Meet the Nomads: Johnny Ward

Johnny, a young Irish bloke has been travelling since 2006. You’ll be amazed with all his travelling experiences that he documents in his blog.

I’m personally at awe with the pictures of some wildlife that he took in his travels. You have to see it.

Learn more about Johnny and visit him at http://onestep4ward.com/

Here’s Flip’s short interview with Johnny.

How did you discover your passion for travelling?

“Coming from such a small town in Ireland I guess I always had a desire to spread my wings. Since I was 16 I always wanted to take a gap year but after getting talked out of leaving when I was 18 (my family said I’d never come back and get my degree… they were right!) so I waited until after uni. Left for my gap year in 2006 and have never returned! 50+ countries late I’m still on the go and loving every day.”

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

“I’ve had too many cockroaches, rats, lice too mention but the most horrible experience was probably eating roasted testicles in China, I remember just being doubled over a bin trying to avoid throwing up!”

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

“Tough one – climbing Kilimanjaro perhaps? Or attending the football World Cup Final. Or trekking to Mount Everest base camp? Maybe the orangutans in Borneo? I have no idea, so many to choose from!”

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

“Without a doubt, how fortunate we are to have the opportunities we have. I truly believe that we only have one life and we shouldn’t waste it, so I plan to enjoy it as much as I can and make a real difference.”

What keeps you going? What keeps you motivated?

“I know how lucky I am to be living the lifestyle that I live. Our lives pass so quickly and I appreciate each day, I don’t want to have any regrets on my deathbed so I make sure I grab every opportunity I come across.”

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 wanna say Mark Twain, who I love, but if I literally could choose anyone… I couldn’t ‘waste’ my chance so it’s gotta be Scarlett Johansson, Bora Bora and I’ll leave the ‘why’ part to your imagination!”

Where’s your favourite place in this planet and why?

“For a place to live, Chiang Mai in Thailand. For a place to visit, Amaritsar, India is breathtaking.”

What’s your best tip for newbie traveller?

“Not to plan too much, I understand it’s scary to take that first trip but once you take it… it’ll be the best decision of your life. Planning too much, fixing your dates etc will only constrain you once you discover your zest for the open road.”

What’s the funniest and silliest thing you’ve ever done while travelling?

“Once, in Osaka Japan, I couldn’t afford to party because as awesome as Japan it’s bloody expensive! Soooo, I faked some I.D, went to a snazzy night club under the guise of a nighttime rep for a well known travel guidebook and told them they could expect a favourable write-up if they treat me well. Queue VIP treatment all night for free. Naughty I know, but desperate times require desperate measures!”

What do you think about yourself?

“I guess I’m an outgoing, positive guy who loves to live life.”

“OneStep4Ward.com is my way to promote a different type of lifestyle, one where you get to live your dreams rather than wait around and wish you did it! I talk about lifestyle design and how achievable it is for anyone to live a lifestyle like mine. I try to convey the message that you don’t have to be rich to live rich, if you want to travel around the world, you can do it! If you want to study, work or volunteer abroad, you really can – my site talks all about these things and shows how easy it really can be. You just have to take that first step.” – Johnny Ward

Note: All Pics are from Johnny Ward

Next: Earl Baron of Wandering Earl. Previously: Amanda Villaruel of Backpacking Tips Asia. For more interviews with travel bloggers, check out the archives of Meet the Nomads.