Jason Wisdom

https://jasonwisdom.com

Age: 37

Hometown: New York, NY

Quote: “I knew exactly enough to have a great experience.”

How long were you on the road? Almost 3 months

Where all did you go? Spanish-speaking America: Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, Argentina, and Peru.

What was your job or source of travel funding for this journey? Saved up for the past 2 years working as a freelancer, and planned this trip after my major client project finished in 2009.

Did you work or volunteer on the road? I did some freelancing work while in Argentina & Peru.

Of all the places you visited, which was your favorite? Tough choice, there are so many… Probably the one night I went deep DEEP into the Peruvian Amazon with two local Shamans. (2nd place would be driving through the Salinas Grandes salt-mine desert near Salta, Argentina with the waitress I met the night before)

Was there a place that was your least favorite, or most disappointing, or most challenging? The disgustingly dirty youth hostel I stayed at in Buenos Aires. (close 2nd: Border crossing from Panama into Costa Rica where I almost didn’t get in)

Did any of your pre-trip worries or concerns come true? Not really… I didn’t get attacked or robbed, I didn’t get arrested, and I didn’t lose my laptop or iPhone. Those were my biggest concerns.

Did you run into any problems or obstacles that you hadn’t anticipated? Yes, many. Got in a big argument with a cab driver in Costa Rica who almost called La Policia on me; a girl fell completely in love with me within 36 hours; lost my ATM card and was cash-less for 10 days; poor internet in Argentina when a client had an urgent situation; very expensive airplane fares; countries wouldn’t let me enter unless I had a pre-paid ticket out of the country – no one-way-in tickets.

Which travel gear proved most useful? Least useful? Most useful: universal power converter from Brookstone. Least useful: the baggie of american coins weighing more than 2 pounds that for some unknown reason I kept carrying around.

What are the rewards of the vagabonding lifestyle? I got my life back. I got my love, thirst, joy and spontaneity back. Saw beautiful sights, and connected with beautiful women. Very low-cost once airfare is complete. Also I’m full of stories when I meet another traveler.

What are the challenges and sacrifices of the vagabonding lifestyle? Travel is very bad for the body… I will need 3 months of yoga, chiropractic work & massage therapy to return my back to a healthy condition (being 6’2″ height does not help with airplanes & beds) Also it is difficult to go to local places when speaking little of the language or dialect.

What lessons did you learn on the road? Learn how much a cab costs, before getting in!! Also, use TripAdvisor or CoachSurfing whenever starting off in a new city and not knowing anybody.

How did your personal definition of “vagabonding” develop over the course of the trip? I had no definition going in; I guess this was an experiment to see if I could actually do it. My goal was to work on my creative projects (books, etc) rather than get a job in ESL or bartending.

If there was one thing you could have told yourself before the trip, what would it be? Nothing – I knew exactly enough to have a great experience. Had I told myself too much, I might have spoiled the adventure.

Any advice or tips for someone hoping to embark on a similar adventure? Invest in good, lightweight travel gear!!

When and where do you think you’ll take your next long-term journey? My first thought is southeast Africa – Zanzibar, Mozambique, Madagascar. Other choices include Egypt, Brasil, Patagonia/Antarctica, or Turkey/East Europe. I’ll probably do one of these sometime in 2011.

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.