Vagabonding Case Study: Johnny Isaak

Johnny Isaak Putuoshan.

Age: 54

 
Hometown: Pocatello, Idaho
 
Quote: “A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for.” — William G.T. Shedd
 
How did you find out about Vagabonding, and how did you find it useful before and during the trip?
Google search. An independent travel philosophy. Tips and techniques for travel.
 
How long were you on the road?
Three months.
 
Where did you go?
Eastern China (Zhejiang, Anhui, Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Putuoshan, Wenzhou)
 
What was your job or source of travel funding for this journey?
Self funded from job earnings.
 
Did you work or volunteer on the road?
No, but plan to the future.
 
Of all the places you visited, which was your favorite?
Shanghai, Putuoshan.
 
Was there a place that was your least favorite, or most disappointing, or most challenging?
No. They all had their pros and cons.
 
Which travel gear proved most useful?
My bicycle.
Least useful?
Excess clothes.
 
What are the rewards of the vagabonding lifestyle?
The ability to more deeply immerse one’s self into regions, lands, peoples and cultures. The ability to travel long distances for long periods of time on little cash.
 
What are the challenges and sacrifices of the vagabonding lifestyle?
Transitioning to a minimalistic lifestyle of living on the road.
 
What lessons did you learn on the road? 
There is a lot more gray than black and white. As humans, we are more similar than dissimilar.
 
How did your personal definition of “vagabonding” develop over the course of the trip?
Development of a greater, deeper understanding of minimalistic, independent travel. Long distance cycling is the perfect compliment to vagabonding travel.
 
If there was one thing you could have told yourself before the trip, what would it be?
Take less stuff. When you get all of your gear laid out, cut it in half. You always take more than you really need.
 
Any advice or tips for someone hoping to embark on a similar adventure?
To go, go now before it is all gone. Globalization is changing the world and making us all the same. Unique cultures and societies are all fading away and will be lost to the ages.
 
When and where do you think you’ll take your next long-term journey?
Two months this summer, then permanently in early 2015 following my retirement. I’m a burgeoning cycling trekker who’s fully embraced the vagabonding lifestyle since 2006.
 
Are you a Vagabonding reader planning, in the middle of, or returning from a journey? Would you like your travel blog or website to be featured on Vagabonding Case Studies? If so, drop us a line at casestudies@vagabonding.net and tell us a little about yourself.

Posted by | Comments (1)  | August 15, 2014
Category: General, Vagabonding Case Studies


One Response to “Vagabonding Case Study: Johnny Isaak”

  1. Leaving Shanghai for a while | Karavansara Says:

    […] Vagabonding Case Study: Johnny Isaak […]