Vagabonding Case Study: Robert Fitzsimmons

Robert Fitzsimmons

https://www.adventurerob.com

Age: 25

Hometown: Portsmouth, UK

Quote: “Don’t try to visit everything, just pick what you like/fancy at the time and ignore the rest.

How did you find out about Vagabonding, and how did you find it useful before and during the trip? The book on Amazon.co.uk

How long were you on the road? Still am after 2 years

Where all did you go? South East Asia, followed by Australia and now Japan

What was your job or source of travel funding for this journey? Various jobs plus online earnings from website.

Did you work or volunteer on the road? Worked in Australia and Japan

Of all the places you visited, which was your favorite? Thailand because it was cheap.

Was there a place that was your least favorite, or most disappointing, or most challenging? Australia because it was expensive

Did any of your pre-trip worries or concerns come true?  Did you run into any problems or obstacles that you hadn’t anticipated? I never worried about it. The only problem was when I did not have a job in Australia and the cost of living there

Which travel gear proved most useful?  Least useful?

Most useful – Spork, Laptop, mobile phone

Least useful: black clothing, wind up radio, sleeping bag

What are the rewards of the vagabonding lifestyle? Independence, relatively stress free and enjoyable

What are the challenges and sacrifices of the vagabonding lifestyle? Doesn’t really develop much for the future career wise.

What lessons did you learn on the road? Everyone in the world is actually quite similar and has similar ambitions and goals under the surface – to provide for family and be happy.

How did your personal definition of “vagabonding” develop over the course of the trip? It changed frequently as I saw more people doing the same thing. Backpacking and staying in hostels is nothing special. Going on more adventurous trips and avoiding the usual route is much more of an experience worth talking about.

If there was one thing you could have told yourself before the trip, what would it be? Don’t try to visit everything, just pick what you like/fancy at the time and ignore the rest.

Any advice or tips for someone hoping to embark on a similar adventure? Save money and make a vague plan, avoid giving yourself time limits.

When and where do you think you’ll take your next long-term journey? Israel.

Twitter: AdventureRob Website: www.adventurerob.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 (2)  | June 15, 2011
Category: Vagabonding Case Studies


2 Responses to “Vagabonding Case Study: Robert Fitzsimmons”

  1. Joya Says:

    I love your quote Rob. I just learned how to do this on my my most recent trip to Scandinavia and I had the freedom to do it because I was traveling solo.

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