Stephen Schreck

abackpackerstale.com

Age: 30

Hometown: Chillicothe, Ohio

Quote:  “To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist; that is all.” ? Oscar Wilde

I take this quote to heart. Someday when I look back at my life, I want say I lived, not existed. This is a major reason I chose the life of a vagabond.

How did you find out about Vagabonding, and how did you find it useful before and during the trip?

I found Vagabonding incredibly inspirational when choosing this lifestyle. It made me realize that my life is happening at this very moment and that the time to travel would never be perfect.

My life is happening now, so why not start living the life I want to live, not the one I was dealt.

How long were you on the road?

I am still on the road. At the moment, I’ve been traveling about 20 months nonstop, but I actually started traveling eight years ago. During those eight years, I’ve spent almost half of the time on the road. I’m what you call a travel addict.

I can’t imagine my life without traveling being the center of the core. Traveling is what drives me as a person. It challenges me to grow and become the person I envision for myself.

Where did you go?

So far I’ve been to 45 countries in Europe, Asia, and Oceania. I love exploring new places and vast landscapes. My favorite part of the world is Europe, followed closely by South East Asia. However, I still have a lot of Africa and South America to see. I am set to visit South America early next year.

What was your job or source of travel funding for this journey?

When I first started traveling, I was like a dishwasher. I would travel, come home save all my money, and then travel again. Rinse and repeat. Then it dawned on me, a little late I have to admit, that I needed to make money while traveling.

I do a lot of little things to make money on the road. I don’t believe having one steady source of income is smart when living the way I do. At the moment I tutor English online, freelance write, make some money off my travel blogs, and dabble in social media management.

Did you work or volunteer on the road?

I always try to help wherever I go. Some of this has included passing out toys in the small villages of Kazakhstan and raising money for charities as I travel. I’ve never “officially” volunteered, but it is something I am considering.

Of all the places you visited, which was your favorite?

I am completely in love with Italy for a couple reasons. It was the first place I ever visited alone, and it was such an awesome experience that it shaped me into the vagabond I am now.

Plus, I love history and Italy is a country rich in history. Also, you have amazing sites, food, and people. When I retire, it will be in Italy.

Was there a place that was your least favorite, or most disappointing, or most challenging?

Ha, well I never get disappointed traveling. I was talking to my mother one day when I first arrived in Asia. She asked how I liked it. Of course, I said I loved it. She quickly responded with, “You say that about every single place”.

In truth, anytime I am wandering, I am happy. It is when I feel most alive; traveling fills my soul. That being said; Egypt was a lot tougher than I expected.

Cairo was crowded and stressful. I also found Kazchastan a disappointment. There isn’t a lot to do there, and it isn’t the easiest country to get around.

Which travel gear proved most useful? Least useful?

I travel light, so I don’t have that much gear. However, I couldn’t survive without my SLR camera. Pictures are like bookmarks of your experiences, and looking at photographs takes me back to those life changing moments.

Least useful would be the clutter you pick up. I find myself wanting to keep every flight ticket, admission ticket, and small trinket that has a memory tied to it, but before long your backpack looks like a filing cabinet that has toppled over.

What are the rewards of the vagabonding lifestyle?

My two favorite things about vagabonding are the randomness of everyday life and the feeling of ultimate freedom. When traveling, even the smallest task like walking down the street to get groceries, has an endless amount of possibility.

Everything about this lifestyle is lovely. You appreciate the small everyday moments, you don’t live in access, and you realize that experiences are more important than money.

What are the challenges and sacrifices of the vagabonding lifestyle?

Yes to both. Some of the challenges are being alone for extended periods of times, making great friends only to say good-bye a couple weeks later, and long sleepless travel days cramped in a tiny van. Sacrifices are more personal.

I’ve sacrificed dating relationships; plus some friendships have dissolved over time. When I first started saving money to travel, I was working three jobs, seven days a week for 80 plus hours. On top of that, I also was trying to start my website. So yes, I have sacrificed quite a bit over the years.

Plus, you also miss moments in the lives of people dear to you. Like last week, I missed one of my best friend’s wedding. I hated that.

To reach this goal, I have fought blood, sweat, and tears. I’ve been exhausted and stressed, but not once have I questioned the path I am on. That, I take, is a good sign.

What lessons did you learn on the road?

Having turned thirty just a few weeks ago, I released a post “20 Life Lessons I Learned Traveling the World in My 20’s“.  Being a Vagabond has taught me so much, and it has changed me in so many ways.

One of the most important lessons is that most people in the world are good and that we have more in common than uncommon. Most of them would rather help you than hurt you.

How did your personal definition of “vagabonding” develop over the course of the trip?

I think Robin Esrock put it best in Ted Talks. He stated, “Those of us that travel for a long time are either running away from something or looking for something”. When I started “vagabonding”, I was definitely looking for something. I was on a personal quest looking for freedom, experience, and a life full of adventure.

Mainly I am still looking, but I would also say now, that I am running. I am running from a 9 to 5 desk job or building a life for someone else. I am running from racking up debt or spending my entire life trying to pay off a house. I am running from living my entire existence in the same city.

Not that these things are bad things. Many people need this structure in their life. However, it is just not the life for me, and I have no interest in it.

Once you tasted freedom and how incredibly delicious experiencing the world is, there is no going back to normal life. Honestly, I’ve forgotten what life was like before traveling full time, and the thought of going back to it, terrifies me as much as some people are terrified to travel.

If there was one thing you could have told yourself before the trip, what would it be?

Slow down. When I first started traveling long-term, I was zooming all across the world, wherever I wanted, whenever I felt like it. I really wish I would have stayed in some places longer and traveled some countries slower.

Any advice or tips for someone hoping to embark on a similar adventure?

When I was a young I had a conversation with some adults who were telling me their life long dreams and ambitions. There was only one problem. Not one of them had made the first step to achieving their dreams. Their dreams were simply that, dreams. Most likely they will remain just that the rest of their lives.

I remember walking away from that conversation promising myself that I wouldn’t just dream; I would achieve my dreams. And this is what I found out: The bigger I dreamed, the more I worked to accomplish it. At times, it has been tough and it has taken sacrifice, but I have not regretted one moment of it. Instead, I am satisfied with the life I live now.

My advice is to dream big and then to chase those dreams with everything you have inside of you because the sad truth is, that putting it off until tomorrow is too late.

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

I’m still on my journey and I think it will continue the rest of my life. Travel is who I am; stopping would be giving up the biggest part of me, the part that I hold the dearest. I currently am in Asia, but heading home to visit for the holidays in a couple months, and then I will be off again. This time the destination is South America, a land I can’t wait to explore.

Read more about Stephen on his blog, A Backpackers Tale , or follow him on Facebook and Twitter.