Gary Arndt is a world traveler who sold his home in 2007 and has been traveling around the world ever since. His blog, Everything Everywhere, is one of the most popular and award winning travel blogs on the internet. He has appeared in numerous media outlets including BBC, CNN, New York Times, The Atlantic and National Geographic Traveler. Time Magazine named him one of the Top 25 Blogs on the Internet in 2010 and he has won a Lowell Thomas Award, Northern Lights Award, and multiple NATJA awards for travel journalism.
My father used to subscribe to National Geographic. I was an early reader and I remember going through back issues he had. My uncle was a custodian at a local school and he often brought home issues that they threw away. I would go through all of them, fantasizing about the exotic locations I'd see in its pages.
I never traveled that much growing up. Other than a trip to Canada when I was younger, I never really traveled outside of the United States. I once made a 10 minute dash into Mexico in a rental car just to say I did it, but other than that, there was no international travel for me.
I sold my internet consulting business in 1998 and in 1999 I had the opportunity to take a 3-week trip around the world to visit the offices of the company I sold to, to tell them about web application development. The trip took me to Tokyo, Taipei, Singapore, Paris, Frankfurt, Brussels and London. It was the most exciting thing I had ever done in my life.
After that trip I wanted to travel more, but other than a brief trip to Iceland and Argentina, I never really went anywhere. In 2005 I had the idea to just sell my house and travel around the world. It took me almost 2-years from the inception of the idea to actually hit the road.
My original intent was just to travel for 1-2 years. But it just kept going and now I've reached a point where I can travel almost indefinitely.
–It’s obvious that the typical corporate and 9 to 5 lifestyle wasn’t for you. What do you miss about the life you left behind? And besides freedom and new experiences, what do you precisely love about your nomadic lifestyle?
I've never actually had a normal 9 to 5 job. I was an entrepreneur at a very young age. I started my first company at the age of 24 and have been working for myself every since.
There isn't much about my old life that I miss. When I started traveling I was 37. My friends were all married and having kids, and I wasn't hanging out with them as much anymore.
I love my life. I get to see things and go places that few people ever get to. I am constantly learning and meeting new people. It is as if I am in permanent schooling.
–How many countries have you visited? Which country was your absolute favorite, and why?
That depends on how you define "country". Personally I use the list from the Traveler’s Century Club, which has 321 'places' around the world. That includes geographically and culturally distinct places which might not normally be considered a country. From that list I have visited 126 'countries'. I prefer that list over UN member states because it ignores places like Antarctica, Taiwan, Puerto Rico, Gibraltar, Vatican City, Cook Islands, etc. I am currently on a trip in the Lesser Antilles and that number should be over 150 by the end of 2013.
I don't have a single favorite country and I think it is an impossible question to answer. My experience in a place is dictated by the weather, the people I meet and a host of things which have nothing to do with the country itself. I've been to the same place multiple times and have had totally different experiences. The first time I visited Fiji I had a wonderful experience, but the next visit wasn't nearly as fun – same place, different experience.
–Do you ever find yourself tiring from moving from place to place? What do you do to refresh yourself, so that continuing on doesn’t seem like a daunting task?
At times I can get tired. I had a period in early 2013 where I was in a different hotel room every night for almost a month – I was exhausted. I loved what I was doing, but it was tiring nonetheless. The key is to take breaks and a just rest. As odd at it seems, my vacations involve not traveling. Several times during the last 6 years I've taken a week or two to do nothing but read and play video games.
After a while however, I feel the need to get moving and I'm off to the next place.
–If you would, tell readers a bit about the lifestyle of being a dedicated nomad... Also, please touch on the good AND the bad, the eye-opening and the largest pitfalls; because many people think it’s the perfect lifestyle, with non-stop wondrous adventures:
I'll be honest, it isn't the lifestyle for everyone. I think most people have some deep fantasy about traveling around the world, but the truth is, most people would give up after a few months. I see people all the time who let little things set them off and get frustrated by the way the rest of the world works. I don't think they could cut it living on the road.
As I stated above, I get to see and do things only a small percentage of the human race have been able to. However, the cost is that I am spending hundreds (thousands actually) of nights by myself in hotel rooms, I have no hope of having a serious relationship with anyone, and I seldom get to meet my friends in person, even my travel blogging friends.
––How did you turn from world traveler to travel blogger? And what sparked your interest to dedicate your free time to Everything Everywhere?
They went hand in hand with me. I had a personal website before they were ever called blogs. I think I started mine back in 1997. When I took a trip around the world for business in 1999, I created a small website for my employees where I updated on my travels. I suppose you could say it was my first travel blog.
I had been working on the internet since 1994, so starting a website to document my travels was something that was a no-brainer for me. I launched the site in October 2006 and began traveling in March 2007.
For the first 9 months that I was traveling, the website wasn't really getting much attention. I could probably tell you the names of everyone who was reading my site. I was in Hong Kong in late 2007 when I made the decision to take the site seriously.
There were a few travel blogs before mine, but most of those were to document a trip that had a definite beginning and end. Almost all of them had been mothballed because the owner of the blog finished their trip. There were no professional travel bloggers, although there were some people with travel based websites that were making a living. I had to figure out a model with no one to model myself after.
I adopted a few fundamental principals that I thought were true and just started plowing ahead. I knew if I didn't quit I'd eventually succeed, even thought I wasn't really sure what success meant (and I still don't).
–Some people think travel writers are to remain objective, to always enjoy and be open to all new experiences, no matter what the case may be... The hard truth is that’s absolutely impossible. Could you talk a little on the subject and tell us a little about your own experiences?
I don't even try to be objective. Unlike most travel writers, people are following me personally, not just a publication I happen to write for. I think I have a reputation for being opinionated and it has probably done more to help me than hurt me. Having a personality online isn't a bad thing.
I'm open to new experiences. There is no point in traveling if you aren't. However, there are things I have no desire to do. I don't wish to climb Mount Everest. I don't want to go skydiving. I'm quite happy passing on those. However, I have gone bungee jumping, gotten in the water with Great White Sharks and visited a war zone. The sound dangerous, but in reality I felt quite safe because the circumstances were controlled.
–It seems that almost everyone I encounter is wowed that I’m a professional travel writer, and most admit that they wish they could do the same... I’m sure you receive the same response very often, so what are some need-to-knows and advice for those who wish to follow similarly in our footsteps?
I'm not a professional travel writer in the sense that most people think of the term. I don't freelance for other publications. I write almost exclusively for my own site and do very little for other outlets.
That’s definitely a fair point – in that case, I would have to agree with you the same goes for me as well...
Although with that being said, if you want to make a living from a travel blog, don't expect to see any payoff for years. The market is extremely crowded right now and you probably need to build up a large travel resume before most people will even start to pay attention. Expect several years minimum before you can start to see serious traction in terms of an audience.
–What have been the most important and tough lessons you have learned about life, and of course, traveling the world, since you set out?
I've learned that I don't need much in the way of physical possessions to get by. I have a bag full of clothes and a smaller bag with computer and camera gear. That's it.
I've learned not to let things get to me. Most people confuse comfort and happiness. If you can deal with a bit of discomfort, you can lead a much less stressful life.
I've learned that people are generally good. Our fears of the rest of the world tend to be overblown.
I've learned that traveling is probably the best thing anyone can do, even if they only can travel for a limited amount of time each year.
–Well, I appreciate your time Gary, and I’m sure my readers will appreciate it even more! To end our interview, could you give some advice to those who have tested the waters and feel as though they’re ready to change to a nomadic lifestyle? Any any final thoughts or need-to-knows?
The biggest thing is making the decision to do it. Many people want to do it or have a desire to do it, but haven't pulled the trigger. Traveling full time isn't an issue of money so much as it is an issue of will. There are many wealthy people who do not travel much. I have undoubtedly traveled more than Bill Gates even though he has almost infinite resources.
Everything else is in the details, which can be figured out. Without the will to do it, the rest is meaningless.