Vagabonding Case Study: Mike Salerno

Mike Salerno

lifeundefined.com

Age: 27

Hometown: Wayne, New Jersey

Quote: “What I remember most about my travels are moments that often last a few seconds.

How long were you on the road? I’ve been on and off the road since January 2009.

How did you find out about Vagabonding, and how did you find it useful before and during the trip? I stumbled upon it on Amazon.com while I was in-between trips. Through my travels, I’ve come to certain realizations and it was nice to read a book of similar philosophy. It definitely provided inspiration to keep going.

Where all did you go? Thailand, USA, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Peru, Argentina, Germany, Czech Republic, South Africa, Egypt, Jordan, Israel

What was your job or source of travel funding for this journey? I worked full time as a video editor for a marketing agency. During that time, I also produced a feature length film and had a small side business filming and editing social events. Having multiple income streams helped me allocate money for travel and also gave me something to fall back on when I got laid off.

In-between trips, I started freelancing and found that I could make the same salary as when i was working full time, in half the amount of time. I will work for a few months, travel, come home and repeat.

Did you work or volunteer on the road? Barely. I’ve managed a few projects while traveling. Clients ask for things at the most inopportune times it seems; a few minutes before boarding a flight, after a night of drinking at Oktoberfest, or when I am floating down the Nile.

Of all the places you visited, which was your favorite? I love cities that are encapsulated by nature, but also have a gritty side to them: Rio De Janeiro and Cape Town.

I also love the pace of life in Buenos Aires, the beauty of New Zealand, the vastness of Patagonia and the wonderful people of Ireland and Brazil.

Was there a place that was your least favorite, or most disappointing, or most challenging? Not so much. I think solo travel is a challenge in and of itself.

Did any of your pre-trip worries or concerns come true. Did you run into any problems or obstacles that you hadn’t anticipated? No. Others put most of those pre-trip worries and concerns in my head to begin with. Our minds are much more dangerous than the world itself.

Which travel gear proved most useful? Lease useful? Most useful? Clothes.

The least useful? I am not the best planner, so I’d say the things I didn’t pack. Gloves, Flashlight, Rain Coat, etc. You learn to become resourceful though; I’ve worn socks as gloves, attempted to adjust my eyes to the dark while hiking down a mountain and also very humbly hiked three hours in the pouring rain.

You really have to travel around the world at least twice- once on a whim, then once again with more of a clue.

What are the rewards of the vagabonding lifestyle? Freedom. Flexibility. Breaking the cycle of monotony in your daily life and becoming aware of the choices available to you. It’s amazing how much you can experience in such a short amount of time when you aren’t sitting behind a desk.

Travel is the gift that keeps on giving. You make friends from all over the world, then you come home and say you’ll take a break, but the next thing you know you have an invitation to visit a friend and you are on the plane again.

What are the challenges and the sacrifices of the vagabonding lifestyle? I have one foot in the corporate world. It can be a challenge switching mindsets; I find myself asking if I even belong there anymore (or even in America for that matter).

Giving up financial stability and earning a bigger salary for the ability to travel and do what I want is the sacrifice I made these past few years. I have no fixed income and work isn’t always guaranteed when I come home. I look at it this way though — over the course of a lifetime, what are a few years of uncertainty? Money can be regained, experience cannot.

What lessons did you learn on the road? Where to start? In a society that is obsessed with status where one is defined by what they do for a living, taking extended time off forces you to examine other areas of your life more closely.

I became a conscious spender as I am now more aware of where my money goes and what I spend it on.

Travel also helps you to accept the unknown. The unknown can be unsettling and restrictive, but after venturing out by myself, I found myself somewhat addicted to it.

It’s exciting getting on a plane by yourself not knowing whom you will cross paths with or how things will turn out. The same can be said for my professional life; it can be thrilling not knowing who you will be working for a few months down the line, or how much money you will make in any given month. There are no ceilings.

I’ve learned that curiosity often transcends fear and that security is an illusion. I’ve found that I am more likely to swim towards a shark than away from it, which brings me to my next lesson: throughout my twenties, all the decisions that were deemed irrational by others have been the most rewarding.

How did your personal definition of ‘vagabonding’ develop over the course of the trip? The way my journey began was quite sporadic, and extremely unplanned, but it was uniquely my own. That’s what I’ve come to realize; travel is very personal. We all travel for different reasons.

Travel, for me, is more of a feeling, whether I am away for two weeks or two months, whether I am abroad or in my own country. What I remember most about my travels are moments that often last a few seconds.

If there was one thing you could have told yourself before the trip, what would it be? Do not wear the same socks for four days straight while hiking the Inca Trail.

Any advice or tips for someone hoping to embark on a similar adventure? It’s ok to see the world by yourself….It’s better than not seeing it at all. There are places on earth that are so powerful that everything else will seem irrelevant. Aside from the world blowing you away, you will also meet amazing people along your journey.

Sometimes it may not seem like it, but there is always a choice to be made.

When and where do you think you’ll take your next long term journey? I’m not sure. It’ll reveal itself eventually.  I am feeling good about Tanzania, Ecuador, India, Italy.

Website: lifeundefined.com

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 3, 2011
Category: Vagabonding Case Studies


One Response to “Vagabonding Case Study: Mike Salerno”

  1. It’s so nice, I wanna hear the same song twice « Blogger Hamlin Says:

    […] Salerno, in a Vagabonding case study: You really have to travel around the world at least twice- once on a whim, then once again with […]