest, shocking, unpleasant, etc..) travel memory?

-Earliest: A 3-day hike in the Swiss Alps as part of summer school.
I tried weaselling out of it at first (I was a fat & lazy kid) but gladly ended up doing it. My love of nature was born from feeling awestruck by looking up at what I’ve never seen before, a night sky so clear and unpolluted that it seemed like there were more stars than the space between them!

-Unfortunate but fun: More than 10 years ago in Amsterdam, I remember getting concert tickets on a whim but didn't pay too much attention on where it was playing, it wasn’t in Amsterdam.
We went to the concert and thought were being smart in leaving a little early to beat the crowds to the train only to find out that the last one had already left! It was late and most people had already taken all the available taxis. So we headed out to the road, it started raining (heavily) with strong winds picking up (one of our umbrellas broke and the other barely held up), till we found a taxi booth but the call center told us there wouldn't be one for a while. We were pretty desperate. Seeing what we thought was an airport, we decided to walk towards it in the hopes of finding a ride or at least some shelter till we do. Thankfully a car pulled over and took us back on their way through Amsterdam.

-Unpleasant: The first time I really felt ill while traveling solo.
When I visited Berlin, I made a point to check the cities' night life but came down with a flu, a horrible one with migraines, sore muscles, fever, you name it. Feeling helpless and bedridden in a place where you don't know anyone was not a pleasant experience.

-I’m not sure what to categorize this but it was surreal: The Galapagos islands.
Sir David Attenborough is an idol of mine and this trip was the closest I’ve sampled what he may have experienced.

your top *insert anything regarding travel (tips, tricks, hacks, or favorite, etc..)* are?

My top recommendations when planning a trip would be:
-Plan, plan, plan as much as you can before the trip, try to barely make any major decisions or research during the trip. Keep in mind that some, if not most, of the trip won't go as intended, plan anyway!
-This might be my top recommendation: forget everything you think you know or want to happen. Have no expectations because a lot of what you plan on happening won’t happen like you want it to.
-No plan can be part of a plan! Spontaneous moments make for great memories, stories and wonderful experiences. Carve some time to allow some spontaneity.
-Plan with you in mind. You don't have to do something just because others like it. Everyone experiences & enjoys things differently, someone else's plan might not be your best option. 
-If you think you won't be able to do that much planning yourself get reliable help, emphasis on reliable here because not everyone’s opinion is worth your time.

If you’d like to ask any other questions (or feedback) please reach out, I’d enjoy answering them. You can also check my Instagram and follow my pins!