Interview With Rob From Stop Having A Boring Life

Rob was an up-and-coming, successful man from Ottawa. He graduated from college, and earned a profitable job at a business firm. He was making it in the most conventional, American sense. He had all the "trophies" that come along with his prospering but there was something that kept him from being content with this lifestyle. He couldn't help but wonder, "Now what?"

Most people combat these thoughts with a long phone call to someone close, a night of heavy drinking, or even a short vacation. However, Rob saw this as the perfect opportunity to travel the world, turning this dissatisfaction into a blessing in disguise. He sold his house including everything inside it. On September 4th, 2009, he spent his last days at work and would soon be traveling the world, living his dream.

He created a refreshing blog in the process, named Stop Having A Boring Life, documenting all the experiences and thoughts gained from such an expedition. His motivation to blog was the lack of information and guidance for a truly global trip. On his blog, you can live vicariously through all his adventures while also getting a sense of how to accomplish your own travel, no matter how ambitious.

I was gifted with the opportunity to interview him and get a sense of what it is like to start, and actually live this cosmopolitan dream.

George: I know the trademark for your site is to stop having a boring life. I'm

curious though, was there a single event that made you decide to make this
change or was it a general dissatisfaction with your previous lifestyle?

Rob: I always wanted to travel just never had the guts to go for it. I had a
good life with a solid job but I wanted to see what else there was and
knew there was more.  It took years to happen but once I made that final
decision, everything started to fall into place.

George: Was it difficult to make such a drastic change in the way you live your life?

Rob: Mentally it was tough to leave everything with no safety net. Once the
mental drama was over and I was going, everything happened very easily.

George: How did the people close to you respond to the news?

Rob: They knew it was coming, I had been talking about it for years.

George: From the beginning, did you think you would be gone in a single span for as long as you have?

Rob: I honestly had no idea, and my goal as to rent an apartment in Bangkok and
do web work. That never happened and I turned into a travel addict which
I’m alright with.

George: Was there a learning curve for you when it came to traveling?

Rob: Just jump in the deep end, you’ll learn how to swim as we all do.

George: Do you travel with luggage or a backpack?

Rob: Backpack that I have a zip that covers the backpack part and I typically
carry it like a duffle bag.

George: What are the top three essential items for you? Besides hygienic items.

Rob: An open mind, good cash flow and a smile.

George: Has there ever been a time where you got sick or bored of traveling? Or
just missed too much?

Rob: I’ve gotten sick countless times and always miss home when I wake up
somewhere strange with a headache from a night that shouldn’t have been as
crazy as it was. As a general rule though I don’t get homesick, I’m quite
independent.

George: How did you approach each new place, country, or region? Did you read up
on the area beforehand or let yourself find out on your own?

Rob: I never read anything, I just go and let it all come together as it will.

George: What has kept you moving on to different places when you have found a
place you are completely content to stay at?

Rob: The idea of what else is out there. If I’m just going to live somewhere
and not travel, I might as well do it in Canada where all my friends and
family are. I’m here to see the world and one day settle, not just
relocate somewhere.

George: Have you ever felt that maintaining a blog during your travels has taken away from the experience?

Rob: Never, I write as a hobby. People say they have issues updating because
they are too busy, I don’t believe it. The time other people use to read a
book or watch a movie, I use to blog. It’s a hobby of mine and I feel
weird when I don’t. I also type as fast as lightening which helps.

George: What are some of the most memorable experiences during your travels? Can
be good or bad, whatever has stuck the most in your memory

Rob: I stayed in a cashew tree fort for 5 weeks on the coast of Eastern Africa
and when I left I gave a gent $66 and he put $34 and bought himself a
small shack near the beach. That made his life as it’s very hard to save
anything when you get paid $50 a month and a coke is $1…

George: How you ever managed to find your way into trouble with the law?

Rob: Never, I’ve been very fortunate.

George: Who has been the most interesting person you have met during your trip?

Rob: Can’t answer that question, I meet interesting characters everyday.

George: Which country has the best cuisine in your opinion? The best scenery?

Rob: Thailand has the best food and scenery, depends what you’re into. Canada
is pretty unreal but so is South Africa, Jordan, Turkey, Nicaragua and the
list goes on…

George: What are some of the most impacting lessons you have learned from your
experience traveling the globe?

Rob: I’ve learned that people are basically good and that if you want something
new, you need to change what you’re doing. We are the results of our
actions which are the results of our thoughts. Change your mind and you
can change your life.


What would be your advice to people who wish to travel but haven't for some

reason or another?

If it’s important to you, do it and go big as it will be the time of your
life.

Rob's blog, Stop Having A Boring Life, is full of countless stories of unbelievable encounters and sights encompassing almost all of the blog. His page is well worth the visit. Who knows, you just might be inspired to travel the world yourself!

Stay Traveling My Friends