I have not been everywhere but it’s on my list.

Where to next.

Where to next?

 Is there anywhere you have not been?

I often get that question when I meet people and tell them that I have been on the road for more than 20 years.

The fact is that there are many many places I have not been to despite having been to 73 of them.

I personally try to visit at least 2 new countries every year that I have not been to before but I also go back to a lot of places where I have been before.

If you ask me then it’s important to visit new places but also to go back to places you have been before.

 

I love going back to places I have been before.

Tirana.

Been to Tirana many times and love the place. and the people.

When you are on the road as much as I am then traveling is not really a matter of seeing the sights that Lonely Planet tells you to, at least it’s not for me.

It’s not really sightseeing that makes me love the traveling lifestyle.

For me it’s the ultimate freedom that I have when not knowing where I will sleep tonight, combined with the knowledge I get about the countries and the people who inhabit them.

In many countries where I have been I have formed really good friendships and the main reason why I have been 15 times to Brazil, 5 times to Albania, 11 times to Turkey, 14 times to Malaysia, 7 times to the Philippines and more than 50 times to Portugal is because I have formed some life lasting relationships there and these are not the only countries I keep returning to.

And every time I go I learn something new and I always makes sure to visit at least one place I have never been to before in the country if I return to a place I have been before so I can become a little wiser.

 

You can make a living out of the knowledge you get from traveling.

Working in Vietnam with locals.

Working in Vietnam with nice colleges.

When you have been to a lot of countries around the globe and also been to some countries either many times or maybe spend a long period in one country, you can actually make money out of it.

I earn the majority of my living from showing the world to other people when I work as a freelancer and I also do public speaking from time to time where I get paid to talk about certain parts of the world where I have been long enough to get a lot of knowledge that goes beyond the knowledge you obtain from studying books.

I have been used by radio and television several times where I have acted as an expert in certain fields.

This is all because of my travels and because I like to gain as much knowledge about a place as possible.

I actually hold no formal education so it’s purely traveling and living in the countries that qualifies me for being an expert in these fields.

I’m a self made global citizen and the media likes that as long as you are able to hold an intelligent conversation going in front of a microphone.

 

But seeing new places is a must.

Went to Paraguay to buy a football shirt.

I went to Paraguay to buy a football shirt.

Now some people might think I am about to hang out at all the same local joints now that I have created a niche I can make a living form but I am not even close to that.

The reason why I stay alive and keep being interesting to some people is because I keep learning new things and seeing new places so I can put that in relation to the places I already have extended knowledge about.

The alternative would be to keep telling the same 10 old stories over and over again and that soon becomes quite boring and the public and the media will soon start to look for someone else to entertain and educate them about the world.

 

And my bottom line is:

Went to Saltspring Island in Canada.

Went to Saltspring Island in Canada.

This is just my way of looking at things and this is what feels right for me.

We are all individuals and different so we also have different solutions to our life and this is one of the things that makes the world great, but I would personally advice people to get out and see new places as often as you can and leave your comfort zone from time to time cause that is healthy, but don’t forget to re visit some of all the nice people you meet around the world as the human relations you build on your travels are some of the most rewarding aspects of going around the globe.

Went to Damascus and loved it.

Went to Damascus and loved it.

 

Going down the road in Sri Lanka.

Going down the road in Sri Lanka.

Having a beer with local friends in Istanbul.

Having a beer with local friends in Istanbul.

Making friends around the world is the best.

Making friends around the world is the best.

4 Comments

  1. very nice article!!

    i was wondering how you’ve been on the road that long (economical speaking), and in this article you kind of answer that too… =)

    and i like your perspective about going back to places you already been by such reasons…. speaking about that, i’m from brazil, and noticed you’ve come here a lot of times… hehehe…. =D

    hope you travel many more and have many stories to share yet!! 😉

  2. This is a question I am always asking myself too! But in the solution as you say seems to be to both go back, learn more and meet up with friends as well as to go to some new places!

  3. Marion Borreman

    Nice story Claus!I am looking forward to your stories about Athens. Nice to have met you on the TBEX conference and the Delphi tour.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *