Traveling, according to Néstor: "Everyone should try traveling alone once in their life."
We had a chat with Néstor, a wanderlust traveler who has managed to set up his own lifestyle by perfectly combining work and travel. He told us firsthand how he does it.
10 min read
Only those who travel will truly understand the transformative power of this action. We all travel, even if it is just going to the office on the subway in the morning—that still counts as traveling. Just like there’s people from all walks of life, there’s many ways to travel—together with friends and family, as a couple, for work, to find oneself, to get lost, to volunteer, long or short-haul, or simply just to get away. Some even travel without any set destination. We want to discover all of these different types of traveling, and get to know the people who live these types of experiences. That’s why we wanted to interview people who have embraced traveling as both a lifestyle and a philosophy. Especially those people who inspire us to step out of our comfort zone.At a time when society is questioning the future of tourism because of its environmental impact, we want to take a look at what drives people to travel and how these travelers—who inspire us to change our jobs and our lifestyle—get to go around the world for months on end. We also want to understand how we can adapt our job or day-to-day lives to give priority to traveling so we can go wherever and whenever we please. Meet Néstor, an experienced traveler who took long trips and decided to organize his adventures around the world in breaks of 4 to 6 weeks to better suit the way he perceives travel. What is his secret? He works as a tour guide for groups visiting Spain and Europe for 6 to 7 months a year and spends the rest of his time traveling.
What drives you to travel?
Traveling, other than physically transporting you elsewhere, forces you to move away from your reality and your comfort zone. This relies on keeping your eyes wide open, and absorbing and learning the idiosyncrasies and cultures of the region you visit. I travel a lot; it's always nice to know that you're going someplace new to see old friends, take a walk in nature, learn, relax or even enjoy music and the nightlife. There are as many types of travel experiences as there are states of mind.
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Truth be told, I make a mental list of places I would like to visit for different reasons from time to time (I finally wrote these down in 2019). Broadly speaking, the main reason is to visit a friend, that's where the idea comes from. Other than the pleasure of spending time with people you love, sharing new experiences together in a remote place is something that brings us closer and creates memorable moments. Not to mention that this is definitely the best way to get to know a city or a country where you have never been before. Based on that, I then take the decision that best fits my budget and schedule, ask my friends to see if it works for them and that's when a beautiful adventure begins.
Are you more of a solo traveler or do you prefer to travel with others?
I like to mix these; even though joyful moments are heightened in good company, I also think that most people need some time for themselves in order to do what they want without having to accommodate for the needs of their travel companions. This way you can value the time spent together. I think it's best to balance both of these, so I either travel with people who understand that we all need time on our own, otherwise I travel alone. When I visit friends, there’s always certain times during the day when we naturally share moments and others we experience alone (for example, when they’re off to work).
What destination have you a special feeling for?
While every place in the world has something to offer and its own charm, Latin America is particularly fascinating to me. In addition to its common history with Spain and Portugal, you can really feel the similarity between the character of its people, and it’s a great bonus that we speak the same language.
How long do you normally travel?
During my first experience backpacking alone, I found that I lost the enthusiasm and energy to discover new places after about two months. The adrenaline of the whole experience wore off. The second trip confirmed this impression. Now I try to travel once or twice a year to somewhere far away for 4 to 6 weeks.
What was the biggest difficulty you encountered during the trip?
I found that difficulties amount to those we create ourselves. These are things that you learn with experience. In fact, this phrase holds true for life itself (the way I see it). We can safely say that the hardest part is the beginning: our lack of resources (not knowing the language, not understanding everyday situations in the country you are visiting) leads us into making a lot of mistakes. These mistakes eventually help us understand how things work, so we can do better next time. At the end of the day, despite our cultural differences, humans are all fairly similar. A good attitude, good mood and a big smile make things much easier :-)
How do you make ends meet during your travels?
Since my everyday expenses are low and my good fortune (thanks to my hardworking parents), I was able to make ends meet over the past 5 years by working only during the high season (which is getting longer as a result of global warming). This way I can save money and afford trips which are seen as rather lengthy in my home country (Spain), while in other countries—such as Australia— these might be seen as average in length.
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Have you ever set up a savings plan for your trips?
As I mentioned before, I lead a simple life, I don't spend much on superfluous things (I really like Pepe Mujica's philosophy) and tend to save a lot to avoid having to worry too much about my expenses at any given moment. I think it's actually a bit like with food: if you watch what you eat every day, you will never have to go on a diet.
Of all the countries you visited, which one did you like the most?
This is a really tricky question because one cannot separate the objective experience of visiting a country from one's state of mind at the time. There were so many places I genuinely enjoyed that I find it almost impossible to pick one out. But as a bizarre, eclectic and unpredictable experience, I can say this: I’ll never forget the city of Lviv in Ukraine.
Do you carry cash or use a credit card?
I usually bring along both because I found myself in difficult situations where either the lack of cash or a card caused a great deal of stress. I would first learn about the country's currency exchange situation, and then decide on the amount of cash to carry. Although I must say that, in general, I prefer to carry as little cash as possible for the sake of traveling light (and avoid weight and stress).
Have you opened a different bank account for your trips or you use the one you already have in Spain?
I use the one I had in Spain during all my travels. I also made sure that getting money out of ATMs would be more or less feasible. Cards that do not charge you for withdrawing money abroad or do not charge you currency exchange commissions definitely come in handy here. I opened a bank account when I lived more than 10 months in a country, but I wouldn't qualify that as "traveling".
What about medical insurance? Do you purchase a specific coverage for your travels?
I ALWAYS purchase health insurance for trips outside the European Union. I once purchased health insurance and had to call the emergency number, so they answered in French. That's when I learned that one shouldn't take this lightly or try to cut corners because if something goes wrong in a foreign country, it's much worse if you have to contact your insurance company in a language that you can't speak.
How does traveling enrich you on a personal level?
Countless things; I feel like every time I travel I'm in for an intense life lesson. One of the side benefits—one that is not so obvious—is the insight you get when you return home. Relativizing the world's problems helps a lot. Both to understand what is less important and to identify the key challenges we face as humans and those faced by the planet (extreme wealth gap, scarce resources, extinction of species, climate change).
What is it like to go back to your routine and to your city after the trip? Do you struggle to return to your former lifestyle after so many months on the road?
Returning to a routine after a trip can be seen as a trip in and of itself. When you go away, you analyze elements that are unknown to you; when you return, you often revisit your routine and what you consider "normal" from a different angle. Nevertheless, this is a transitional period and you eventually get used to it. When going back to our comfort zone it’s also necessary to rest and recharge.
Why travel alone? Do you recommend it?
Traveling alone is something everyone should experience. I think that we often forget to live to fulfil our own desires, and we try to please everyone but ourselves. Or sometimes the opposite; we focus on avoiding problems or people we dislike.
Traveling on our own forces us to get out of this trance, to think about ourselves, overcome our own obstacles and choose our path—and more importantly—who to go down this path with. It’s strange that in today's society, we feel like we have to find an excuse to go on a trip to experience these things, but we don't really have to spend a fortune or even go that far to be in that state of mind. It only takes a traveler's attitude and some form of contemplation during our daily lives.
What advice would you give to someone going on their first long trip, or what did you wish someone had told you before you went on yours?
The best advice I can give is that making mistakes is normal, but be sure to keep your eyes wide open (and, when in Rome, do as the Romans do). Try to learn from your mistakes because this will help reduce the inevitable bad experiences. You should also keep your expectations as low as possible.I like to think that—if for whatever reason—a trip does not meet our expected levels of fun, learning or relaxation, it’ll still be memorable and bring us something useful for the future.
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