Meet the Nomads – Roy Abraham

Roy is our tribe leader in an online organization. I met him (online) through another Filipino Travel Blogger, Graciel of Pinay on the Move. I’ve been checking out his blog from time to time and reads about his adventures.

But what keeps me hooked is his sketches. I find them really nice and entertaining. Roy also blogs about his cruise and couchsurfing adventures which you’ll definitely find very useful.

Get to know more about Roy and visit his blog at Cruisesurfingz.

Here’s my short interview with Roy.

How did you discover your passion for travelling?

“Back in 2003, when I was home in New Zealand, I had a two-week break in between jobs. My options were either to stay home and get drunk, or go somewhere interesting and get drunk. I happened upon a flight sale to the South Island and spontaneously booked it. I had no idea what to do when I got there, so I joined a two-week hop-on hop-off tour with Kiwi Experience, which seemed like a safe bet for a newbie traveller. On that trip, I met lots of interesting people from England and Canada, which sparked a passion to discover the other side of the world. I’ve been at it for over 7 years now, and there seems to be no turning back.”

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

I’ve been really lucky over the years, except for this one time in Peru when I was mugged in broad daylight. I fought my two attackers but they managed to get away with my wallet, containing USD$100. But I think the most horrible experience was when I left my travel bear of 5 years, Paddington Bear, behind in a bar in New York last summer after one too many tequila shots.

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

“My best experience was when I spent a summer in upstate New York, working on a special-needs summer camp called Camp Jened in 2004. The experience was so rewarding as I had never worked with special-needs people before. Plus, the camp counselors were from all around the world, so we had lots of fun together exploring New York on our free days. I made so many close friendships during that summer, many of whom I’m still in contact today.”

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

“We aren’t that different from each other. Everyone wants the same thing: to love and be loved.”

What keeps you going? What keeps you motivated?

“What keeps me motivated is the reality that life is short and one day we won’t be able to do it. So, do it while you can.”

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’d like to say the Dalai Lama so everyone will think I’m all fancy and spiritual fancy. But secretly, I’d choose Lindsay Lohan because I hear she knows how to party.”

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

“This is a really hard question. If I had only one favorite place, I would be there right now. But I do have a favourite place in time, and that was Prague in 2006. I moved to Prague, not knowing anyone and started organizing events and developing the local Couchsurfing community, which was still in its infancy. The first Couchsurfing event attracted 4 people. A year later, 50+ people were regularly attending. Together, we built a lovely community where great friendships were made, travel adventures shared and even a few marriages resulted!”

What’s your best tip for newbie traveller?

“Get deeply involved with the Couchsurfing. It’s not just a free place to stay, it’s a community of amazing friends you haven’t met yet.”

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

“I did Running of the Bulls in Pampolona one year and started running before they even let the bulls out. Actually, I finished at the stadium just as they sounded the gun to officially start the run. I proceeded to do a “victory lap” while the locals booed and threw things at me. I even ended up on the front page of the local newspaper the next day. I imagine that they didn’t have very nice words for me!”

What do you think about yourself?

“I think I’m just a normal guy doing my thing.”

“When I started my blog 2 years ago, it was initially about working on cruise ships. It has now evolved to include the lifestyle of being a working nomad, travel adventures in between ship contracts and minimalism (everything I own weighs less than 50kgs total). However, it seems like my blog is most famous for the fact that I illustrate my travels rather than take photos.” – Roy Abraham

Editor’s Note: All pics are provided by Roy.

Next: Kara Santos of Travelling Up. Previously: Juno Kim of Runaway Juno. For more interviews with travel bloggers, check out the archives of Meet the Nomads.