Kal
Hello, fellow adventurers! I’m Kal, your travel mentor, adventure advocate, and the voice behind the stories you’ll read on this blog. Just over a year ago, in the summer of 2022, I made a life-altering decision to quit my job, sell most of my possessions, and set off on a trip around the world. Since then, I’ve traveled through a dozen different countries, collected countless memories, and discovered an immense amount about the world, life, and myself.
The Spark: A Film Ignites a Passion
So, how does someone end up making such a life-altering decision? For me, it all started in 2015 when a friend gifted me a copy of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Yes, it sounds cheesy, but that movie kindled a flame of adventure in me. The idea of Walter (Ben Stiller), choosing to ditch his monotonous office job one day to make an adventurous dream a reality, resonated deeply with me. This dream of trading the ordinary for the extraordinary, exploring the breadth of the world, and embarking on a grand adventure was captivating. Plus, as a budding photographer, I quickly became fascinated with the mesmerizing Icelandic landscapes portrayed in the film.
Kindling the Dream: Turning Reel Life into Real Life
Sparked by Walter Mitty’s cinematic adventures, my dream to explore the world began to take shape. Although it felt like a distant fantasy, Iceland – the very setting that had captivated me in the film – became the destination of my first international trip around two and a half years later. My departure wasn’t quite as spontaneous as Walter’s impromptu decision to leave his office and head straight to the airport. Nonetheless, this journey marked a critical turning point that forever altered the course of my life.
Experiencing life overseas, alone and independent, was both liberating and enlightening. It pushed me to venture beyond the boundaries of my comfort zone and opened my eyes to the world’s vast and diverse expanse.
A few more years of dedicated saving brought me to the summer of 2022 – the start of the adventure of a lifetime. And the rest is history (in the making).
What I’ve Discovered: The World is Bigger than You Think
Traveling truly broadens your horizons. It is educating, enlightening, and transformative, and with the entire world accessible to you, your experiences are only limited by your imagination and courage. The world, as I’ve discovered, is much bigger and incredibly more diverse than we often imagine sitting in our comfortable homes. The cultures are rich and varied, the natural beauty is far more breathtaking than any picture can capture, and the human connections you forge along the way are profoundly enriching. From Bosnia to Laos, my trip around the world has unveiled the sheer breadth and diversity of our planet. Strangely enough, the more I travel, the more I realize just how large the world appears.
But there’s more to it. As I traveled across different continents, meeting new people, embracing diverse beliefs, and adapting to different lifestyles, I discovered the underlying common thread of humanity that binds us all. No matter where we are, who we are, or what language we speak, at our core, we all share the same hopes, dreams, and fears. This beautiful, profound realization made the world seem a little less foreign, and made me feel more at home, no matter where I was.
The Growth: A Personal Transformation
Traveling the world is more than a change of scenery; it’s a change of self. The journey you embark on isn’t just about discovering new places, but also new perspectives. It isn’t simply observing diverse lifestyles and cultures, but immersing yourself within them. This exploration pushes you beyond the boundaries of what’s familiar and comfortable. You learn to not only accept the new and unfamiliar, but also to embrace it.
Each day of travel is a new chapter in your life’s story. From seemingly ordinary activities, like ordering food in a language you don’t understand, to grand adventures like trekking the Himalayas, each experience is a lesson and a reward.
Travel, at its core, is more than just sightseeing. It’s an ongoing journey of self-discovery, personal growth, and evolving into a version of yourself that’s ready for whatever life throws your way.
The Torch: Sparking the Adventurer in You
This blog is not just a chronicle of my journey—it’s a beckoning call to you, the adventurer, craving for a life less ordinary.
Imagine this: the exhilaration of surfing the waves of the Malabar Coast, the wind tussling your hair as you embark on a motorbike road trip across the serene landscapes of Vietnam, the breathtaking view of a coral reef while scuba diving in the Philippines, or the serenity of drifting over ancient landscapes in a hot air balloon in Turkey. These are not just my adventures, but they could be yours too.
If you’ve ever dreamed of embarking on a trip around the world, consider this your wake-up call. Stop waiting for the ‘right time’ or a ‘someday’. Start planning for now and let ‘someday’ be today. Through this blog, I aim to equip you with practical tips on budgeting, stories from various places, and a step-by-step guide on how to prepare for your own grand adventure.
This blog is more than a journal of my experiences; it’s a blueprint for your journey. It’s a testament that dreams can be chased, borders can be crossed, and that a world of unimaginable beauty and diversity lies within your reach. Your adventure is just a decision away. Are you ready to make it?
Embarking on the Unknown: Are You Up for the Adventure?
As for my future travel plans, I intend to eventually set foot on all seven continents and climb the highest peaks of each one. A lofty goal, but isn’t that what dreams are made of?
If there’s anything I want you to take away from my experiences, it’s that life is too short for ‘someday.’ Your dreams deserve more than a corner in your heart and a spot on your bucket list. So why not make your ‘someday’ today?
All you need to do is prepare, plan, and pursue. The world is waiting for you.
Are you ready to leap into an exhilarating trip around the world of your own? If so, read on to see how I prepared for the trip, bookmark this blog, and share it with your fellow travel enthusiasts. Let’s make travel possible, enriching, and above all, an incredible journey into the remarkable world around