Meet the Nomads: Michael Tieso

Michael is the author of one of the most popular travel blogs in the world (artofbackpacking). I’ve read his blog way before I even thought of blogging and his blog is really full of useful information that could definitely help those who are planning their around the world trip independently.

I took a chance and sent Michael an email about a possibility of being featured in Meet the Nomads and he was gracious enough to accept my invitation.

Here’s my short interview with Michael.

How did you discover your passion for travelling?

“Over two years ago in my office cubicle, I was on the hunt for adventure and something new. Google eventually led me to several travel blogs of people who are living nomadically. I envied them. Several more Google searches led me to enough information to want to pursue it. I took my first short backpacking trip to Montreal and decided this is exactly what I wanted.”

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

“I’ve had a few hospital visits all of which were equally horrible. My latest visit was at the Full Moon Party in Thailand. For those who don’t know, it’s an enormous party and one of the worlds biggest held every month. Alcohol is constantly flowing in this place. When I went in January, it was incredibly hot. Alcohol plus sun equals floor. I don’t remember much of the night at all.

The next day I wasn’t feeling much better. After feeling extremely dizzy, I decided to check myself into the hospital and find out what was going on. The doctor then tells me I’m lucky to have made it to the hospital at all because my blood sugar levels were so low that I should have been unconscious. This story made it into The Australian after writing about it on Art of Backpacking. My tip to you all: stay hydrated!

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

“This is a hard one. I’ve had many good experiences.”

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

“Not seeing it all is okay. At the start of my trip, I went from one place to another often moving quickly to the next destination. I wanted to see it all. I would get upset because I missed out on something from a destination I had already left from.

Eventually this style of traveling had me exhausted. I had to slow down. After I realized this, I took my time and just went with the flow. I’m not in any rush and just take it as it goes.”

What keeps you going? What keeps you motivated?

“After two years of travel, I think most of my friends and family had given up trying to get me to settle. My biggest motivators are the people and food of the world. I’ve met some amazing people. I love being social and talking to anyone. Thanks to Facebook, Twitter, and the Blog – I have friends in every corner of the globe. It’s nice to be able to meet locals, have a good night out, and teach me a bit of their culture. Next is the food. I’m not much of a cook but I love to eat. I like to think I’m an adventurous eater and would try most things at least once. Trying new foods is a huge part of my travels.

Another big motivator has to be that every time I see the news, there are more debt issues at home. Being free of all things is extremely relieving.”

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?

“Can it be from a movie? Have you seen the trailer for Hangover 2? I want to party with them. They look like they know how to have a good time!”

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

“I really don’t know. I have favorites depending on what’s it’s for. I think Argentina has the best pizza and steak while I think Thailand has the best beaches. Chinese food has the best diversity in food. New York City has the best nightlife. And the list goes on. After have been to so many places, I don’t have a favorite anything really. I like a bit of everything.”

What’s your best tip for newbie traveller?

“One tip that I seem to be repeating often to travelers is for them to do history and cultural research before they travel. It will enhance your understanding of the culture and your experience in that country. For example, before going to Vietnam, it may help to read up on the Vietnam War. It’s as simple as getting on Wikipedia.”

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

“You should see my pictures. I keep getting caught in pictures with the most awkward faces. The videos are even worse. One of these days I’ll create a full video of all my weirdness. As for my best moments, I’m going to have to pass this one, too. I think my overall character can just count as silly. Here’s a few pictures to prove my point. (http://artofbackpacking.com/adding-humor-to-your-travel-photography/)”

What do you think about yourself?

“Oh, I hate this question. Well to start, I’m 26-years old born and raised in New Jersey, USA. My heritage is Argentinean and Italian. When I was young, I traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina often to visit family.

My interests are music, travel, and food. I use to DJ house music. It’s been my passion for years. Like I said before, I can’t cook well but I love eating food and especially new foods.”

I have a few projects going at the same time. I like to keep myself busy.

Art of Backpacking: This was the first major blog I started. As the title says, it’s all about backpacking. I like to highlight experiences, talk about culture and people I meet. I want to inspire ours to travel the world and that it doesn’t take a whole lot of money to do it.

Art of Travel Blogging: After a few years experience with blogging, I decided to share my knowledge and create a community for travel bloggers. It’s a really fantastic resource from experienced travel bloggers to those who have just started.

Hoi An Tailor Reviews: I felt inspired by the town of Hoi An, Vietnam that I wanted to create an entire website dedicated to the town.

Supersecretproject: Stephanie and I started a new project. We started talking about it a bit on Twitter. It’ll be announced in the next month. Trust me, it’ll be big!

Next: Leif Harum of Runaway Guide. Previously: Brendan Van Son. For more interviews with travel bloggers, check out the archives of Meet the Nomads.

Photo Credits: Pics by Michael Tieso