Thursday Traveler: Ross Roams

2. What has been your favorite travel experience thus far?

This is a silly question that is based upon the intrinsic hierarchy of western society. Every experience is completely different and enjoyable for different reasons. Even furtively camping in someone’s backyard in the snow was enjoyable. I had just biked 50km with an 18kg pack and I froze the entire night but I was laughing the whole time. Every second of life is beautiful and must be appreciated as such.

Many of my highlights come from the most trying experiences, like camping in the snow or sleeping three to my one-man tent with one sleeping bag, freezing on a cliff in Cinque Terre. Biking the hills of Tuscany with a one speed city bike was ridiculous and so much fun.

3. How about your proudest travel moment?

I try my best not to have ‘proud’ moments. The most satisfying moment came to me during the first few days of my trip like a nuclear bomb going off in my brain. While working on a website for my client, I realized that I could design and work anywhere. I could make traveling a lifestyle. My mind melted as the doors of the universe opened to me. Realizing that I can follow any path I choose in life was profound. Even if I can’t manage to travel for the next few years, I don’t have to spend the rest of my life working in an office. As long as I keep an optimistic attitude and fiery work ethic, I can do anything I like.

4. Have you had any travel mishaps or bad experiences? If so, have these influenced how you view the place where they happened? Would you go back?

I’ve had my fare share of trying situations, but they’re never ‘bad’. For example, two days ago I realized I lost all of my clothes. All of my dirty clothes were gone from my bag. I only had the smelly clothes I was wearing. My host and I both had a good laugh, then he gave me a new shirt. Life is OK, all of the time. A good experience is anything which produces a good story. In this way, experiences that are bad at the time often become my favorites.

The worst experiences I’ve had are the fines that I’ve gotten charged with. Minutes after arriving in Europe, I got on a train from Rome to Florence. When I got on, the doors closed right behind me, and I didn’t have time to buy a ticket. I was expecting to pay extra, but not €50 extra. The price of my trip rocketed from €16,70 to €66,70. I also got nailed for jumping the Metro gate in Lyon. I suppose those were the worst experiences.

5. Name one thing you can’t travel without.

I have a Macbook Pro and Canon T2i which are my most expensive possessions. But if I lost both of them, I would just read more. The one thing I can’t travel without is my heart. Besides providing me with blood, it’s my guide in most situations. It’s what allows me to open myself to new situations, make mentally impossible decisions, and soak in the beauty around me. The runner-up is the generosity of others. Beautiful people exist everywhere and CouchSurfing and hitch hiking have enriched my traveling experience more than I can describe.

6. Name one thing you wish you COULD travel without.

I brought two suit jackets. I gave one of them away, but I still have one. Once I find someone to give it to, then my life will be complete.

7. What do you think has been the biggest thing you’ve learned while traveling (about yourself, a destination, a culture, travel itself)?

Being myself is the most important thing I’ve learned while traveling. There are many facets of being myself. I used to stress out about what other people thought. Even my good friends who were genuinely trying to help me, giving me places to go, telling me what to do, impressing their opinions on me. Through traveling, I’ve been bombarded by so many people’s opinions, ranging from how much time I spend writing a blog entry to where I should go next. I got so exhausted worrying about whether I was doing the right thing. While I’m writing this, I’m staying with this profound meditation guru who is blowing my mind. His wisdom is penetrating. His words come to me like rain to a cactus. He has taught me not to worry about what other people think and just focus on being happy. Simple, right?

8. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

I can live anywhere in the world. I wouldn’t change anything about my life at the current moment. When I get tired of backpacking, I’d like to settle down for a few years in a country and then move. I’ve enjoyed France a lot and would love to become fluent in French. I think it will be the first place I live for a few years. After that… who knows!

9. Name one place you’d like to see or one experience you’d like to have before you die.

Moon or bust.

10. If there was one thing you wish somebody would have told you before you started traveling, what would it be?

“Congratulations! You’ve won $1,000,000,000!”