Meet the Nomads: Linda Martin

Yes, you got it right… Linda is the wife of our featured Nomad last week, Craig. Together, they run the Indie Travel Podcast, one of the most influential travel websites in the world.

You’ll definitely learn alot by reading their experiences same as I did because their site is full of tips and tricks on how to travel the world.

Get to know more about Linda and visit her at Indie Travel Podcast.

Here’s Flip’s short interview with Linda.

How did you discover your passion for travelling?

“My family travelled quite a bit when I was young, so travel has always been normal for me. I went on a couple of trips in my late teens which I loved, and as a result decided to go on a long trip. But I found the real passion on the road, after we really started traveling.”

What’s the most horrible experience that you’ve had on the road?

“Getting ripped off in Bucharest comes to mind, and also having my camera and iPod stolen in separate events in Peru – I felt so stupid on each occasion, like I should have been more aware. But at least some good came out of each situation – we made some cool friends in Romania, and I got to ride in a police car in Peru.”

What’s the most outstanding travel experience that you’ve ever had?

“That is an impossibly large question! I’ve loved all the long hikes I’ve done – in New Zealand and Scotland, and especially the Camino de Santiago in Spain. But I also loved experiencing the hospitality of Couchsurfing hosts and friends of friends in South America, particularly in Chile. Everyone was so amazingly welcoming. And then there’s the natural wonders: Fox Glacier in NZ, the Iguacu Falls, the Uyuni salt flats. I could go on…”

What’s the biggest realization that you’ve got out of travelling?

“We’re all the same. Of course there are cultural differences between people of different countries, but there’s a lot more that’s similar between us than different.”

What keeps you going? What keeps you motivated?

“I just want to see it all. There’s so much to see and I don’t want to miss any of it! And that feeling hasn’t died yet.”

This is a silly and hypothetical one. If you would be given a chance to travel with a popular person or a celebrity, who would it be and why?

“I really don’t know. I like travelling with people who I like and who are flexible, and it’d have to be a Spanish-speaker so I can practice Spanish with them. So maybe Rafael Nadal – he travels a lot so must be pretty flexible. Plus he seems like a nice guy.”

What could stop you from traveling?

“Probably just ill-health. Or if my parents needed me or something like that.”

Among the places that you’ve been to, which one fascinated you the most?

“Istanbul. It’s amazing – something new and completely different around each corner. Plus we went there after two years in Europe, so it was a welcome change.”

What’s the best travel advice that you could give a novice traveler?

“Pack light. Get down to carry-on size and keep it as light as possible. Honestly, you need a lot less clothes than you think you do and handwashing isn’t that bad.”

What do you think about yourself?

“I think I’m pretty open-minded, but there’s always a lot more to learn about the world.”

“The Indie Travel Podast was started because Craig and I kept making stupid novice-traveller mistakes and wanted to share what we’d learned not to do with other independent travellers. We believe that the best way to discover a country is usually independently, and we provide resources to help people do that: Not only podcasts, but also videos and articles.” – Linda

Next: Cengiz Yar Jr of ROTE. Previously: Craig Martin of Indie Travel Podcast. For more interviews with travel bloggers, check out the archives of Meet the Nomads.